Troy High School 248.823.

2700
4777 Northfield Parkway Fax: 248.823.2713
Troy, MI 48098
To Whom It May Concern,

It is with great pleasure that I am writing a letter of recommendation for my current student teacher Naomi
Sarelis. Naomi split her year teaching with myself in Science and with Lisa Knudson in English. In my classes Naomi
was in charge of two Anatomy and Physiology courses along with one Introductory Biology course. This was the first
time that I have had a student teacher and Naomi was a great first student teacher to have. She came to me with a true
love for the world of Biology and over the course of the year she shared that love with her students. Like all student
teachers she came in ready to learn how to be a teacher and she is leaving my classroom a totally new teacher. While she
had a tool chest of skills she was ready to learn about the finite details of running a classroom. Over the course of the year
Naomi learned about lesson planning with the end results in mind, pacing student learning, running classroom discussions,
and how to assess students along the way.
One of Naomi’s strengths is her love for using technology in the classroom setting. Over the course of the year
she made use of many new techniques to enhance student learning. She had kids using a variety of collaborative online
platforms to create group research projects, promote in-depth discussions between students, and to provide feedback
without having to use paper in the classroom. One example of this is when her Introductory Biology students created a
Human Impact project making use of whatever electronic format they chose. She monitored their progress through a
google doc research form, had them create an electronic presentation, had them contact professionals about their topic,
and had them share/discuss their project electronically with their peers. Through this project she taught her kids valuable
lessons in technology, creativity, and problem solving in the technological world. She also had them working on other
daily endeavors of learning how to make digital handouts, QR code’s, and how to be comfortable with trying new
experiences in the world of technology.
Another of Naomi’s strengths is how much she cared about her students success. Everyday she had her kids
educational, social, and emotional well-being in mind. She went out of her way to get to know the kids and create a safe
space for them to learn. As she learned more about them she would make use of that to create the most efficient learning
environment. The connections that Naomi formed with her kids were through warm welcomes, timely constructive
feedback, and showing her kids that she was a real person just like them. Through all of this she created an environment
in her classes where kids felt comfortable to bring their life experiences into the classroom, hold deep discussions, and
help to support each other.
Over the course of the year it was great to watch Naomi transform from an intern on the sidelines into a teacher.
She had learned how to prepare in a timely manner, ask for help where needed, and always seek feedback after the fact.
She then made use of all of the advice to mold herself into the teacher she ended the year as where she was always
prepared for whatever the day threw a her. She had learned the skills needed to adapt in the classroom which is something
that takes most teachers years of work to accomplish. She also learned about the benefits of collaborating with colleagues
in order to expand your way of thinking. All in all, she grew immensely over her year as a student teacher into a
professional that I am proud to recommend for any teaching position. Naomi is a WONDERFUL person who will be an
asset to any teaching position with the skills she has gained over her time at Oakland University’s education internship
program.

Sincerely,
Emily Zedan
Troy High School Science Teacher
Email: ezedan@troy.k12.mi.us
Cell Phone: 517-281-1373

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