March 29, 2016

To Whom it May Concern:

It is my absolute pleasure to be able to provide a letter of reference for Tracy Knecht. I have had the
privilege of knowing Tracy during the past two years as an instructor in the University of Alberta
Bachelor of Education Middle Years Program that is offered at Red Deer College. During this time,
Tracy has impressed me as a passionate child-centered educator who devotes much enthusiasm and
professionalism to her schooling. Tracy is completing her final year of education with a nine week
practicum at Eastview Middle School in Red Deer Public School District. In addition, she also
volunteered to complete an extended practicum at her school with additional time invested at the school
from August to February. Her previous practicum was at Westpark Middle School focusing on Math and
Science.
Tracys work over the past two years has been exceptional. In addition to receiving scholarships for her
work, she is involved as Class President for her 4th year cohort, has volunteered at events such as the
Regional Science Fair and the Lindsey Thurber High School DYEversity Relay, and has presented at the
Red Deer Public School District PD Day on the topic of Mindfulness with Tania Diletzoy. Tracys
passion for this topic was also demonstrated in her service learning project called Strive to Thrive
which included a podcast on how to be successful in a mindful, healthy way. Tracy has demonstrated
superior academic, technical, interpersonal and teamwork skills through much of her work. This was
strongly evident in her teams Back to the Future integrated unit centered on Science but including
literacy, numeracy, Health and Art. Currently on practicum, Tracy is utilizing project-based learning in
her math unit on Probability centered on the driving question How will you maximize success in your
world? Her lesson plans reflect an outcomes-based approach to planning, and she utilizes a variety of
creative instructional strategies and learning activities to best meet the needs of her students including
learning stations, games, technology integration and cooperative learning.
Throughout her learning experiences, Tracy has managed to work cooperatively and positively with the
other students in our Middle Years Program. She is very approachable, friendly, highly collaborative and
very professional. Tracy is active in seeking out PD opportunities to enhance her growth. In addition to a
strong professional mindset, Tracys interpersonal and collaborative skills make her a person that others
feel comfortable around in a social setting or in a work-related environment. Tracy is a student who is
admired and respected by both her peers and her instructors. As her instructor, I have also had the
privilege of seeing Tracy teach and have been impressed by her dedication to teaching. It is evident from
my observations, that Tracy very much enjoys teaching young people. As a teacher, Tracy is open to
suggestions and is always looking to better herself as an educator.
The Middle Years Program that is offered at Red Deer College is a demanding program that requires our
students to be flexible, organized, sensitive, and open-minded. Because of the collaborative nature of our
program, students work a great deal with others, and it is essential that they have the necessary leadership
and teamwork skills to have success in our program. I am pleased to state that Tracy has an abundance of
these skills; and it is these kinds of skills that would make her a most valuable addition to any learning
community. I wish her all the best in her future.

Sincerely,

Brent Galloway
Instructor | Bachelor of Education Program
School of Education
Red Deer College | 100 College Boulevard | Red Deer | AB | T4N 5H5
work 403.357-3634 | fax 403.356.4990

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