Elissa O’Dell - Cover Letter

Sep 13, 2026

Elissa O’Dell submits an application cover letter for a substitute teaching position at Pleasant Valley Community School District, dated July 6, 2021. The letter highlights her psychology degree, hands-on experience working with children, and four years of tutoring and mentoring. It details SummerCorps service at Maggie’s Place leading child engagement events, peer tutoring for Northwestern psychology classes, and peer career mentoring in the Compass Center for Career & Calling. She connects her training and values to the district’s focus on academic knowledge and strong character.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages1

AccessFree to download

Application Letter

Teaching Interest and Fit

Relevant Experience and Skills

Education and Values

Closing

ELISSA O’DELL [xxxx@gmail.com](xxxx@gmail.com)[ ](xxxx@gmail.com)[712-XXX-XXXX](712-XXX-XXXX)[ ](712-XXX-XXXX)Orange City, IA 51041 July 6, 2021 Ms. Susan Smith Superintendent Pleasant Valley Community School District 123 Main Street Pleasant Valley, IA 50000 Dear Ms. Smith: I am excited to apply for a substitute teaching position at Pleasant Valley Community School District. I found this position through community connections I have made at Northwestern College. My experience working with children, my degree in psychology, and my tutoring and mentoring positions during the past four years make me a great candidate for this position. Last summer I was a SummerCorps member at an organization called Maggie’s Place. In this role, I planned, organized, and hosted numerous child engagement events with five to 10 children, ages one to 12. These particular children faced enormous obstacles as they were in the program because their mothers had at one time been both pregnant and homeless. This experience fostered a deep passion in me for working with children, as well as an awareness of the challenges many children face each day. For the past three years, I have also been a peer tutor for Northwestern students for multiple psychology classes. I utilized my love of learning and teaching to work one-on-one with students and lead group sessions to assist them in writing papers, studying for tests, and completing daily assignments. Being at Northwestern College has also offered me the opportunity to be a peer career mentor in the Compass Center for Career & Calling. In this position, I worked one-on-one with students to guide them in writing professional documents, preparing for job interviews, and finding majors and careers that fit them well. The skills used and learned in these positions are directly transferable to a classroom setting as a substitute teacher. Lastly, I believe my degree in psychology has prepared me to be an active listener and caring professional. I have taken classes such as Helping Skills, which has strengthened my ability to empathize with others and help them work through challenges and obstacles. Other classes, such as Child Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology, have prepared me to work with children in a number of developmental stages and with those who may be facing mental illness or disorders. Pleasant Valley’s commitment to develop both academic knowledge and a strong character in their students aligns with my educational values. Your classroom and school environment make your school an ideal workplace. I would love to talk with you about how my qualifications and interests can meet your needs. Please feel free to contact me via [712-XXX-XXXX or xxxx@gmail.com. Thank you](712-XXX-XXXX or xxxx@gmail.com. Thank you) for considering me for this position. Sincerely, Elissa O’Dell

FAQs

Which position does Elissa O’Dell apply for and where?

She applies for a substitute teaching position at Pleasant Valley Community School District.

What child-related and mentoring experience does she highlight?

She describes SummerCorps work at Maggie’s Place planning child engagement events, peer tutoring for Northwestern students, and peer career mentoring at the Compass Center.

How does her education support her teaching ability?

She emphasizes her degree in psychology and coursework such as Helping Skills, Child Developmental Psychology, and Psychopathology to strengthen empathy, active listening, and support for children facing different challenges.

Sep 13, 2026

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