Betty Akinyi Okwako

Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education

Erickson Hall
Email: okwakobe@msu.edu
Telephone: 5172400483

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter highly recommending Abby Strietmann for the position she is
seeking. I have had the pleasure of being Abbys instructor for two courses including TE
TE 801/803, Professional Roles and Teaching Practice and TE 822, Issues of Culture in
the Classroom and the Curriculum. Abby is an exemplary student and teacher who not
only cares deeply for the children she teaches but also has a breath of knowledge of her
subject matter, Biology. As a recipient of the prestigious Woodrow Teaching
Fellowship, further speaks of Abbys academic capabilities and her passion and
commitment for teaching students from all walks of life.

Abby has been an outstanding student in all areas, in class and at her field placement.
For her yearlong internship, which is part of the requirement for her teaching degree here
at Michigan State, Abbys placement was in an urban school where she gained a vast
amount of experience teaching a diverse corps of students, in a challenging context. In
the course of her internship, Abby had unique opportunities that helped develop her
teacher identity. I have also been impressed by Abbys level of professionalism and
passion for teaching. She is effective in managing her class just as she is in motivating
and engaging all her students to learn the material. In this regard, both her mentor teacher
and field instructor have spoken very highly of her.

As Abbys instructor, I can also attest to her high degree of scholarship. Through out the
year, she displayed superior oral and written communication skills. She is indeed one of
my outstanding students in this class. She is always enthusiastic and gives insightful
comments during class discussions, especially those pertaining to student success. Abbys
ability to clearly and concisely articulate complex concepts in a way that conveys her
ideas and understanding of the course concepts, further speaks to the type teacher she is
and will be. In addition to the above strengths, Abby is also a team player. She works
very well with her peers in class. During communal assignments (which is very common
in this class), her peers have had nothing but praise for her. She also has a good
relationship with her mentor teacher and field instructor.

It is my pleasure to write this letter on Abbys behalf. If I can be of further help, or
provide illustrations of her commitment to excellence, please do not hesitate to contact
me. Thank you for considering this letter and Abbys application.

Sincerely,

Betty Okwako