Dear Ms.

Nardelli,
It is my great pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Erin Houston for a job
well done as a Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow student from Frank W. Cox High School
assigned to Trantwood Elementary School. She was unquestionably one of the most
able bodied students to work with, and was fully committed to diving right in to get to
know each student personally and do her job sufficiently.
Her work in the class consistently reflected a level of insightfulness and attention to
detail which has always been a high priority for her even when she was a second grader
in my classroom. She always dressed appropriately and arrived on time. The children
greeted her with enthusiasm and respect. They looked forward to her sitting with them
and having conversations with them at lunch, during small group sessions, and during
one on one remediation time.
Always eager to be helpful and to fulfil her obligations, she gladly took on any task. She
was given several jobs to do throughout her time at Trantwood. She worked with small
groups in reading. Sometimes she listened to them and recorded their fluency levels,
and sometimes she facilitated a group by asking them comprehension questions and
discussing how the story was a connection to their lives. She was just as competent in
math. She helped to remediate, review, and extend students skills as they prepared for
the SOLs. She created a Jeopardy reading activity that she used to review reading
concepts. Her final lesson on main idea and detail was perfectly executed as she
reviewed this skill. Simply put, Miss Houston was a true pleasure to have in class and
working with the students.
In addition to her confidence and eagerness to learn, Miss Houston also made a good
impression on me due to her pleasant personality. Certainly, she seemed to get on well
with the students at all times and would stay longer sometimes to ensure everything
asked of her was completed. I imagine that she will be the same about her studies when
she goes off to Michigan State.
Based on my observation of her abilities, I strongly believe she has the potential to be
an outstanding leader. I thoroughly enjoyed working with her these last few months.
Yours sincerely,
B. Wright-Owens
Trantwood Elementary School
Virginia Beach, VA 23454