Elk Run Elementary School 3550 South Helen Drive Office 385-646-4786 Magna, Utah 84044 FAX 385-646-4787 March 11, 2015 To Whom It May Concern: Tam writing this letter as a recommendation for Ruthann Hertel. I have had the pleasure of having Mrs. Hertel in my classroom as a student teacher for the school year 2014/2015, and feel confident in recommending her to the profession of teaching, Mrs. Hertel is an excellent student teacher and in my opinion will be an excellent teacher. Throughout this year she has represented herself in a professional manner no matter the situation. She has a great ability to deal with students and parents. The students adore her and the parents respect her as theit child’s teacher. She has had the opportunity to deal with many difficult situations with complete control and respect to those involved. Many situations that would cause unease in even the most experienced educator, she has handled perfectly. Mrs. Hertel student taught in a second grade classroom, and one of the most important issues is, management and engagement. I realize that classroom management is important in every grade, however, the lower grade classrooms cannot function without constant monitoring, care and support. This can be overwhelming to a seasoned teacher and especially daunting to a new student teacher. This is the area where believe Mrs. Hertel truly shines. She stepped into my classroom and just took over. I was so amazed and pleased that she was able to recognize what the students needed, how to support, distract and manage their behavior as well as give them continuous positive reinforcement. She was so on top of classroom ‘management that if her technique stopped working, she immediately came up with another to replace it, In regard to engagement, Mrs. Hertel is again stellar. She has the unique ability to see when somethiiig is not working and can adjust immediately to something that will. I observed this on many occasions when a student was struggling with the concept they were working on and couldn't quite get it using the tools presented, Mrs, Hertel would immediately divert to a new tool that would work. In addition, she was able to do this in a small group setting as well as a whole group setting. In conclusion, along with the above mentioned skills, Mrs. Hertel is always enthusiastic about teaching and what she can bring to this profession. She has passion, strength and a true desire to be the best educator she can be. Her care for the students she is responsible for is remarkable and necessary in today’s teachers. | feel very confident in recommending her to the profession of teaching. I know that wherever Mrs. Hertel decides to go she will be a powerfull and positive addition to any faculty. Sjfgerely, rade KA ly shie K. Morley Second Grade Elk Run Elementary Granite School District 2500 South State Street « Salt Lake City, Utah 84115-3110 385-646-5000 - www.graniteschools.org