To Whom It May Concern: This is a letter of support for Dr.

Sean Jackman who is applying for the position as advertised by your institution. I first met Dr. Jackman in the mid 1980s while he was an undergraduate student and I a public school music teacher; we participated in local G&S productions. Since then I have been re-acquainted with Dr. Jackman since 2000 at the University of Michigan, as a MM in Music Education and DMA in Organ Performance student and now as a colleague in the field. While at Michigan, he was a student in music education classes I taught and served as a Graduate Student Instructor for one of the general music methods classes I taught. In addition, I served on his DMA committee. Dr. Jackman brings to the classroom many abilities and understandings. As a musician, not only does he produce artistic performances but can also guide and nurture students musical experiences. As a pedagogue, he is reflective and thorough. His ability to reflect in and on the action is strong and thus his music classroom is rich in musical learning. This, in addition to the number of years he has taught in the music classroom will serve him well as he embarks on a university career. His students will benefit from his insights as a practitioner and musician, and will grow under his tutelage as he models, guides, and engages them. While a beginning researcher, Dr. Jackman has the curiosity and poses rich questions. He was strong academically throughout both degrees at Michigan and I trust, as a doctoral student, his work continues to grow. In terms of attributes and dispositions, Dr. Jackman is optimistic, positive, and honest; possesses a strong work ethic; and is a strong team player. While these are desirable characteristics for any work setting, they are critical in educational settings. To create positive, educative environments for music learning to occur is essential and Dr. Jackman has been successful at structuring such environments in multiple settings. I am excited for Sean as he begins this next state of his career. He has my full support in his job search; I am confident that he would bring much to your institution, and grow and learn in the process. All the best in your search, Sincerely Betty Anne Younker, Ph.D.
Betty%Anne%Younker,%Ph.D.,%Dean,%Professor%of%Music%Education% Don%Wright%Faculty%of%Music,%The%University%of%Western%Ontario% Talbot%College,%Rm%212,%1151%Richmond%Street%% London,%ON%%%N6A%3K7 519.661.2111%ext.84008

Susan Kelty, Ed.S. 6501 Tripp Rd. Holly, MI 48442 (734) 516-4184 Jpkelty73@gmail.com November 7, 2011 To whom it may concern: As retired principal of Bird School, it is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Sean Jackman. I have known Dr. Jackman since the 2007-2008 school year in a supervisory capacity. Sean Jackman is an intelligent, enthusiastic, thoughtful instructor. As Dr. Jackmans supervising administrator, I have witnessed his exceptional ability as a teacher of elementary students. He possesses superior instructional skills and classroom management. He uses researched-based best practices in his classroom, formative assessment on a daily basis, and encourages 100% student participation. Children of all ages are taught the love of music by actively engaging their minds, voices and/or the instruments within the classroom. Parent connections are made throughout the year, as children from every grade level have regularly scheduled opportunities to perform for the Bird School community. Sean Jackman is an important part of the professional staff at Bird School. His contributions to our school have helped to build an extremely collaborative educational environment. He is an avid reader, and often shares his thoughts about learning and teaching with other staff members. Dr. Jackmans strongest characteristics include his broad range of subject matter competence, a very caring demeanor, and tremendous love of learning. He brings with him a rich background of life experiences, which have earned him the respect of the teaching staff and the administrative team. In addition to the responsibilities that he fulfills within the classroom, Dr. Jackman is also very active on various district committees and initiatives. Dr. Jackman accepted the invitation to be on the Building Equity Team, and has participated in Courageous Conversations training for two (2) years. Sean Jackman was chosen to be a member of the CARE Team, where he will become a trainer of trainers as Plymouth-Canton Community School District continues this important conversation about race. He has also been instrumental in the development of the curriculum for the Visual and Performing Arts, which was adopted in 2010. Dr. Jackman has accepted the additional responsibility of mentoring student teachers from Eastern Michigan University. Time was set aside every day for reflection and collaboration. The student teacher was also encouraged to observe other elementary classrooms throughout the district once a week. Without hesitation, I give Sean Jackman my highest recommendation. I believe that Dr. Jackman would be an outstanding addition to your learning community. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions regarding this recommendation. Sincerely,

Susan S. Kelty, Ed.S.