Re: Amber Hawk April 4, 2014

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter on behalf of Amber Hawk, a current mathematics teacher with Mason City Schools. I have known Mrs. Hawk since my employment began with Mason City School District in August, 2008. In that time, I have personally visited her classroom and participated in many conversations with her about instruction. One of the experiences that have allowed me to see Mrs. Hawk's growth as a teacher is her participation in the curriculum revision process in our district. Amber has been a leader at her grade level as we have transitioned to Common Core State Standards in Mathematics over the past two years. She has personally been involved in writing half of the units that we are currently teaching at grade seven and has been instrumental in making edits and aligning materials across the year. This process also includes the development of common assessments across the grade level, which Amber has also been a leader in creating. We have been able to develop a cohesive, coherent curriculum under her leadership with this team. In addition, Amber has contributed to writing instructional units for the honors course at grade 7. This required her to take units developed for eighth grade and add extension activities for the honors students, which sometimes required quite a bit of restructuring when making the materials appropriate for those students. She has always been willing to share everything she develops and help her colleagues make sense of the standards we are teaching. One of the reasons that Mrs. Hawk is able to contribute to the department is that she is aware of the mathematics that is to be taught at each grade level. Amber is able to discuss with confidence the mathematics that extends from our courses at Mason Intermediate School into some of our high school courses. She has been a resource to her math colleagues at sixth grade as they prepare to teach new topics. Amber is very comfortable using technology applications with her students. I have found her to be reliable, organized, and motivated to be reflective about her teaching in order to maximize student learning. Mrs. Hawk has the leadership qualities to tackle any challenge. Her knowledge of pedagogy and her ability to see the big picture as she develops lessons is a true strength. Respectfully submitted,

Mrs. Kristi Otten Secondary Mathematics Curriculum Leader Mason City Schools

MASON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER 211 N. East Street Mason, OH 45040 513.398.0474 phone www.masonohioschools.com web