CMU CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, May 7, 2013 To Whom It May Concem: J am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Erin Tafoya. Thave known Erin for one academic year when she worked as an instructor in the Super Saturday program at Central Michigan University. Erin has also been a student office assistant in the department for several years and I have followed her progress as she progressed through her teacher training. Erin has been an instructor for the first two offerings of Super Saturday at Central Michigan University. In the Fall 2012 Erin co-taught, “Buzzing a Hive” to preschool and kindergarten students. ‘This unit was about the behaviors and beneficial qualities of bees. In spring 2013 Brin ‘co-taught, the “Tree Homes and Growing Up Wild” unit to preschool and kindergarten children. ‘The interesting aspect of this is that Erin prefers teaching middle school students and this was her first experience with young children, She did a fabulous job and the parents of the students rated her as highly effective, Erin taught each class with a team of teachers. She was a leader in her teaching team and made sure that everyone bad an opportunity to take the lead in instructing the children. As demonstrated in her submitted lesson plans, Erin was well prepared to teach and everything was laid out in a creative and organized manner. | also find Erin to be very dedicated and she truly displays many positive {qualities of an excellent teacher such as a sense of humor, empathy, professionalism, respect for diversity, and a continued sense of wanting to improve her knowledge. When I watched Erin teach for many hours she enjoyed what she was doing and the time seemed to fly by for her. She constantly checked on how her students were doing and assessed whether they ‘understood the material. She is a natural teacher who gets along with all of her students and parents, | think that one of Erin’s strengths is all of the professional development that she has sought out as a preservice teacher. | think that these habits of lifelong learning will serve her well as a teacher because she obviously sees the value of updating her skills and wants to keep current on educational issues. She has attended professional development workshops through the Learn Today Teach ‘Tomorrow conferences held each spring. “Another thing that sets Erin apart is her time spent in diverse educational settings. Frin was in ‘Oaxaca, Mexico for three weeks during the summer of 2012. She taught students that she did not know in a school that was unfamiliar to her. The ability to adapt to new things and think on her feet will serve her well when he gets her own classroom. While I did not directly observe her teach these lessons I have lead six intemational experiences with teacher education students and I kn the adjustments that they have to make. anes1 find Erin to be very dedicated teaching, more than most students shat Ihave had in my classes. Her ese ae wel ped an sh aes ie wt ma iat fr Soe is about asking for assistance and clarifying what needs to Jessons Successful. T watched Erin teach six days at Super Saturday for a total of 1% hours and everything went well for her. Erin has leamed the important elements of teaching children, She has learned how to involve Parents, teachers, and students to make learning possible. She teaches to standards and i accountable for her actions. Tt was a pleasure having Erin as # Super Saturday instructor that she will be a valuable addition to any teaching staff. I recommend her without hesitation for contact me if you need any additional information or questions. ‘Sincerely, T. WA Dat James T. McDonald Professor of Science Education 989-774-1723 Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859