March 28, 2020

To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing to recommend, without hesitation, Melissa Comunale for a position as a middle school
mathematics teacher. I had the pleasure of teaching Melissa in her Middle Years Mathematics Methods course
and was lucky enough to observe her in her student teaching placement in a 5th grade mathematics classroom.
Among the characteristics that will certainly make Melissa a strong teacher, once she gets her own classroom, are
a passion for the understanding of mathematics, for herself and students, and a true interest in making math
engaging and meaningful for young learners.
In class, Melissa showed a commitment to connecting her work in her methods course to her field
placement. She often shared examples from her work with students and used those experiences to help her think
about lesson design and implementation. She designed a full unit on greatest common factors (gcf) and least
common multiples (lcm) that included direct instructions, games, movement and independent practice in ways
that would allow her to support student learning and differentiate as needed. Towards the end of the course, she
cited one of her key learning areas was the “need to see the problem through my students’ eyes,” in contrast to
just solving problems her way and expecting students to understand it; she knows content knowledge alone will
not make her a good teacher, she sees and articulates a sincere interest in supporting student understanding.
When I had the opportunity to observe Melissa in the classroom, she had a set of stations set up for
students to practice various content from the recent lessons. When observing students in the class and getting the
chance to talk to students and her mentor teacher several things became clear. The stations were part of the
classroom routine that Melissa introduced to the classroom and the activities at each station were all Melissa’s
design. They included puzzles, problem solving, open-ended problems and a station to work with the teacher. At
each station, the students knew the routine, were able to engage with the activity and know if they were doing
what they should be and how to ask for help if they were stuck and seemed to be enjoying themselves. The
students I spoke to were unanimous in saying they felt Ms. Comunale was a strong teacher and that they enjoyed
the work they were given at the stations. Her mentor teacher commented that he was continually impressed by
her ability to find engaging activities and strategies for teaching mathematics and come to class fully prepared to
implement them. Overall, the classroom environment was one of respect and one that supported learners.
It’s clear to me that Melissa will continue to develop and become an incredibly strong mathematics
educator. I strongly recommend her and am glad to answer any further questions you may have. Please feel free
to contact me at 267-408-2128 or vek25@drexel.edu.
All the best,
Valerie Klein

Valerie Klein, PhD

Assistant Clinical Professor | Mathematics Education
Program Director Teacher Certifications Programs
School of Education | Drexel University
Tel: 215.895.0946
drexel.edu/soe

3401 Market Street, 3rd Floor | Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875 | Tel: 215.895.6087 | Fax: 215.895.5879
drexel.edu/soe