January 21, 2024

To Whom it May Concern:

This is a letter of recommendation for Sofia Debrot, who completed the teacher credential program at
Sacred Heart University in the fall of 2023. I was Sofia’s university professor in a course designed to
support the Sacred Heart University student teaching experience.

Sofia is an extremely impressive teacher. She not only demonstrates the ability to provide strong
instruction enabling the wide range of students in her classroom to learn, but Sofia also has the
personal traits, disposition, and temperament needed to be a successful teacher. I believe the quality of
her teaching, combined with her personality, contributes to Sofia’s strong teaching sense. This was
evident during class discussions and in her written reflective work. For example, in a class discussion,
Sofia shared a teaching experience in which she identified the need to make adaptations to a math
lesson to increase student engagement. Sofia recognized her first-grade students struggled to stay
attentive and participate during whole group direct instruction. To rectify this problem, Sofia decreased
the direct instruction and created math stations, allowing the students to rotate through activities
whereby students had the opportunity to practice the lesson concepts. Choosing to restructure the
lesson this way, allowed not only for a higher-level of student engagement and participation, but also
provided students the opportunity to physically move—creating a state change needed to combat
mental fatigue. Sofia’s ability to look at instruction from a “balcony perspective” to effectively
problem-solve issues in the classroom is a rare skill for a new teacher. These skills are especially
important in a teacher’s ability to successfully manage the classroom environment. The fact she can do
this, in an upbeat and organized manner, speaks to her natural abilities to teach.

Sofia is intelligent, responsible and radiates a calming presence. Both in my seminar class and in her
first-grade class she effortlessly made connections with others. Relationship-building is an essential
component of teaching that happens organically when there is genuine interest on the part of the
teacher. Sofia has that special quality that will help her not only manage a classroom, but also be an
important adult in the lives of the children she teaches. I strongly recommend Sofia for a teaching
position and believe any school she works for will be extremely lucky to have her on its faculty.

Sincerely,
Kelly Kent