February 1, 2021

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am very pleased to write this recommendation letter in support of Rachel Wilburn for a secondary
Social Studies teaching position. Ms. Wilburn will successfully complete the graduation requirements
for the Indiana University School of Education Transition to Teaching Program in May of 2021. As the
director of the Transition to Teaching Program and Ms. Wilburn’s early field experience and student
teaching supervising instructor, I was very pleased with the progress Rachel made throughout the
Transition to Teaching Program. She experienced great success as an intern at Benjamin Franklin
Middle School in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Ms. Wilburn consistently and effectively demonstrates both theoretical knowledge and pedagogical
strategies that are both culturally and developmentally appropriate for the students and families with
whom she works. Academically, I’ve been very impressed with Rachel’s strong theoretical knowledge
and her application of theory to practice in classroom settings. She also demonstrates an ethic of care and
empathy as she advocates for students academically, socially, and emotionally. Rachel is very attuned to
the needs of students and their unique learning styles.

I have worked with Ms. Wilburn throughout the entire program and have been very impressed with her
work ethic and dedication to setting high but attainable expectations while fostering an equitable
classroom culture grounded in developing meaningful relationships with her students. She has developed
a critically reflective practice in both curriculum development and classroom management. I have
enjoyed watching Rachel grow in both confidence and skill. She is always prepared in the classroom and
thoughtful in our discussions around student learning, culturally relevant pedagogy, and her personal
experience working in secondary schools. Ms. Wilburn genuinely cares about her students and when she
experiences challenging situations in the classroom, she reaches out to her mentor teachers, peers,
myself, or to her university instructors for suggestions and advice. She works well with her cohort,
colleagues, and thrives in collaborative environments. Rachel has experience collaborating on lesson
planning, curriculum development, and other school-related activities. She is always quite
knowledgeable and well prepared.

I highly recommend Ms. Wilburn for the secondary Social Studies position at your school.

Sincerely,

Alycia Elfreich, Ph.D.

Director, Transition to Teaching Program
Indiana University School of Education