Cover Letter Frustration

Today a new e-bulletin newsletter came out and among the number of posts for which I do not qualify (Why didn't I get my math endorsement? Why don't I speak Spanish or Mandarin?!) I found the PERFECT position. 5th and 6th grade Language Arts teacher. In a community school. Which claims their mission to "effectively respond to the academic, artistic, social and emotional needs of all students". Yeah, that's right not just academics, but creative and social intelligence too! And...they use the phrase, "global society"! I don't know how this school could be more what I am looking for.

I know I should be feeling incredibly excited (and I am), but I am also feeling physically ill as I sit in front of my computer thinking about my cover letter. What string of pretty words will be the ones that will make a principal stop for a second and say, "Ah, yes! She's the one we've been looking for!"?

In my heart I know that if I were to receive an interview for a teaching position, I would have an incredible chance at getting hired. When I talk about teaching or successful lessons or students I just won't ever forget, my excitement and passion is papalble. Anyone who talked to me about the subject for 5 minues would know that I care. So much. If I could just get an interview!

Unfortunately, this places an inflated importance on the written documents I am sending. Therefore, I am stuck wondering how I can make myself stick out long enough to get that interview.

And so I write for five minutes and then edit because this statement or that one fails to communicate the right message. When I am done editing only half of the sentences I wrote are there, the rest defeated by backspace.

The longer I take toiling over the specific words and phrasing, the more resumes are being sent to the principal at my perfect school!