ASSESSMENT BY OAKLAND UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR MOIRA KEEFER

Rachelle Kurrle completed her student teaching assignment in a fourth-grade classroom under the
guidance of Marie Shiha, in Musson Elementary School in the Rochester Community Schools. The
school has an active PTO association which provides many extras for this school. There is an extension
being added to the school and several classrooms have been relocated into the new section within the last
few weeks. There are three fourth-grade classrooms and the teachers are responsible for core subjects. For
science and social studies the students are rotated to different classroom and teachers. The school has a
schedule that is structured and conducive to learning. Each section of the fourth- grade has approximately
28 students. The teachers work as a team and plan together to make sure that all material is covered in
each section so that the students are ready for any standardized testing assigned by the district and state.
The school takes pride in it strong standardized test scores and the recognition it receives because of this.
From the start of the internship Mrs. Shiha and Rachelle worked well together as they planned the usage
of their time and the skills to be developed and nurtured. Rachelle was a willing learner and she proved to
be a teacher who enjoyed her students as she developed strong, meaningful lessons for them. Her research
into the different areas of their learning benefitted the students greatly. She developed some units of study
based on the curriculum but always tried to delve further and find and increase depth of knowledge for
them. Each lesson began with a quick review of previous learning and she incorporated a cross
curriculum aspect in several areas. She started a school newspaper written by the fourth and fifth students,
who all enjoyed the working on it and grew from this experience. She became an active member of the
school community working well with staff and parents for the good of the students.
She was very comfortable in the classroom and treated all students with respect. One of the techniques
she used was to move around the classroom, checking each students work and offering advice, or re-
teaching a concept in a non- threatening manner. She handled student discipline with the same quiet one-
on-one approach. She was well liked by other staff members because she able to discuss curriculum,
students and school matters and school district policies, etc. with everyone. She became a team member
quickly by showing her talent for analyzing the matter at hand and joining the dialogue with pertinent
comments and solutions. Her lesson planning was detailed and showed her ability to plan thoroughly but
also to be flexible should the need arise. The lessons followed the curriculum but she also adds a personal
touch and tried to make the work relevant to her students. Her background knowledge in many instances
reflected her personal interests in many things and her extensive reading and research in different areas.
The students were instantly engaged and enthusiastic about their learning.

I found Rachelle to be a person who challenged herself and tried to include all students in her lessons, but
she was also able to deal with them on a more personal level helping them with other concerns in and out
of the classroom. She strived to improve her own learning and ability to be become an effective teacher.
She was advanced when it comes to technology, that is very apparent after looking at her electronic
portfolio and electronic plan book. Rachelle brought a varied background and perspective to the
classroom. She is confident and always learning herself. She defines her teaching to connect with the
experiences of her students. She created SMART board lessons and used many web assignments. She
likes to learn new things and use them in class. Using technology is second nature to her as she uses it
frequently in the classroom for varied reasons.

Rachelle Kurrle will make an excellent teacher, I highly recommend her for teacher certification which
will enable her to become an active and an articulate member of staff in any school.