Tracy Stockdale

McBride Elementary School

tracy.stockdale@student.dodea.edu
706-573-9957
To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to write a recommendation for Samantha Swerda.  I have been mentoring
Samantha for the past three years.  I had the honor of working with her during her practicum
placements and now as a student teacher. 
Samantha comes to school each day with a smile and a willingness to help out wherever she is
needed.  She actively participates in morning math and literacy collaborations.  As a part of the
21st century learning environment, Samantha is responsible for team teaching all subject areas. 
Samantha continually enhances her instruction by researching best practices, differentiating
and scaffolding her lessons to meet the diverse needs of her learners.  She helps develop and
implement successful interventions and uses data to drive her lessons.  Samantha has created a
hands-on life science unit, giving students the opportunity to compare patterns and structures
of various living organisms. 
Samantha uses a variety of teaching strategies throughout the day in the classroom.  She
actively engages the students in many hands-on activities, following the DoDEA frameworks
and standards.  Today when I entered the classroom, the students were discussing the
vocabulary word disperse in science.  The students quickly built a paper plant seed and took
their learning outside to do a quick observation of the word disperse in action.  Instead of just
discussing the vocabulary words, Samantha often adds quick hands-on activities, songs, or
movement to solidify the concepts.  
Samantha also has an excellent rapport with teachers, parents, and students.  As a military
spouse, Samantha is able to make many connections with our military-connected students. 
Samantha believes that making connections with children is one of the most powerful ways to
advance student achievement.
With her patience, teaching strategies, and positive attitude, Samantha will be a wonderful
addition to your school and teaching staff.  I have no doubt that Samantha will bring a wealth of
teaching knowledge to your school.  Please contact me at the above e-mail address if you have
any further questions.
Sincerely,
 
 
Tracy C. Stockdale