Lalana Richardson

52 Swanson Court, B-12

Boxborough, MA 01719

March 26, 2012

To Whom It May Concern:

I am delighted to write this letter of recommendation for Tasha Peterson. I have

had the pleasure of knowing Tasha in two different professional contexts. This year, I
had the opportunity to work with Tasha when she worked as a student teacher in my
classroom, and I have been fortunate enough to have her as an integral part of the After
Hours program that I run at Merriam. Given that I have seen Tasha working with
children in a variety of settings and was able to work with her as a colleague, I feel that I
can speak to her excellent qualities as an educator.
As a colleague, Tasha is a tremendous asset. She is extremely hard working,
reflective and dedicated. In my current class, in which she did her student teaching, there
are many children with a variety of needs such as academic, social and emotional.
However, given her strengths, Tasha was able to support all of them, no matter what their
needs. She was able to quickly ascertain how a child would learn best and adapted the
curriculum so that it worked for each student.
From my formal and informal observations of Tasha, it is apparent that she is a
confident and competent teacher. One of Tashas outstanding abilities is to forge strong
relationships with children. She has the ability to balance clear limits for children while
maintaining a high degree of respect for their role in the decision making process. She
works comfortably with students individually, in small groups, and in large groups. She
always engages the children in a variety of activities, making sure they are content,
learning and engaged. She sets the tone for an environment that is respectful and allows
the children to always feel safe in the school setting.
Tasha considers her responsibilities very gravely and meets them both effectively
and in a positive manner. She is a team player whose input I value greatly. I have often
looked to her for support, collaboration and assistance. In fact, while she was student
teaching and even now, my grade level team has reached out to her and used many of her
lessons, rubrics and project ideas.
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such a skilled individual. I strongly
recommend Tasha without any reservations, as she would be a tremendous asset to any
learning and teaching community. Do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Lalana Richardson
Classroom Teacher & Program Administrator, Merriam School
11 Charter Road
Acton, MA 01720
978-264-4700 ext. 3850