Caitriona Houston

I am writing to apply for the instructional assistant position for the upcoming academic year 2023-2024. My hands-on experience, education and extra curricular activities would make a positive contribution. I currently am studying Early Childhood Education at QCC. My hands-on experience entail working with infants and preschool children as an Assistant Teacher for Kindercare Learning Center, this made my horizons broaden by making that one on one connection not only with the children but their guardians. My compassion for making a difference not only in myself but the children set the bar higher. Learning new techniques, instructional methods, developing positive learning skills made me realize this is the career that I wanted to learn more about and grow with. One of my greatest strengths is meeting each and every students needs, developing a personal understanding. By assessing and seeing each student as an individual makes such an impact on them that not many people realize. Shortly after this I went to the Greendale YMCA where I worked for the After School Program, this would mean going on the bus in the afternoon to go to 4 schools and pick up the students. Mainly working with Kindergartener's and First Grade, where the students want to learn more about what is going on in the world we live in, tailoring to each student to come up with collective lessons and as well as letting them have a voice of their own. To have being able to grasp new learning concepts, and to enhance their personal skills by providing activities, hands-on centers, and working with one another to see what new skills they could learn from a classmate. We had team building activities such as STEM, where the students would be able to use Lego's, racing cars, puzzles, or arts & crafts, this let the kids take turns in letting their classmates take the lead one by one. Having these activities outside the classroom setting engaged them more with students from different schools and learn what others may not have known and use those new learning skills either at home or bring them back into the school the next day and let their teachers and fellow classmates about it and use it daily instead of just at the YMCA. This sustained a strong relationship within each student and they sought that out throughout the end of the year going into summer camp. Transitioning into summer camp with the same children throughout the year plus having new faces was excellent, the techniques were and skills learned set the bar higher for the children and teaching that to incoming children was a remarkable response with all ages. I strongly believe in cultivating and again having a strong working relationship with families and the school community, by doing this daily check-ins with the families, keeping them up to date on events, and providing any extra help that may be needed. Building new activities, with any and all imputes from families along with other faculty, implementing beneficial resources and refining teaching techniques as well.

Furthermore, I establish an good rapport with the students and I let them feel that I love teaching and being with them, letting them know that they are never alone. I would enjoy the opportunity to meet with you to discuss my qualifications in further detail as I am confident I would be a valuable addition to your academic team Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,
Caitriona M Houston

CPR/First Aid

EEC Certified

Currently obtaining RBT Certification