October 11, 2020

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter of recommendation for Rachel Wilburn.

Rachel was a student in my graduate level course, Psychology in Teaching, at Indiana University
in the Summer of 2020. While this class was an online course (COVID), a large component of
the course work involved reflective writing and identifying their personal style and approach to
teaching.

Her written work displayed a strong grasp of and engagement with the academic material
presented in the course. She is a solid academically.

But more importantly, her passion for teaching and for students shines through in her work.
Words like “passion,” “love,” and “enjoy” – all in reference to teaching - permeate her papers.
Her compassion for underserved and underfunded students displays a level of empathy that
tells me she will excel as a secondary school teacher.

My own four children (in their 20’s) still talk about their favorite teachers from their middle
school and high school years. My strong sense is that future students under Rachel’s care will
surely include her in their “favorite teacher” category.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Matthew P. Nussbaum, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor
Indiana University School of Education
mattnuss@indiana.edu
812.219.7062