SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Barbara J. Cornish – Field Instructor/Lecturer

bcornish@umich.edu
734-358-3326

April 1st, 2021

To Whom It May Concern:

I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Sarah Greer. I am currently Sarah’s field instructor in our Master of
Arts with Teacher Certification Program and have been working with her since September 2020. Additionally, Sarah has been a
student in my Graduate Reflective Field Experience Class during both fall and winter semesters. As part of a small, tight-knit cohort
of future World Language teachers, I have met with Sarah weekly, read and discussed her daily lesson plans and reflections, and
completed six formal observations of her teaching with debriefing sessions and written feedback. Sarah is a valued participant in our
seminar sessions and has proven herself to be an empathetic educator who will inspire her students to become the best possible
version of themselves. She will officially complete her work in our World Language Cohort at the end of April 2021 and will
transition into pursuing her ESL Certificate. Seeking dual certification in Spanish and ESL has been Sarah’s goal since entering our
program, and she has remained focused on these goals.

Committed to building trust, Sarah has gone above and beyond to get to know the interests, strengths, and challenges of each of her
students. Early on, she designed a survey where students responded to questions and shared information about themselves; their age
birthday, hobbies, hopes for the future, and anything else they were willing to share with the class. Noting that students do not have
much of an opportunity to interact with one another in the virtual setting, she developed a mystery person activity that she includes at
the beginning of each lesson. She shares information in Spanish one slide at a time, while students try to guess who the mystery
student is. During a recent observation, a student shared that she was so excited to be the featured student that day and that it made
her feel important. Other students in the class consistently contribute to the activity, chiming in about shared interests and
encouraging one another to pursue their dreams. Additionally, Sarah emails students when they are absent to let them know they were
missed. She reaches out to them to congratulate them when they show improvement or let them know which assignments are missing
and when she is available to give them extra help.

As Sarah’s field instructor, I enjoy reviewing her daily lesson plans. It is immediately obvious that she folds her students’ interests
and suggestions into the activities she designs for them to complete. This helps them expand their vocabulary and be able to share
information specific to them. She places a high priority on encouraging students to discover music, gain knowledge about cultural
traditions, celebrations and foods from a wealth of Spanish-speaking countries, expanding their knowledge of the world while
encouraging them to consider perspectives that are different form their own. Students are constantly reminded that making mistakes
with the language is expected and embraced as a way to further their proficiency, making her class a safe place to be risk takers with
the Spanish language.

Another quality I noticed immediately about Sarah is how natural leading the class seems to be for her. Her smile is warm and
inviting. When students are not participating, she has a way to invite them into the conversation and make them feel valued. When
something does not go as expected, she does not let it throw her off; she thinks on her feet and quickly revamps what she plans to do.
Sarah’s keen sense of humor is appreciated by her students and because she models respect in all of her interactions, they react in
kind.

It is without reservation that I recommend Sarah for a teaching position at your school. The priority she places on getting to know her
students, her talent to bring the Spanish language and culture alive in the classroom, and her ability to naturally model the skills and
qualities she strives to instill in her students make her a strong candidate. If I can be of any further assistance in your decision-making
process, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Barbara J. Cornish