‘March 31, 2015 ‘To Whom It May Concern: It is my privilege to construct a letter of recommendation for Lindy McBratney. have first-hand ‘experience in observing and working with Lindy as she was my student teacher for seven weeks at Valley ‘Southwoods Freshman High Schoo! in West Des Moines, lowa. It has been a pleasure watching her grow ‘asa classroom teacher. Ms, MeBratney loves working with young people and her enthusiasm and passion for developing relationships with students is clearly evident in her interaction with students. She engages students, asks higher-order thinking questions, relates assignments to the students’ own lives, and creates a positive classroom environment. Students enjoy having her in class as she challenges them to think critically and she takes the time to personalize their learning, Ms, McBratney uses effective instructional practices, She teaches for understanding and engages students in thought-provoking activities. Students appreciate her efforts in explaining information clearly and supplying examples and “helpful hints.” She also practices differentiation forall learners by using data and observations to drive instruction. Ms. McBratney uses formative assessments to get appropriate feedback regarding the students’ current level of functioning and knowledge. She uses this information to plan further activities and guide instruction, Ms. McBratney collaborates with her colleagues about adopting and implementing new strategies to help students, especially students receiving special education services, She came up with an idea of pre~ teaching vocabulary from their social studies class. She uses technology to create fun review games and activities to prepare students for upcoming tests. She organizes lessons well, and puts students in appropriate groups to teach students collaboration skills. She is very pro-active in making sure her students are successful in the general education and special education classrooms. In conclusion, Ms. McBratney is highly talented, exceptionally bright, driven educator. She will be a great addition to any teaching staff. Please do not hesitate to call me about this extraordinary teaching candidate Respectfully, Sra OPN Sara Hammer High Schoo! Special Education Teacher Valley Southwoods Freshman High Schoo! ‘West Des Moines, lowa