Thursday, March 10, 2016

Halle Connors has asked me to provide a letter of recommendation in

support of her application for a teaching positions in your school system. I
am delighted to do so.
While I know Halle as a student and as an intern in our English
Education program, a particular lesson during her student teaching semester
best illustrates her potential for success.
It was a pleasure to see Halle teach Macbeth to her students. The
combination of Aristotles structure for tragedy with Shakespeares
characters, language and plot as well as an adherence to the MLA format for
both quotes and essay made for an ambitious academic goal.
I am familiar with the difficulty of teaching Macbeth to high school
students, having done so for years, so I was curious to see Halle do so.
I was impressed to see Halles students achieve the goals Halle set for
them as they met a multitude of State standards.
They followed her willingly, respectfully and trustingly as she guided
them through an assignment designed to show them the inevitable
conclusion of Shakespeares plot while enabling them to express their
understanding in an impressive academic format.
They did so in an amazingly engaging way, discussing the play, their
day and each other in such a way that felt quite comfortable. As I listened to
individual students I realized that they were relating Macbeth to
contemporary American society. Halle and her students had successfully
bridged the gulf between life and literature. That they did so in a comfortable
fashion, I believe, speaks volumes of Halles ability to manage a classroom
that obeys school policy while allowing for individualism. Her students
constantly and confidently asked questions that were the result of critical
thinking, rather than simply filling out worksheets.
As impressive as the large group instruction was, I was also impressed
by Halles ability to meet the needs of students who were challenged by the
assignment. To assist those who are visual learners, for example, she created
a series of classnotes that resembled panel in graphic literature. Each panel
depicted an important scene from the play with both drawings and
contemporary English. The notes were quite effective.
Halles performance promises excellence in her career as a teacher. I
send her to you with my highest recommendation.
I would be pleased to speak with you over the phone or in person to
advocate for her as Halle Connors pursues this teaching opportunity.
Sincerely,
John Franklin, PhD

Associate Professor
Supervising Professor, English Education
Department of English and Modern Languages
Pittsburg State University
1701 S. Broadway
Pittsburg, Kansas 66762
620-235-4693
jfranklin@pittstate.edu