Deanna Birdyshaw, Ph.D.

Teacher Education

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
610 E. UNIVERSITY AVE., 1302 C
ANN ARBOR, MI 48109
734-763-6718 734-647-9158
dbirdy@umich.edu

April19,2016
Towhomitmayconcern,
IamwritingthisletteronbehalfofAndrewPeters.Ihavehadtheopportunitytoobserve
AndrewinthreecoursesettingswhilehepursuedhisteachingdegreeandMastersofEducation:
1)EDUC402ReadingandWritinginContentAreas,2)EDUC511/512ReflectiveTeaching
FieldExperienceand3)EDUC510DifferentiatingInstruction.BecauseIhavehadan
opportunitytoobservehiminavarietyofsettingsandthroughouthisentireMasterofArtswith
SecondaryCertificationprogram(MAC),IfeelqualifiedtorecommendAndrewasasecondary
teacherspecializingininstructionoftheEnglishlanguagearts.
Andrewprovedtobeaveryresponsiblestudent,committedtofulfillingtherigorous
requirementsmandatedforcertificationbytheStateBoardofEducationandtheUniversityof
Michigan.Hewasanextremelyconscientiousstudentandworkedhardtodevelopexpertisein
theknowledgeandskillsneededtosuccessfullyteachsecondarystudents.Inadditionto
excellingintherigorouscourseworkoftheprogram,hedemonstratedintellectualcharacterby
formulatingquestionsandresearchingpossibleanswerstoquestionsaboutpracticethathe
encounteredinhisstudentteachingclassroomsandcoursework.Hecouldalwaysbecountedon
toaskrelevantandthoughtprovokingquestionsduringclass.Heaskedprobingquestionsand
analyzednewtheoriesinrelationtohisexperiencesintheclassroomasastudentandasan
instructor.Hewasgiftedwiththeabilitytoinspirethosearoundhimtopursueexcellenceand
sharehisconcernforseriousacademicstudy.Becauseofhisrecognitionoftheintellectual
complexityofteaching,hebecamearespectedmemberofhiscohortandamodelforothersto
emulate.
InEDUC511/512,whichisayearlongcourse,Irequirestudentstovideotapetheirpracticeand
participateinsmallgroupdiscussionsthatfocusonqualityinstruction.Studentsareaskedto

analyzetheirpracticeandthepracticeof23oftheirclassmates,withspecialattentiontohow
welltheirpracticedemonstrateshighleveragepracticeintheimplementationofcoredisciplinary
literacyactivities.Andrewdemonstratedexceptionalanalyticalabilityduringthesediscussions.
Hewasabletoprovidecriticalfeedbacktohisclassmateswhileprojectingaproductive,positive
attitude.Hewaseagertosharetapesofhisownpracticeanddiscusswaysinwhichhecould
improvethelearningofhisstudents.BecauseAndrewclearlydemonstratesthecharacteristicsof
areflectivepractitioner,IaskedhimtocoteachanEDUC511/512classwithmethatwas
focusedonanalyzingalessoninwhichathinkingroutinewasusedtoteachEnglishlanguage
artscontent.Andrewselectedavideoclipfromhisclassinwhichhishighschoolstudentswere
expectedtothinkdeeplyaboutculturalpracticesthatshapeacommunitysbeliefsystem.The
lessonwaswellplannedandwellexecuted,buthisstudentsdidnotrespondwiththedepthof
understandingthatAndrewexpected.DuringthediscussionwithhisMACcolleagues,Andrew
posedquestionsandansweredquestionsthatledhiscolleaguestodelveintotheaffordancesof
usingathinkingroutineandincreasetheirskillinengagingstudentsinhigherorderthinkingas
opposedtosimplycompletingthestepsinathinkingroutine.Hewasabletohelphiscolleagues
understandthechallengesinvolvedinmovinghighschoolstudentsfromsimpletocomplex
thinkingaboutthecontentbeingtaught.
AndrewisveryknowledgeableaboutthecontenttaughtinEnglishLanguageArtscurricula.He
isskillfulindesigninglessonplansandaccommodatingtheneedsofdiverselearnersthrough
thoughtfulscaffoldingofinstruction.Andrewplannedseveraldifferentiatedlessonsinwhichhe
usedcoreliteracypracticestoprovideadditionalsupportforstudentswhoneededhelpin
processingtheideasexpressedinthetextsthatwerethefocusofhisinstruction.Oneofthemany
factorsthatinfluencedAndrewssuccessinstudentteachingisthedepthofhisdisciplinary
knowledge.Heusesthisknowledgetounpackwhatheisteachingsothathecanguidehis
studentsfromsimple,literalcomprehensiontotheabstractionsthatleadtoanunderstandingof
howliteraturerelatestouniversalthemesandknowledgeofthehumanexperience.
IfeelveryconfidentinrecommendingAndrewasanEnglishteacherinyoureducational
community.Heisknowledgeableandhasthedispositionsthatareneededtobeasuccessful
teacher.Hebuildsstrongandproductiverelationshipswithhisstudentsandcolleagues.Hehas
strongliteracyskillsandananalyticalmind.Heisselfmotivatedandwillenrichyourlearning
community.
Sincerely,

DeannaBirdyshaw