Yo! I just applied for a masters program at American University in Masters of Arts in Teaching for the upcoming year. I thought it might be relevant to post my letter of intent. Its something I realized that I should probably look back on from time to time if I am ever feeling overwhelmed.
July 6, 2010
Dear Selection Committee:
The United States is a country that in theory believes in liberty and justice for all. While many Americans do enjoy a great degree of freedom and opportunity, these ideals do not hold true for all citizens. It is all too common that education standards especially vary not only from city to city, but also from classroom to classroom; arbitrary divisions between socioeconomic classes and in the minds of lawmakers limit too many children to a low-quality learning experience. This resulting achievement gap demonstrated by students across the United States simply does not reflect the ideas on which our country was founded, and the perpetuation of this geographically unequal education will only limit the success and development of our nation. The only way that this dilemma can be solved is by fostering a new generation of positive, critical-thinking minds and creating opportunities for them to take advantage of. I would like to be a part in making this dream a reality, but I understand that the skills and knowledge that I currently possess in the field of education is limited. Thus, I have become a D.C Region Teach for America Corps Member and thus, I would like to obtain my Masters of Arts in Teaching from American University.
As a student of American University, I hope to gain expertise which will allow me to help my students achieve success on many levels. Primarily, I hope to be able to establish a safe learning environment in which all my students feel comfortable expressing their own identities. Each student comes from a different home with different structure and values. Thus, it is imperative to understand the educational and emotional needs as well as the developmental abilities of each student. I also believe it is important to build a personal, yet professional relationship with each student. Because it is not realistic to expect all students to learn and grow in the same ways, personal relationships will allow me to measure each student’s learning styles and successes independently.
That said, I will hold my students to high, yet attainable standards which push them to achieve real personal goals within the year. By establishing these principles, the students will have a reference point in working towards achieving measurable results in subjects like reading and math that are so important to their academic futures.
Success within the classroom should be measured holistically, with the aforementioned goals in mind. While standardized tests are essential in measuring a child’s educational achievement, they are only one way to assess the student’s abilities. Another sigh of success in a classroom is the level of mutual trust and respect shared by the students and teacher. Only when this level of communal confidence is achieved can the students be expected to learn and grow together.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I hope to be able to work with the professors at American University to realize the goals and aspirations that I hold important to myself, to my students and to our nation.
Sincerely,
Maria Ramirez
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