April 20, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with pleasure and enthusiasm that I write this letter in support of Rebecca Farrell. I had the joy of working
with Becca during her coursework at the College of Education. I worked with Becca in the Fall 2013 and Summer 2014
semesters when she was a student in my undergraduate and graduate level elementary mathematics methods courses.
Each class, Becca immersed herself in considering mathematical problem solving from the learners perspective.
Over the next four semesters, Becca intentionally asked critical education questions and sought answers through her
coursework, practicum experiences, and student teaching. Becca created two semester-long projects for mathematics
methods: In her first project, Becca asked, How can I effectively assess student learning? She researched and tested a
variety of formative and summative assessment strategies and linked her assessment data to differentiated instruction. In
her second project, Becca asked, How can I engage my students in meaningful learning that improves their math
achievement and their attitudes toward math? She created a website of math games and evaluated the games using a
research framework for effective basic fact practice. Then, Becca took her project a step further and explored ways to use
games to differentiate, teach collaboration, and integrate technology. She implemented ideas within each of her math
lessons and evaluated their effectiveness based on student assessment data. Her students were engaged, motivated to make
sense of math, and challenged to consider the question, Why?
Becca demonstrated incredible thoughtfulness and thoroughness while making assessment data-driven
instructional decisions. She was responsible for creating and conducting standards-based formative assessments, including
mathematical interviews and performance assessments. Becca analyzed her assessment data and used the data to identify
what to teach next and to differentiate the math tasks in order to target students specific instructional needs. She effectively
applied Backwards Design combined with her data analysis to create differentiated, standards-based lesson plans. Becca
tackled a challenging concept with her third grade lesson on elapsed time. She used multiple representations and real world
contexts to help students make meaning of the relationships between quantities and units. In her fifth grade lesson on
measures of central tendency, Becca engaged students as critical thinkers and statisticians as they gathered and analyzed
data on whether they could beat a Guinness World Record. She also taught this lesson to a graduate-level methods course
as a model of developmentally appropriate, student-centered math instruction.
Becca is genuinely passionate about connecting with and challenging every student. As a result, her mathematics
instruction emphasizes meaning-making and problem solving for understanding. She uses effective questioning,
translations between representations, and appropriate practice for procedural fluency in order to scaffold each students
growth. Becca creates an inclusive, caring community where her students feel safe to take risks as learners. Beccas passion
motivates her to take on additional responsibilities in order to meet the individual needs of her students and to get to know
each student as an individual. She is resourceful, seeks new ideas, and is receptive to feedback.
Throughout the semesters I worked with Becca, she demonstrated outstanding initiative, talent, and teamwork.
Becca is a responsive, enthusiastic pre-service teacher who holds high expectations for all students and supports them so
they can experience success. She also holds high expectations for herself as a professional educator. I believe Becca is an
exceptional individual whose talents as a teacher and collaborator will be assets to any school community.

Kateri Thunder
Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education
College of Education, James Madison University
thundekg@jmu.edu