December 5, 2012 Re: Sean Desrochers It was a pleasure to have Sean at Catholic Central for his internship from

January to December of 2012. Sean displayed some of the finest work I have seen from a beginning teacher. Sean taught Social 10-1 for both of his quarters at Catholic Central, giving him a chance to not only develop some strong teaching strategies, but to refine them as well. Sean demonstrated excellent knowledge of the content and a wonderful ability to translate content into meaningful and interesting activities for the students. He truly knows how to make Social Studies come alive to his students and to connect with them on a personal level. His classes were very interactive and enlightening for students. Sean utilized technology as part of his daily teaching. I observed his use of videos and the Internet to provide up to the minute information for his students and to engage them on a level that they enjoy. Sean was particularly adept at integrating strategies that promoted collaborative learning and engagement. He had the courage to place his students into small groups as their standard classroom seating arrangement and to encourage them to dialogue and explore ideas. His ability to do this is evidence of his strong classroom management skills. It was a pleasure to see a young teacher who is not afraid to allow students to dialogue in class, to work in small groups or teams and to encourage active learning as opposed to sitting and reading or doing worksheets. Sean established clear routines and expectations in his classes and made every effort to enforce these in order to maintain a positive learning environment. He established a strong rapport with students; I observed students arriving at class early to chat, or staying after class to discuss ideas and explore the content further. Sean shows a genuine interest in students and a passion for teaching; students respond well to his easy, warm teaching style and his obvious passion for his subject. Seans planning was excellent - both long-range and daily. He was always prepared for classes and demonstrated the necessary skills for both planning ahead and for being flexible when an activity or lesson needed modification. Whenever I chanced to drop into the class, I would find a precise lesson plan on the desk, indicating the direction for the day and clearly outlining the goals and objectives for students. In addition, Sean was sure to share these learning goals with the students, so that learning became a cooperative effort between students and teachers. His use of engaging strategies ensured that students not only learned, but explored, debated, challenged their own thinking and developed their own skills in critical analysis. Sean was well aware of the progress of each of his students. Prior to each quarter, he made a point of acquainting himself with the background of students, checking to see if students required any accommodations or modifications to their program. He was very conscientious about learning more about each student in order to ensure success for all of them. Sean was also deeply involved in extra-curricular activities and professional growth activities at the school. His work with the school musical production was invaluable as his expertise in technology filled a gap in the production staff. Seans willingness to take on activities after school on a regular basis illustrate his commitment and dedication to students both in and out of the classroom. In all of his interactions with colleagues, Sean was professional, positive and collaborative. He was very much an integral part of the staff of the school and we will miss his energy and enthusiasm when he finishes his internship. Carol Koran Associate Principal