Alyssa Smith

(507) 401-7073
Alyssa.smith@jacks.sdstate.edu - 703 8th St. S, Brookings, SD 57006 - https://alyssamsmith3.weebly.com/

Dear Hiring Committee,

My name is Alyssa Smith, and I am writing to apply for the open teaching position at your school. I am a
December 2022 South Dakota State University graduate with a degree in Early Childhood Education and
an Elementary Education specialization through Dakota State. I have just completed student teaching in a
third grade, traditional classroom. I am ready to put my learning into practice, and I feel that my personal
pedagogy, passions, values, and expertise as an educator align with your district’s mission and guiding
beliefs.
My skills, teaching philosophy, and experience have prepared me to be an exceptional teacher for your
district. I excel in reading and language arts content knowledge and pedagogical approaches that are
proven effective with elementary students. I am incredibly passionate about inspiring my students and
supporting their holistic growth, and I have a disposition that enables me to excite and engage the young
children I work with. I have strengths in organization, perseverance, positivity, reflection, and leadership.
I hold the ideal that I will learn just as much from my students as they learn from me, which helps me to
get on their level and teach in a student-centered manner. As an undergraduate student at South Dakota
State and Dakota State University, I took numerous courses in child development, diversity and inclusion,
parent-teacher relationships, pedagogy and curriculum, literacy and numeracy, documentation, and core
subject methodology. In addition to coursework relating to education, I participated in numerous field
experiences including assistant teaching in a four- and five-year-old preschool classroom, student
teaching in a four- and five-year-old preschool classroom, a two-week practicum experience in a first-
grade classroom, and student teaching in a third grade, traditional classroom. Together, my coursework at
SDSU and DSU has prepared me to equip students with an attitude of lifelong learning as I provide them
with a foundational understanding of math, social studies, reading, and science. I hold such excitement for
learning, and I feel that I will be able to pass this off to students and help them move beyond proficiency,
and in turn, really grow to love education. I am also interested in writing about my experiences and
engaging in teacher research.
I would be honored to further discuss the teaching position and to learn how I can best serve as a part of
your team. Thank you for your time and consideration; I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully yours,

Alyssa Smith