Douglas Tze

Such and Such High School | School Ext. | dtze@suchandsuchdistrict.com

To the parents of my scholars:

It is with great pleasure that I will be working with the scholars of your family, helping them to explore
the mathematical world. As a brief introduction, I have attained my undergraduate at Arizona State
University in secondary education with a focus in mathematics. My love of math developed young
when I learned to explore the puzzles and powers that mathematics grants us the answers and abilities
for, and it is through this similar method that I would like to inspire your children. All too often,
mathematics is bashed as a difficult field. Students think of themselves as either good or bad at math;
there is nothing in between. The concepts behind math appear abstract, unreachable, despite being in
every physical object around us. People fear math as they do monsters; demons that lurk within words
and numbers which inhabit a world where there is only one correct path to stay alive. Failing to find the
correct course leads to the belly of the beast, a dark clearing in the woods with no bread crumbs to
navigate. It is my firm belief that math is not a one-answer sphinx, but a reflection of creative outlooks
on the world.
Ask any student what they think of mathematics. Your reply will generally be met with displeasure. I
believe this is because children are not taught to think of the application of numbers. Theyre taught to
use imaginary, theoretical situations to apply to their lives. This disconnect breeds disinterest, which in
turn leads to poor performance. My philosophy is to make students realize how much math is truly
engrained in their lives.
Math is as diverse as its participants, and its instruction should match. There are many concepts and
applications, observations and approaches, obstacles and answers. Looking at math as a black and
white spectrum alienates many kids and allows only a few with a natural affinity for the abstract to
thrive. Teaching math by concepts and projects overcomes these differences within the kids; it allows
students to free up their minds and to work in a process that best suits them. Any type of math lesson
that fails due to the diversity of students is myopic; the language of math is universal, and its
applications are unrestricted.
This semester, I will be engaging your scholars in an exploration of the mathematical world. It is not
expected to be an easy course, but I will be there every step of the way in order to help your childs
studies. I expect much from my students, and I will return to them the effort that they demonstrate to
me. As a parent active in your childs life, it is my sincere hope that you follow up and engage in
conversation about their studies. Like the saying goes, two heads are better than one, and like they
mythical hydra, we can promote an attitude and aptitude for math that these students never thought
possible.
There will be weekly updates on my webpage, found at the URL: websiteNotReady.weebly.com. My
email address and school extension are also listed at the top of this letter. Please remain in contact
with me if you have any concerns throughout this course. Included on my website will be a page of
resources that will also help you to help your scholar for the duration of the year. Of course, my door,
phone line, and inbox are always open, and I am always willing to help you find a path of success for
our scholars.

Sincerely,

Douglas Tze

Douglas Tze
1331 W. Baseline Rd. Tempe, AZ 85202 | (602).481.9788 | dtze1@asu.edu

August 16, 20XX

To whom it may concern:

My name is Douglas Tze. I am seeking an interview with the principal of this school in hopes of a fulltime position teaching mathematics at Such and Such High School. I have a degree in Secondary
Education with a focus in mathematics from Arizona State University and have my certification as of
XX.XX.20XX.
I would like to talk briefly about my approach to mathematical teaching. It is my belief that math is as
diverse as its participants, and its instruction should match. There are many concepts and applications,
observations and approaches, obstacles and answers. Looking at math as a black and white spectrum
alienates many kids and allows only a few with a natural affinity for the abstract to thrive. Teaching
math by concepts and projects overcomes these differences within the kids; it allows students to free
up their minds and to work in a process that best suits them. Any type of math lesson that fails due to
the diversity of students is myopic; the language of math is universal, and its applications are
unrestricted.
There are so many methods that we overlook when educating students about the world of
mathematics. We can have each student learn about volume by trying to pack as much candy as they
can into a box; have students discover how to create a dream house by teaching them to scale,
budget, and design one; create a camera system that covers all the entrances of a bank vault; or
demonstrate how they can create their own model airplanes that can actually fly through the air.
Rather than give students the information and hope that they can find the applications themselves, it
is important to teach them how to discover the applications. The limit does not exist in mathematics;
the only limit is at the end of ones imagination. It is my sincere, albeit trite, desire to open doors for
students. There is nothing worse than a student capping his or her own potential because of a belief of
inherent math skills, whether its derived from gender bias, insecurity, lack of real-world context, or
any other unfathomable pretext. There is no excuse strong enough for a student to be unable to
benefit from a foundation of functioning societal life. There are only doubts that we as teachers must
clear for the students. That is my reason, my goal, and my answer.
I am incredibly passionate in teaching my content area, and I wish to show the students the power it
can have. My skills and approaches, I believe, are a result of my more creative side. Concerning
myself, I have a large background in the arts as well, with focuses on the written word and theoretical
scenarios. This, I feel, is a unique strength that I can bring into the logic-laden mathematical
classroom. Along those lines, my interests are varied, and my dedication wide. I am interested and
would be willing to sponsor many different types of clubs: literary magazine, strategy games, drama,
math-focused, and such. There are few areas that pose little interest to me, and I devote myself wholly
to any and everything.
For your perusal, I have available an online portfolio explaining further detail about my philosophy and
with examples of lessons and curricula. They can be found at my webpage at the following URL:
websiteNotReady.weebly.com. My email address and cell phone number are also listed at the top of
this letter. Please remain in contact with me if you have any concerns as to my qualifications,
questions for my philosophy, or feelings about miscellanea. I would be delighted to have any further
discourse.

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With anticipation,

Douglas Tze

Douglas Tze
Such and Such High School | School Ext. | dtze@suchandsuchdistrict.com

October XX, 20XX

To whom it may concern:

I hope this letter finds itself in your hands at an opportune moment. At this time, I would like to discuss
with you a concern I have with Anonymous.
During the course of this class, Anonymous has been showing positive signs of participation, and
Anonymous has always been accountable for his/her classwork. However, I write to you now because
of late, Anonymous has been demonstrating some questionable behaviour. For example, Anonymous
has been doing EXAMPLE ONE, and it has resulted in RESULT ONE. For the most part, Anonymous has
never exhibited issues with EXAMPLE ONE, but it has come to a point at which I would like to address
at home.
Anonymous has been a pleasure to have in class and, with just this exception, is still a pleasure to
have. Together, I think we can address the issue at hand. On my end, I believe that I can provide
SAMPLE SOLUTION ONE for Anonymous, as I think this may help tackle the problem. However, I feel
that if we are able to discuss this, Anonymous will be able to EXHIBIT SAMPLE SOLUTION TWO, which
will greatly improve the issues we are having. This is just one possibility, and I would love to discuss
further as to what you think is the best way to proceed.
All in all, I write this letter not as a disciplinary issue, but as a proactive force in Anonymous time here
in my class. At your earliest convenience, I would hope we can discuss this issue together and form a
solution that is reasonable and productive for all parties involved.

With regards,

Douglas Tze

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