Wai`alae SchooI

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Pauline Moran
Special Education DepaItment Chair/
Special Educaon Teacher
Waialae Elementary Public Charter Schoo1
1045 19th Avenue Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
Phone: (808 733-4880 Fax: 808) 733-4886
Twitter / Instagram / Facebook: @Waialae

December 2. 2016

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is to recommend Nicole Yamada for a teaching position. She was a sdent teacher in a
4th grade class that I oversaw Which was situated in a shared space with another class This gave

her the opportunity to teach within her class structure as well as in a combined group seng'

Nicole was an exceptional sdent teacher and because of her demonstrated passion and
COmmitment to educating children I highly recommend her for a teaching position"

During her time at Waialae Nicole took on the demands ofco-teaChing in a fully inclusive
heterogeneous classroom" She jointly plamed and developed lesson plans withe other general
education teacher and me (the special education teacher on a weekly basis to ensure the clarfty
and eciency of every team-taught lesson These planning sessions required feedback,

brainstorming, and adjustment fi"Om eaCh teacher. Nicoles collaborative atude instantly made

her a seamless addition into the team and a pleasant to work with,

When it was time to teach Nicole was always prepared. It was apparent how much she cared about
her performance because I often found her rehearsing her lesson in front ofher mentor teacher
days before it had to be taught! Additiona11y She took the time to prepare resources that would
SCa)ld her lesson" Nicole never hesitated to ask questions and was always receptive to feedback.
Like any new teacher She struggled wiclassroom management at the beginning of her student
teaching. However With mentoring and her responsiveness to critiques She grew in confidence,

and made significant progress in her abilfty to make decisions that would positively impacte
management of 40+ Students. Her incorporation of kinesthetic movements, PerSOnal stories, and
resources made her lessons engaging and interactive to both students and co-teaChers alike,

As a special education teacher I had a very deep appreciation for Nicoles thoughtfulness in making

Sure that every student felt included. She took the initiative to make accommodations and
modifications to her lessons, and even created behavior plans for students who needed more
SuPPOThere was one particular student who appeared to have low motivation in class. Because
Of Nicoles persistence in trying to get to know him, She learned that he loved Pokemon Go, and
needed a bigger desk and longer transition times to be more successful, In co11aboraOn With her

mentor teacherey were able to create a successful behavior plan that allowed this student to get
pokeballsfrom multiple teachers around the school every time he completed a daily goal" This

Plan impressed me for three reasons" First, I recognized how skilIly Nicole had woven in this
Students interests to her plan. Second Nicole,s perseverance in following through with the plan

evidenced how a truly caring educator can guide a students overall performance and ade.
Finally, her immediate response to this students needs spoke to her readiness to work in a

Classroom filled wia wide range of sdents.

Nicole brought the same collaborative qualityrigor and dedication to our whole grade level

activities, She willingly contributed to our discussions, tOOk notes, and shared her ideas towards the
development of our integrated thematic unit" During our ovemight camp trip, She engaged w
Students from other classes, and made sure that she got to know them better. This showed me that
no matter who she was with or where she was She always had a positive atude and a smile on
herface.

Having observed Nicole over the last semester and impressed at her insistent curiosity and genuine
enusiasm I would consider her one ofthe best student teachers I have had to interact with in my
time at Wai`alae" I am confident that she wi be an asset to any team that she works with. Should

you desire to discuss the contents ofis letter Or have any other questions regarding my
interaction with Nicole, Please do not hesitate to contact me,

Sincerely,

Special Education Department Chair

Special Education Teacher
Cel: (909)69-7104

PmOran@waialae.edu