Sepa Then Oakland “""*" UNIVERSITY April 9, 2023 ‘To Whom It May Concern: ‘This letter is a recommendation for Nikki Cardaris. Nikki was a Student Teaching Intern in my Fall 2022 STEP Course — SED 4951/42822 and Winter 2023 STEP Course — SED 4952/12656. | was her Oakland University Supervisor. I compiled written and digital observations on SLL-Watermark ‘Student Learning regarding her lesson plans, teaching strategies, classroom management, and use of Core Teaching Practices along with the Candidate Preservice Assessment of Student Teaching - CPAST for each of the times I observed her teach for at least one class period at her placement teaching English at Dakota High School Ninth Grade Center in the Chippewa Valley School District, in Michigan, 1 completed a digital Midterm and Final Assessment using the CPAST Pedagogy and Disposition Format after 3-way Conferences with Nikki and her Mentor. | worked with Nikki in the ten Oakland University Seminars that were three hours each during the Fall and Winter semesters. [Nikki has a wonderful personal presence inside and outside of the classroom. She is friendly, warm, caring, effervescent, and respeciful.. She projects herself with ease and confidence, listens to students, and has reasonable expectations for student accomplishments and growth. Ni communicates with clarity and seeks to build positive relationships with her students, peers, parents, and administration. She exhibits energy and enthusiasm for her profession and pre-plans her student learning activities to allow for reflection, revision by her students, and formative assessments for her ‘own lesson planning. Nikki used Core Teaching Practice techniques and sought advice from her Mentor teachers as needed. Due to her personal and professional qualities, she is highly regarded by everyone, and her students are respectful, attentive, and engaged. Nikki has well organized Lesson Plans. They have sound conceptual clarity. She uses assessment of past student accomplishments for planning instruction. She starts with anticipatory sets and is creative with several leaming activities each class period to engage all students and help keep them on-task. Her lessons include state and district benchmarks, explaining and modeling English grammar, writing, literature, and learning activities that are aligned with clearly stated objectives. ‘Nikki often uses small group cooperative strategies with logical task analysis that displays an understanding of developmental stages in student learning. These are done at an appropriate pace. She works at having effective questioning techniques to promote higher order thinking and elic student thinking leading to whole class discussion. Where appropriate, Nikki moves around the classroom to assist students individually and in groups. She is innovative in making her learningactivities relevant and motivates with references to real life situations. Her verbal explanations are clear, with thinking aloud to explain and model content, which is effective for student understan 1g. Nikki utilizes as many resources as there are available to her and integrates technology in delivering her instruction to visually enhance student learning, engagement, and making content explicit. She uses a Smart board to project and stream information, and she demonstrates continual interest in staying updated on current and emerging technologies to enhance her instructional delivery and engage her students Nikki displays a strong command of her subject matter. She conducts class discussions employing appropriate methodology and content. She accesses prior knowledge, motivates, tries to pique curiosity, and uses stimulating strategies. She clarifies, adjusts, and reteaches where necessary with adjustments and modifications for differentiation of instruction. She poses questions to elicit student thinking and probes with follow up for deeper understanding. She encourages students to practice listening, speaking, and interpreting each other's responses. Nikki's interpersonal skills, personality, professional demeanor, and command of her subject matter contribute to a healthy academic and positive climate conducive to learning. A warm atmosphere, banter with students, and smooth transitions engage her students in meaningful activities leading to smooth classroom management. She uses multicultural and gender equitable practices with positive feedback and motivates students toward quality work and creativity resulting in no loss of instructional time. It is my pleasure to highly recommend Nikki Cardaris. She will be highly effective in education or any other occupation she should choose. I hope she will keep me updated on her future in education. Ifyou have any further questions, you are welcome to contact me at: (248) 802-8447, or majeske@oakland.edu Sincerely, 2 4€ Daniel L. Majeske Ed University Supervisor for STEP and MAT Student Teaching Interns Oakland University/School of Education and Human Services Teacher Development and Educational Studies/Field Office Pawley Hall - 456 Pioneer Drive Rochester, MI 48309-4482 majeske@oakland.edu