Tara Masterson

TM 516-238-7538 Tara.Masterson79@gmail.com

429 Anthony St.

https://tmasterson.weebly.com/
Oceanside, NY 11572

To Whom It May Concern,

I have a strong interest in pursuing a teaching career with your school district as a General Education
Teacher. I believe my dedication and skills as a 21 st century teacher and learner will be an asset to your
district.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I felt confident in my knowledge and abilities to begin my
professional teaching career. I credit my success as an undergraduate student to my student teaching
experiences in first and fifth grade classrooms. During this time, I collaborated with my cooperating
teachers to meet the individual needs of each student. I was able to complete this task by providing
Guided Reading and small group reading strategy instruction daily. Student progress was monitored
through Fountas and Pinnell (F&P) Benchmark Assessment system, daily anecdotal notes, and running
records.

My professional teaching career began in Elmont School District as a 6th grade teacher. During this time,
I was able to utilize the SMART Board to teach English Language Arts (ELA), Social Studies, and
Science. Creating my own lessons provided me with the opportunity to adapt programs to meet the
needs of diverse learners within my classroom. Such programs included: Pearson’s Common Core
Literature Program, Harcourt Science, and Putnam BOCES Social Studies.

In previous years, I have had the honor of being a 4th and 6 th grade teacher in Valley Stream District #30.
During this time, I have earned my Masters Degree in Elementary Education: Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math (STEM) while teaching all core subject areas as a full-time teacher. My
background in STEM along with the resources available in the district have maximized my students’
learning and enhanced their 21st century skills.

Over the past year as a 4 th grade teacher, I have been able to create interdisciplinary units and lessons
by utilizing G Suite for Education. This not only provided my students with the opportunities to enhance
their 21 st century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and communication, it provided me with
opportunities to differentiate instruction accordingly. Incorporating digital citizenship and socio-
emotional learning into projects and lessons has prepared my students to meet the demands of a
technology driven world in a respectful manner.

I have created strong relationships within the Valley Stream #30 school district and community. This past
year I was given the opportunity to work alongside our district Digital Literacy Coach and learn about
new technology such as Google Expedition. In addition, I was privileged to be able to launch the STEAM
club at both Shaw Avenue Elementary School and Forest Road Elementary, as well as coach one of the
first teams for the FIRST LEGO League.

I look forward to further discussing how my dedication and skills as a 21st century teacher and learner
would be an asset to your district. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please visit my online
portfolio for further information.

Thank you,

Tara Masterson