Horizon High School

5601 E. Greenway Rd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85254

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing on behalf of Michael Mickey Conover for your available Economics position. I have known Mickey for
six months now, having received his assistance as both my teaching intern and my student teacher. In those six
months we have collaborated on teaching strategies, assessments, and many other nuances of teaching. There are
several traits that would make him an outstanding candidate for your position, especially his preparation,
communication, and adaptability.

Michael has impressed me from the beginning of the semester with his preparation. On his first day, he took my
typical outline for the semester and created a calendar with projected topics and test dates for the entire semester.
While I continued teaching the class, he began to lead occasional activities for students. When not in front of the
class, he continued with planning. The result is that he has been on top of things from the very beginning. This
will be a huge help, as I know he plans to coach while teaching.

I have heard teachers lament how teaching has become too customer service oriented. One way I have learned to
avoid angry customers is by being proactive in notifying them of issues. Michael has been very good with this as
well. He has called each student to his desk several times throughout the semester to discuss their standing in the
class. With Economics being important for graduation, his communication has been appreciated by students.
Additionally, he handled his first Parent-Teacher conferences with ease.

Any good teacher learns how to adapt lessons to better aid the learning process. Michael has done this each day
as he has made adjustments to lessons and activities. Additionally, we have brain-stormed activities and he has
developed several on his own or by searching the internet. The willingness to listen to other teachers and find
ideas that work is important trait of any teacher.

Michael has many tremendous skills that will help him in his first years of teaching. In particular, his preparation
will make him stand out from other first year teachers. He really understands the material and tries to make
learning authentic for students. Michael will be a tremendous asset as both a teacher and coach at your school

Sincerely,

Douglas Honkamp
Horizon HSWorld History, Economics, and Girls Golf