February 17, 2020

Tyler Harris: Certificate in College Teaching Letter of Support

I would like this to stand as a strong letter of Support for Tyler Harris’ interest to get an MSU
Certificate in College Teaching. I have known Tyler for close to three years in my capacity as a faculty
member in the Department of Kinesiology at Michigan State University (MSU). Tyler and I have
taught two courses together in spring and fall 2019, namely: KIN3345 (Sport and Exercise
Psychology) and KIN445 (Sociocultural Issues in Sport and Physical Activity). These are senior level
writing intensive undergraduate courses. I have observed Tyler teach various topics in the two courses.
I have also observed how he grades assignments and his interactions with students. He is deliberate in
his actions, he is talented, highly organized, and cares about student learning outcomes. He is also
passionate about his own professional growth as an instructor.

I am pleased to share specific examples of Tyler talents and exemplary behavior that will be key to his
success as an instructor and why he is deserving of a Certificate in College Teaching. It is important
to first note that great instructors have a strong dedication to their growth as teachers, mentors and
researchers. In the classes I have taught with Tyler, I have observed this dedication and high level of
professionalism. He always came to class prepared, he was always early, and attentive to students’
learning needs. Students find him very approachable and speak highly of his mentorship and caring
skills. Tyler reached out to me as soon as he learnt that we will be teaching together. He offered to
review the course syllabus and set up the courses content on D2L (Desire2Learn). I knew immediately
that he is proactive. In fall 2019, he told me ahead of time that he was going to explore the impact of
using podcasts and digital media on student learning experiences. He had the plans set out well before
the start of the semester. He outlined these instructional objectives and methods of assessments to
students at the beginning of class. He expertly infused these into regular class activities. He had
designed this in such a way that he could collect pre and post-test data to assess students’ attitudes.
Tyler did an excellent job of monitoring progress, communicating with students, and updating
College of instructional material on the D2L platform. His organizational skills are impressive.
Education
Tyler has also done well his teaching assessments. He has received very positive feedback from
Department of
students as reflected in the SIRS summaries. Some of the qualities that stand out about Tyler’s
Kinesiology
instruction are his pace, structure, and overall quality of his presentations, as well as his
IM Sports Circle
thoughtfulness about student learning. He seeks feedback and makes very good use of it.
Michigan State University
308 W. Circle Drive, Room
134 In addition to the above-stated professional qualities, Tyler has a very pleasant personality and great
East Lansing, MI 48824 interpersonal skills. These qualities are highly appreciated by students. These competencies combined
517-355-4730
with his academic qualities, professionalism and hard work, leave no doubt in my mind that he is an
Fax: 517-353-2944 excellent candidate for the College Teaching Certificate. He will be a great teacher. I will be happy to
www.educ.msu.edu/kin/
take any questions you may have about this letter of support. I can be contacted at (517) 353-2944.

Sincerely,

Leapetswe Malete, PhD

Associate Professor & Coordinator, Global Initiatives