April 11, 2016

To Whom It May Concern,

Mr. Benoit completed a two day practicum in my special education classroom. I
teach a Learning Environment Adapted and Differentiated (LEAD) class of 15
students in grades 1 and 2. The students in my class need support and specially
designed instruction for social, behavior and communication skills in addition to
academic skills. Skill levels are varied. Many of the students in my class are on the
autism spectrum.
Mr. Benoit easily engaged with my students. Although he was a new face, the
students quickly became comfortable and were excited to participate in activities
with him. He worked with children in small groups or 1:1 on language arts and math
activities. He was adept at providing clear and direct instructions and breaking
down work into manageable parts if a child was becoming frustrated. He quickly
redirected negative behavior and provided much positive feedback which
encouraged the students to keep working.
Mr. Benoit would be an asset to any special education classroom. He took time to
understand the students needs, was able to judge when to push and when to pull
back, and the students were very receptive to him. He seemed to have a good
understanding of the curriculum and understand the necessity of making the
instruction accessible and manageable for our students. He quickly established a
rapport with the students and used clear directions and positive interventions to
keep the students on task.
During his time in my classroom, he demonstrated many of the qualities needed to
be an effective teacher. I wish him the best of luck in his teaching career.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Seemar
LEAD Teacher
Butts Road Primary School
Chesapeake Public Schools