April 1, 2013 Dear Teacher Selection Committee Members: This letter comes in recommendation of Mrs.

Tina Josephson who is applying for a position at your school. I served as her student teaching supervisor, and without reservation I can say that Mrs. Josephson is an excellent teacher and dedicated professional. In her student teaching, she was always prepared, and she engaged her learners in meaningful activities. Mrs. Josephson acquired and shared a wealth of ideas and knowledge during her field and student teaching experiences. She designed and taught lessons for elementary and middle school language arts students. Because she has taught in suburban and urban schools, Ms. Josephson is comfortable working with diverse students, including those with special needs. She is conscientious and would make a fine addition to any school. Moreover, her professional experience outside teaching gives her a unique perspective, which grounds her in her approach to connecting classroom learning to life. Her experience in student teaching has given her confidence in management and solid lesson planning. She takes seriously her role as a professional educator. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like more information about Mrs. Josephson. Email: Suzann.gardner@alverno.edu; Cell phone: 414-232-9347. Sincerely,

Suzann Gardner Associate Professor

May 2013 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter of recommendation for Tina Josephson who is applying for a teaching position in your school district. I had the pleasure of being Tinas instructor for the second of her three literacy courses and her supervisor for her literacy fieldwork course at Alverno College, where I am an Assistant Professor of Education. Based on these experiences as well as my twenty years of experience as a reading specialist and chair of a district reading/language arts department, it is my professional judgment that Tina Josephson possesses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to be a strong teacher of literacy in the elementary setting. At Alverno, Tina took three separate literacy courses that collectively focused on literacy teaching and learning in first through eighth grade settings, as well as a field experience course centered on literacy teaching and learning at the early primary level. Her second literacy course, Literacy in Middle Childhood, was concentrated on literacy teaching and learning at the intermediate (grades 3-5) level. Through her work in this course and her field experience, Tina developed a solid foundation to effectively teach to the Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts by implementing a comprehensive literacy approach to children at the elementary level in developmentally appropriate ways. Throughout her coursework and field experience, she demonstrated clear expertise in her understanding of how to meet the diverse reading and writing needs of children through a combination of explicit teaching, guided practice, and independent practice, delivered in whole group, small group, and individual settings. The use of assessment to inform instruction, classroom management, and the appropriate incorporation of childrens literature were also integrated into Tinas course projects. In the field experience, the second of her four fields prior to student teaching, Tina spent over twenty-five hours in a second grade classroom, where she meticulously planned and implemented three literacy lessons and became an active part of the classroom learning community. Because of the strong understanding she demonstrated in the literacy course and the intentional application of her learning in the field, Tina clearly showed that she is well prepared to be an effective literacy teacher for children in a variety of grade levels at the elementary school level. Besides demonstrating a healthy understanding of effective literacy practices in her course and fieldwork, Tina also displayed many fine personal attributes of a professional educator. Most impressive were her enthusiasm, dedication, and her easy facility to collaborate effectively with her colleagues as member of a professional learning community. She also demonstrated a robust ability to self-assess and to use feedback to improve her understanding of course content and to strengthen her own effectiveness in the classroom. Through her goal setting, she displayed her genuine commitment to being a life-long learner focused on continually improving student learning. I encourage you to strongly consider Tina Josephson as a candidate for the teaching position in your school district. She would be a valuable addition to any school community! Please contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely,

Robin Gleason
Robin Gleason Assistant Professor of Education Alverno College Celebrating 125 years of innovation in education 414-382-6260 robin.gleason@alverno.edu

March 15, 2013 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter on behalf of Tina Josephson. It has been my pleasure to be Tinas cooperating teacher for the first half of the second semester at Dyer Intermediate School in Burlington, WI. Tina has impressed me in many ways. Tina contacted me about her placement in mid-December. She was eager to come in, look over the materials we use in the classroom and get started learning about our school. Prior to our first meeting, Tina had checked out our schools website and already knew my daily schedule, as well as my expectations for student learning. By the end of the first week, Tina had taught her first lesson and was ready to take on more. Tina has a wonderful rapport with our students, and many of them seek her out to share something about themselves or get help with their homework. We have one student in particular who rarely asks questions or seeks help, but he took an instant shine to Tina. She is kind, considerate and very nurturing toward both students and faculty. I was impressed with Tinas drive and how she went above and beyond to acclimate herself with the Promethean Board. She spent hours looking for and creating lessons that kept our students engaged. She often asked for my feedback and was willing to make necessary changes to lessons, as well as her final project for Alverno University. Tina is organized and well-informed. She has the CCSS in front of her while she is working on lesson plans, and her knowledge of the Common Core will be a real asset when she has a classroom of her own. Tinas personal qualities-- like punctuality and commitment-- will benefit her, as well as any team of teachers with whom she works. Tina took immediate ownership of the curriculum and became a true partner almost immediately. Because of her desire to do right by her students, I have no doubt that Tina will be a wonderful teacher. Any school will be lucky to have Tina Josephson. Sincerely,

Carrie Heck Classroom Teacher Dyer Intermediate School

May 20, 2013 To Whom It May Concern: Tina was a field study student and student teacher in my 8th grade English class during the 20112012 and 2012-2013 school years. During this time, Tina taught common core aligned lessons in grammar, argumentative, writing, and poetry writing. Tina was responsible for teaching a full load of English classes, running RTI intervention groups, and lunchroom supervision. Two of her English classes were co-taught classrooms. Tina is extremely easy to work with and has a natural and easy way with students. From the beginning, Tina showed students that she had their best interest in mind. Each time she taught, she was able to create a positive and welcoming classroom climate. She developed a rapport with students by showing them she cared about their learning and by being consistent with her expectations. From her first day of teaching, Tina was cognizant of the importance of classroom management continuously moving around the room, rearranging students seats when necessary and establishing logical consequences. When she was in charge, the students respected her as their teacher. Beyond that, Tina was easily able to take the curriculum and create her own lesson plans. At the middle school level, it is often important to get students read to learn- to pique their interest so they want to learn in spite of themselves. At the beginning of our Edgar Allan Poe literary analysis unit, she created an activity that combined reading, research and art engaging students in critical thinking and readying them to read his stories. This hands-on activity along with a graphic organizer allowed her to reach students with varied academic needs. She was organized and methodical in planning and implementing her lessons. She really made the classroom her own. I have no doubt that when she has her own classroom, she will enter it and handle whatever challenges arise. Working with Tina has been a wonderful experience. She is an eager teacher and any school would be lucky to her as a staff member. She will be a valuable asset to any school community. I would enjoy commenting further about Tina and can be reached at 262-763-0190 or by email jgeyso@basd.k12.wi.us. Sincerely, Jennifer Jacobs Geyso 8th Grade English Teacher Karcher Middle School