Do you remember who your best teacher was? A true mentor is someone who gives meaning to what you are learning. A real teacher can make the most trivial matters seem exciting, the most intimidating mathematical problems seem effortless to solve, and the most hopeless situations hopeful. If you think that you can be a teacher, then you need to show personality and passion, and wear so many hats at once: mother, sister, friend, mentor, not to mention editor, checker, and counselor.

Applying for a teaching job is likewise difficult. The demand for good teachers is high, but real mentors are in short supply. Nevertheless, there are still many people applying for teaching jobs every year, and you have to join the race in order to get the teaching job you like. Moreover, you need stand out in the crowd of applicants and make your voice heard ? you have to show that you are the teacher that the school wants, and that you have all the enthusiasm and knowledge to work in the classroom.

With all this pressure on you, you might also have been tempted to utilize a sample cover letter for a teacher, which might be available online. Such sample cover letters have the same format: a heading, body, and ending, along with a few paragraphs detailing what you should write and how you should write it. Sample cover letters for a teacher, however, simply encourage you to cut and paste vital information, instead of showing your writing style and your ability to think on your own.

Sample cover letters for a teacher, as with any other cover letter, will reflect your personality: you rely on templates and do not have enough creativity to make the letter your own. Generic letters do exactly that: they take away your personality and make you appear lazy ? two traits that a teacher should never have. What kind of letter should you write, and how should a cover letter for a teacher look?

Before throwing out the sample cover letter for a teacher, however, take a look at its format. The spacing, font size, and paragraph breakdown may need to be followed, as many schools have little time to look through unformatted cover letters. The person hiring you needs to know where to look for your contact information, credentials, and achievements without having to wade through rivers of text. A neat cover letter for a teacher, moreover, speaks of your own neatness as a teacher, and can make you appear to be an even more desirable candidate for the job.

The content of the cover letter, however, has to be entirely yours. First, show how you can deal with people on a personal and personable basis by knowing who exactly you should address the letter to. Do research on the school and its graduates, and find out what the school's mission and vision are. Align your goals with that of the school's, and show how your achievements make you the perfect teacher for the job.

Second, use an active, direct voice in your letter. The best teachers can explain complex concepts in simple language, so use your simplest, most succinct tone when writing your cover letter. The people hiring you will have school affairs to attend to, and a lot more to do besides, so spare them the effort of having to read through overbearing text or overblown paragraphs. At this point, act like a teacher and show them evidence of your abilities.

Lastly, ask for a job interview toward the end of your letter, and be reachable at all times. You need to provide contact information, and you need to be available to answer questions. It's time to show what a great mentor you are: use the sample cover letter for a teacher as the basis of your cover letter, but rule over your own kingdom and make the cover letter uniquely you.