SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM 610 E. UNIVERSITY AVE., 1228 SEB ANN ARBOR, MI 48109-1259

Dear Madam or Sir:

During the 2012-2013 academic school year, I had the privilege of working with Veronica Long as one of her first year field instructors in the Undergraduate Elementary Education program at the University of Michigan. I would like to recommend her for an elementary teaching position for the following reasons: Veronica is a very motivated, intelligent young lady. She is the type of person who is a pleasure to work with. She was always ready to participate and help out as soon as she walked through the school doors. I was very impressed with how Veronica worked hard to develop personal connections with the students in her assigned classrooms. She was always warm and friendly. She promoted a supportive learning environment. She was always encouraging the children to try new things and do their best. If they needed help, they knew she would take time to assist them and lend a hand. Veronica demonstrated initiative and a willingness to take risks and try new things. During her first year in the School of Education, Veronica had to not only design lessons in most content areas, but also present them. The lessons she designed were outstanding. They included goals and objectives that were clear, had value, were doable, and yet challenging for the range of students in her classrooms. When it came time to present her lessons, she was a natural. She was very enthusiastic and had a great sense of humor. She knew how to pique students interest and get them excited about learning. Veronica also had great classroom management skills. She always upheld classroom policies that promoted a fair, respectful, and safe learning environment. Before her group lessons she modeled her behavioral expectations. By demonstrating and sharing these guidelines, students knew exactly what was expected of them. One of Veronicas strongest assets was her ability to analyze, integrate, and synthesize information from a variety of sources and to bring this information together. During Veronicas first year internship, she was required to write a case study about one of her second grade students and then present her findings at a mock parent-teacher conference. Veronicas report and presentation were both outstanding. The precision and clarity of her writing and organization of her written report was exceptional. You could tell she had spent a lot of time examining the data and information collected. During her presentation she was able to explain her students strengths and needs based on her observations, collection of work samples and assessments she had administered. She was also able to take this documentation and provide some suggestions on how to continue to support this individuals learning. Veronica was continuously working to improve her instructional competence. She was always taking notes when observing in different classrooms. She never hesitated to ask questions if she wanted to learn more about a topic. She even attended many of the second grade teams collaborative meetings that were held before the school day started. She was always trying to improve her skills and learn more about being a teacher. I feel very privileged to have worked with Veronica. She is a true professional. She is smart, very dedicated and hard-working, and always has a positive attitude. Please consider hiring Veronica. She has many of the qualities needed to become a great elementary teacher. Shes a good listener, open-minded, and optimistic. In the field, she was always providing students with encouragement and emotional support and seeking out ways to promote their strengths and help them shine. Finally, she is compassionate and caring. She is able to show empathy to struggling students and help support them and encourage them to do their best. Nancy Martinez Cohort 2 Field Instructor University of Michigan Visiting Lecturer nancyma@umich.edu