To Whom It May Concern,

It is with great honor that I write this letter of recommendation for Nick Reed. I have had the
pleasure of knowing Nick over the past 10 years; first as his coach, then as his colleague. In the time
that I have known Nick, he has impressed me with his leadership skills, reliability, trustworthiness, and
his ability to build relationships with his students and peers. Time after time, in situation after situation,
Nick has displayed many characteristics that leave no doubt in my mind that he will make an amazing
teacher.

My relationship with Nick goes back to when he was a student at Rochester High School and a
three-year Varsity starter on the football team. Early on, Nick displayed impressive leadership skills as
he was voted captain of the football team by his peers during his senior year. In many situations,
whether it was on the field, during the off-season workouts, or in the hallways, Nick always worked as
an extension of the coaches and guided and motivated his peers to achieve their full potential as
student-athletes. Whether it was a well-timed word of encouragement or a much needed push in the
right direction, Nick was never afraid to hold himself and his teammates accountable. This self-
confidence and commitment to doing things the “right way” is a skill that I have always admired in Nick,
and is a great guiding influence as he has continued his career and development in the education field.

Once Nick decided to pursue a career in education at Oakland University, it was a no-brainer to
bring him onto my staff as one of my coaches. I recognized early on that Nick had a great ability to lead
and did not hesitate to add him to my staff. When we had an opening for our head JV football coach,
Nick was the best and most logical choice. He displayed an ability to build relationships with his players,
challenge them with high expectations of behavior and performance, and hold all of his players
accountable to those expectations in a way that generated respect from not only his players, but also
the parents in our program. There were many situations throughout his 5 years as Head Coach that
have prepared him to be a great teacher. Nick is a tremendous communicator to both players and
parents. As the head varsity coach, it was a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders to have a lower level
coach who could handle weekly communications with the JV parents and players, set up pre-game
meals, handle discipline and attendance issues, and deal with all of the many parent communications
that happen during a football season. These are skills that are essential for any highly effective
classroom teacher, and Nick has had years of practice dealing with all sorts of parents on a wide range of
topics. He does not shy away from communication, and in fact, is extremely proactive in his dealings
with parents and students. He understands that the most effective communicators are usually the best
listeners, and he uses this skill in such an effective way that parents always come away satisfied and
impressed that Nick has their child’s best interests at heart. I have no doubt that Nick will be a
phenomenal classroom teacher because many of his classroom management skills are rooted in his
ability to effectively communicate with students and parents on a consistent, daily basis.

Among many of skills that I have come to respect in Nick, perhaps the most admirable skill is his
dependability and trustworthiness. During my two-week paternity absence, Nick filled in as my long-
term sub, and did a tremendous job. He effectively created two weeks of lessons dealing with economic
issues such as inflation, unemployment, and GDP. He stepped into a long-term subbing situation that is
not always easy for some, and immediately gained the respect of my classes. I had so much confidence
in his ability to teach my class in my absence and even was able to pick up a couple of lesson plan ideas
that I will use in my future classes. In addition to my classes, Nick also took on my responsibilities as
head football coach in my absence. He ran the before-school workouts and the after-school workouts in
addition to his responsibilities as the head throwing coach. His dependability and trustworthiness is
something that I have really come to respect. His ability to step into whatever role that is asked of him
will make him a valuable addition to any school environment. He is a team player who prides himself on
his work ethic and commitment to his school and his students.

Nick would make a wonderful addition to any school that is lucky enough to hire him. He will be
a great classroom teacher who can successfully build relationships with any student from any
background. I have no doubt that he will be able to handle any situation that comes at him as a first
year teacher with poise and a level head. He will immediately step into whatever position he is given
and be a great leader in the classroom and in the hallways. Nick is an extremely hard worker, sets high
expectations for his students, and is not afraid to hold his students accountable to those expectations. It
is with utmost confidence that I recommend Nick Reed for your open teaching position. If you would
like to talk more in-depth about Nick, please feel free to contact me at the information below.

Thank you for your time,

Erik Vernon
Social Studies/AP Economics Teacher
Head Football Coach
Head Wrestling Coach
Rochester High School
313-779-7242
evernon@rochester.k12.mi.us