Letter

In Chapter 10 of the textbook, the author goes into depth about the importance of quality educators and leaders in early childhood programs. In fact, Krogh (2013) states, “NAEYC, Zero to Three, and other professional organizations consider the quality of program administration in an early childhood program to be strongly linked to the success of the program” (Chapter 10 Summary, para. 1).  Krogh also discusses key roles and characteristics that high-quality educators demonstrate.  

For this discussion, imagine you are applying for a position at a high-quality early childhood education program.  As part of the application process, you must submit a resume and cover letter.  It is important that you have a compelling cover letter. To write an impactful cover letter, you need to address the questions listed below. Starting with these questions will help provide a clear and concise message for the person reading your cover letter.

• Why are you interested in the early childhood education position? Consider what makes the position, organization, or setting interesting to you.

• What three skills or competencies related to the NAEYC Standards do you possess that match the skills the employer is seeking in a candidate?
• You can find these skills by viewing the job description. These specific skills are the reason every cover letter should be unique for each job for which you apply.

For this discussion, you will explore the components of a cover letter, reflect on your most relevant skills, and assess what action steps you can take to make your cover letter stronger.

• The Cover Letters resource contains step-by step instructions for creating a cover letter. Formatting suggestions and tips regarding how to highlight your best skills and qualifications as well as how to tailor your letter for specific job you wish to apply are included.

• For more in-depth guidance for writing a cover letter, please watch the Creating a Compelling Cover Letter webinar.

In your initial post

• First, identify a position on www.indeed.com that interests you as a potential early childhood education job opportunity. Using the job description, identify three skills or qualifications as related to the NAEYC standards that match your background and type them out.

• Next, using the format suggestions from both the webinar and cover letter sample, develop your cover letter.  In your cover letter you should include why you are interested in the position as well as a  a three- to four-sentence paragraph that communicates the three matching skills and/or competencies you would like to highlight for the employer. The goal is to tailor the body of your cover letter to the position you seek.

Required Resources

1. Krogh, S. (2013). A Bridge to the Classroom and Early Care: ECE Capstone. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
• Chapter 5: Assessment and Evaluation: The Background

Feeney, S., Moravcik, E., Nolte, S., & Christensen, D. (2010). Who Am I in the Lives of Children? (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. 

Heald, S. & Zaur, J. (2013). Early Childhood Education 430: Week 5, Case Study: Dispositions/Closure. Ashford University. Retrieved from the Course Materials section of your online course. 

Krogh, S. (2013). A bridge to the classroom and early care: ECE capstone. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Marzano, R. (2012). Becoming a Reflective Practitioner. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research Laboratory. 

McFarland, L., Saunders, R., & Allen, S. (2009). Reflective Practice and Self-Evaluation in Learning Positive Guidance: Experiences of Early Childhood Practicum Students. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(6), 505-511. doi:10.1007/s10643-009-0315-2

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2011). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Ethics%20Position%20Statement2011.pdf

SoulPancake (2013, January 24). A Pep Talk from Kid President to You [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o 

U.S. Department of Education (n.d.). Professional Development: Continuing Education. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/teachers/dev/contedu/edpicks.jhtml 

Recommended Recourses

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (n.d.). Strategies for Building Relationships with Children, Families, and Colleagues. Retrieved from http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/higher/CSEFEL%20goes%20to%20college1.pdf 

New2Teaching (n.d.). Working relationships. Retrieved from http://www.new2teaching.org.uk/tzone/education/workingrelationships/ 

UC Berkley (n.d.). Career Management: Relationship-Building. Retrieved from http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/learning/career-development/career-management/relationship-building

Colker, L. (2008, March). Twelve Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Educators. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200803/BTJ_Colker.pdf 

Wadlington, E., & Wadlington, P. (2011). Teacher Dispositions:Implications for Teacher Education. Retrieved from http://d1p3wm1hneu8o1.cloudfront.net/wadlington%20birkman%20teaching%201.pdf

Adventures in Education (n.d.). Prepare for a Job Interview: Helpful Tips. Retrieved from http://www.aie.org/finding-a-career/job-interviews/Prepare-for-a-Job-Interview-Helpful-Tips.cfm 

CBS News (2012, June 11). 9 tips to prepare for a job interview. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/9-tips-to-prepare-for-a-job-interview/