College of

Education
Teacher Education
Michigan State
University
620 Farm Lane,
313 Erickson Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-5091
Fax: 517-432-5092
education.msu.edu

May 8, 2014

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my pleasure to write this recommendation for Megan Peters. I was one of Megans
teacher education course instructors as she completed graduate level course work during
her yearlong teaching internship. In class, Megan participated in discussions and activities
with reflective contributions. She willingly accepted feedback from me on her assignments
so that she would provide appropriate, effective instruction. I personally believe the ability
to accept feedback is so important in education because education best practices are
constantly changing. Therefore, educators need to constantly be flexible, accepting
feedback from administrators, to ensure all students are afforded the best possible
education.

During this time, I had the opportunity to visit Megans classroom, and observed her many
teaching skills. She used modeling and gave clear written and verbal directions to promote
student learning. She listened to student ideas attentively and responded thoughtfully.
She knew when to rephrase questions to assist students in analyzing and evaluating the
subject matter. She set clear behavior expectations and consistently reinforced those
expectations. She created authentic activities to promote student learning, and connected
the subject matter to their lives. For example, during her science unit, students observed
many different types of fruits and vegetables. From these observations and following
discussion, students understood that fruits and vegetables contain seeds, and that these
seeds are used to continue the plant life cycle.

Megan had many qualities that made her an effective educator. She truly believed that all
students can succeed, and that she could be an integral part of that success. She never
gave up on her students. She created and maintained positive relationships with each
student. She reflected on her teaching and lessons daily, and used her reflections to adjust
her lessons the following day. She was very organized, and created a positive classroom
environment where her students enjoyed learning. She wanted to be an educator because
she had the passion to make a difference, influence children, and guide them as they grow.
She believed that providing a solid educational foundation in second grade would help her
students build a desire to educate themselves throughout their lives.

In conclusion, I hope by reading this letter you will see that Megan is an intelligent,
enthusiastic, and caring educator. She has many desirable qualities that will be a valuable
asset to any school community. I would highly recommend Ms. Megan Peters for any
teaching position she pursues. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Andrea Varricchione
Michigan State University
Teacher Education Course Instructor

MSU i s a n affirmative-action,
equal-opportunity e mployer.