Reference Letter for Naomi Tokuyama

April 16, 2018

Naomi Tokuyama has been an intern in the year-long Michigan State University
Teacher Education Program under my supervision for the 2017/18 school year.
Naomi is currently responsible for teaching a diverse classroom of 25 fourth
grade students at Sycamore Elementary School in Holt, Michigan.

From the beginning of my supervisory role with Ms. Tokuyama, I have been
impressed with her awareness of student learning needs. Naomi carefully
analyzes student work and the formative assessments she has created to identify
strengths and to determine the next learning targets for instruction. Then,
considering this data and students’ summative data, she crafts lessons to address
student needs. This responsiveness in her teaching is also apparent as she
monitors student understanding during the lesson and then adjusts her instruction
as needed.

Naomi’s use of data also extends to classroom management. For example, in

order to better understand the causes and variations of a student’s behavioral
outbursts, Naomi kept detailed data to track the behaviors and look for trends.
This documentation was later used in meetings with staff specialists to design an
individualized behavior plan to help that student be more successful in school.
Naomi has also contributed to modifying the classroom behavior management
system for the classroom to make it more effective.
College of
Education Naomi collaborates with other staff members and welcomes opportunities for
Teacher Education
professional development. Most recently, Naomi participated in study groups
investigating learning progressions, an instructional method designed to allow
Michigan State students to self-assess their current understandings and identify learning targets so
University they can set their own learning goals. She routinely consults with her mentor
620 Farm Lane,
313 Erickson Hall teacher when planning and debriefing, seeks out feedback from her field
East Lansing, MI 48824 instructor and MSU instructors and then integrates their suggestions into her
517-353-5091 lesson planning.
Fax: 517-432-5092
education.msu.edu
Naomi taught technology all year and has integrated technology in her classroom
by designing a class website for use by students and their families. Naomi
regularly communicates with families using a classroom newsletter. In her
lessons, Naomi has enriched learning for her students by including technology to
increase engagement and understanding. For example, when learning about
another culture, the students collected and illustrated what they had learned by
creating slides for a PowerPoint presentation.

MSU is an affirmative-action,
equal-opportunity employer.
In her teaching, Ms. Tokuyama routinely models to clarify the strategy she wants
her students to learn. She understands the value of having students share ideas
with each other in partnerships, small groups, as well as in whole-class settings.
In discussions, Naomi listens carefully to the thoughts of her students and
encourages them to explain their thinking, often by asking them for evidence to
support their opinions. In addition, Naomi encourages student thought by
integrating writing in content area subjects.

Please contact me should you require further information concerning Naomi

Tokuyama’s internship experience.

Sincerely,

Margaret M. Andrews
Elementary Field Instructor
Michigan State University
andre280@msu.edu