Y STARFISH 2639 Wildhorse Ln. Minden, NV 89423 775-901-0795 richalexander@starfish.training www.starfish.training December 12, 2015 To Whom It May Concern: |1am writing this letter of reference for Ms. Anne Polan, elementary special education teacher, in my capacity as her supervisor for Sierra Nevada College. Ms. Polan had an exceptional student teaching experience during which she demonstrated excellent professionalism, very strong content knowledge, and effective classroom instructional and management skills. She was able to do all ofthis while ‘maintaining a positive relationship with her students, their parents, and her colleagues. Anne quickly gained a reputation with the school administration as a person who could be counted on for any task. She was at school on time and fully prepared each day. Possessing excellent communication skills, Anne regularly communicated with her lead teacher and other staff. She took feed-back well and was always willing to try the suggestions made to her. She deserves special mention for the manner in which she handled a health situation with her lead teacher, which required Anne to take over the class on her own for the majority of her student teaching assignment. She did this professionally and competently This competent and professional manner was continually on display in the classroom. Anne grew tremendously in instructional and classroom management skills. The special education students in her class presented a wide variety of challenges. Ms. Polan was able to address those needs in both individual and small group sessions. In addition, she collaborated well with regular education staff as she worked with students who were mainstreamed into their classrooms. Anne engaged in regular communication with the teaching and support staff in order to ensure the requirements of each student's IEP were addressed. Her communication skills enabled Anne to meet the legal and district requirements for IEP’s. She was ‘well organized and made sure all deadlines were met. She handled difficult IEP’s and challenging student behavior issues with kindness, empathy, and tact. | strongly urge you to consider Anne Polan for a teaching position at your school. She is the consummate professional and someone who will be the perfect addition to any staff. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely; A Rich Alexander Sierra Nevada College Student Teacher Supervisor