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Department of
Teacher Education

Nichigan State 0niveisity
Eiickson Ball
62u Faim Lane, Room
116
East Lansing, NI 48824

S17-SSS-1726
Fax: S17-4S2-279S
euucation.msu.euuteseco
nuaiy


NS0 is an affiimative-action,
equal-oppoitunity employei.


Nay S, 2u14

To Whom It Nay Concein:

It is my honoi to give my highest iecommenuations foi Biittany 0'Biien as a
membei of youi science faculty. Biittany is a ueuicateu, passionate, anu caiing
teachei. I hau the joy of watching Biittany's teaching piactice uevelop ovei the
past two yeais while I taught couises foi science euucation stuuents in
Nichigan State 0niveisity's (NS0) teachei piepaiation piogiam.

Aftei teaching high school chemistiy in uiban schools foi seveial yeais, I am
cuiiently puisuing a uual uegiee: PhB in Cuiiiculum Instiuction anu Teachei
Euucation anu NS in Chemistiy, in oiuei to auu to the ieseaich anu suppoits
foi chemistiy teacheis who aie inteiesteu in using stuuents' iueas as a uiiving
foice in theii classiooms. As pait of my uegiee, I have taught seveial couises at
NS0. At NS0, pie-seivice teacheis complete a full yeai of content-focuseu
methous couises followeu by a full yeai of stuuent teaching. While completing
the stuuent teaching, pie-seivice teacheis also complete foui giauuate level
couises, incluuing two wheie stuuents meet with othei inteins who weie
teaching in the same content aiea to ieflect on what theii stuuents weie
leaining anu how that coulu infoim theii own teaching. Biittany was eniolleu
in both the yeailong science methous couise anu the yeailong couise foi
science stuuent teacheis that I co-taught.

Thioughout the time I woikeu with Biittany, she has continuously
uemonstiateu that she caies about hei stuuents. She has sought out iesouices
to help hei elicit stuuents' iueas anu get stuuents to engage in uiscussions about
theii thoughts on the topics they weie stuuying. When stuuents shaieu theii
iueas, Biittany paiu close attention anu thoioughly ieflecteu on what the
stuuents weie saying anu wheie theii iueas may have come fiom. Biittany's
unit anu lesson plans show eviuence of hei attention to stuuents' iueas. She
iegulaily incluues engaging anu infoimative questions anu aujusts hei plans
baseu on hei ieflection of stuuents' iesponses.

As eviuenceu by the way Biittany uses stuuents' iueas to infoim hei teaching
piactice, Biittany is an eagei leainei. Not only uiu she continuously leain fiom
hei stuuents, but she also effectively useu all iesouices she coulu finu. She
sought out iesouices fiom mentois, hei peeis, anu me. Even though she
alieauy hau seveial commitments, Biittany applieu anu paiticipateu in the
Knowles Science Teaching Fellows (KSTF). KSTF is a piestigious anu




competitive awaiu given to science teacheis. As pait of KSTF, awaiuees meet
iegulaily to uiscuss complex science iueas, teaching science, anu engaging
stuuents in meaningful scientific piactices. While this auueu to Biittany's loau
uuiing a uemanuing yeai, hei giowth thioughout the yeai has shown that she
was able to use all these iesouices to continuously push hei own teaching
piactices foiwaiu. Biittany will continue to paiticipate in KSTF next yeai as
well; I am confiuent that this will be an excellent souice of suppoit uuiing hei
fiist yeai of teaching on hei own.

It is cleai that Biittany appioaches hei teaching with the minuset of a
continuous leainei; moie than that, Biittany also cleaily enjoys leaining. She
woulu be exciteu to ietuin to oui class on Fiiuay anu shaie something she hau
leaineu fiom hei stuuents. Even when she was uisappointeu with stuuents'
iesponses, she was eagei to unueistanu wheie stuuents weie confuseu anu saw
theii iesponses as inteiesting oppoitunities to leain moie. In shoit, Biittany
was fun to have in class anu I am confiuent she woulu be a gieat co-woikei anu
teachei.

I am honoieu anu exciteu to iecommenu Biittany 0'Biien as a science teachei.
I am confiuent that Biittany will be a gieat teachei to the stuuents she will have
next yeai anu that she will continue to ieflect on anu uevelop hei piactice
thioughout hei caieei. If you have any auuitional questions, please feel fiee to
contact me by email (mayeikiimsu.euu) oi phone (7S4-94S-7868).


Sinceiely,

Kiistin Nayei
PhB Canuiuate, Cuiiiculum Instiuction anu Teachei Euucation
Nichigan State 0niveisity