March 20, 2016

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Kelsey Blake. I was Kelseys Field
Instructor during her year-long teaching internship in a fourth grade classroom at David Scott
Elementary in DeWitt, Michigan. During the internship, I observed Kelseys many skills in the
classroom. She set clear behavior expectations and consistently reinforced those expectations for
students but still managed the classroom in a loving and comfortable way. She used modeling, and
gave clear written and verbal directions to facilitate student learning. She led students to use critical
thinking skills and deepen thinking by asking probing and clarifying questions during lessons. Kelsey
knew when to rephrase questions to assist students in analyzing and evaluating the subject matter.
Kelsey successfully planned, and implemented units for all core subject areas with a high
level of student engagement. She integrated her Social Studies unit about different regions around
the United States with Language Arts, as well. She used different types of participation structures,
materials, and academic strategies to enhance standards based instruction. She continually related
the content matter to students lives in an effort to make her lessons more meaningful.
One of Kelseys greatest attributes as a teacher was how she connected with students and
understood their academic, social, emotional and physical needs. The students understood that she
truly cared about them as learners and individuals. She took these needs into consideration when
planning lessons, and provided differentiated instruction for students who needed extra support. For
example, she pulled small groups during math lessons to support students struggling with the
content. She also created a small reading group to help students improve fluency. She treated all
students fairly but understood that students have different needs to achieve their greatest potential.
She implemented the use of technology as well as other methods to conduct formative
assessments. She used this data to adjust her lessons based on student interests, abilities, or
readiness.
College of
Kelsey demonstrated a high level of professionalism in her interactions with all stake
Education holders. She collaborated effectively with her mentor teacher and team teacher. She built strong,
positive relationships with the students and their families. She attended many professional
Teacher Education
development events in district as well as various other conferences on her own time. She actively
Michigan State sought feedback from me and her mentor teacher on her teaching techniques so that she would
University provide appropriate, effective instruction for her class. I personally believe the ability to accept
620 Farm Lane,
313 Erickson Hall feedback is so important in education because education best practices are constantly changing.
East Lansing, MI 48824 Therefore, educators need to constantly be flexible, accepting feedback from administrators, to
ensure all students are afforded the best possible education.
517-353-5091
In conclusion, I hope by reading this letter you will see that Kelsey is an intelligent,
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education.msu.edu enthusiastic, and caring educator. I highly recommend Ms. Kelsey Blake for a position with your
establishment. She would be a fantastic addition to any school community. Thank you for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Andrea Varricchione
Michigan State University
Elementary Education Field Instructor

MSU is an affirmative-action,
equal-opportunity employer.