8425 W. McNichols Av.

Detroit, MI 48221

April 7, 2021

To whom it may concern,

It is a privilege to write this letter of recommendation for Lindsay Helfman. As the Attending Social Studies
Teacher at the School at Marygrove (TSM), I work with the best and brightest student-teachers from the School
of Education at the University of Michigan. In this regard, Ms. Helfman is the best of the best.

From day one, Ms. Helfman has been actively involved in all aspects of my 9 th grade U.S. History and
Geography classes. Her wealth of knowledge and experience as a college history instructor allowed Ms.
Helfman to offer significant contributions to lesson planning and implementation. She frequently provided
rigorous and engaging activities that enriched the lessons I created. Before the end of the first quarter, Ms.
Helfman and I were co-teaching, creating a dynamic online classroom characterized by active participation,
curiosity, and joy.

As the schoolyear went on, I became increasingly aware of Ms. Helfman’s brilliance. And I didn’t want to stand
in her way. My role as mentor quickly transformed into a consultant. Ms. Helfman started creating her own
lessons and taking the lead in teaching our students. After each lesson, we were able to reflect and make
modifications in real time. In this way, Ms. Helfman became more adept at anticipating the additional
structures and supports that would be needed for subsequent lessons and activities.

Currently, the 9th grade students at TSM are completing the research and filming of The 1701 Project which Ms.
Helfman created and designed. While it is most certainly a work in progress—the project itself is masterful.
Using the 1701 date of Detroit’s “founding” as a starting point, students are creating Flipgrid videos which
explore how an event, place, and/or person connects to the history of racism and resistance in Detroit.
The project also provides the space for students to explain how this knowledge can “change people’s outlook…
their sense of what they can do…and of what others can do” if this facet of our history is understood. It’s
exciting to witness how students have been empowered by this project. It is also exciting to witness an amazing
teacher in action. I am fortunate to have this opportunity.

Please feel free to reach out to me at jane.jordan@detroitk12.org if you have any questions about Lindsay
Helfman.

Sincerely,

Jane M. Jordan
Attending Social Studies Teacher
The School at Marygrove