April 18, 2012 Letter of Recommendation for Miss Rebecca Sochacki I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for

Miss Rebecca Sochacki. I have known Miss Sochacki since January 2009. Miss Sochacki was a student in a class I taught during Winter 2009, MTH 223 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers III. Additionally, I have served as Miss Sochackis academic advisor since February 2009. During the time that I have known Miss Sochacki, I have found her to be a conscientious person who consistently produced work of the highest quality regardless of the task. Through her work, Miss Sochacki displayed several characteristics that suggest she will be a highly effective teacher. Two of these characteristics are discussed below. One of the strongest characteristics Miss Sochacki displayed during the last three years was her enjoyment of learning. In short, Miss Sochacki appeared to greatly enjoy learning and took the initiative to challenge herself to learn and grow. As a part of MTH 223, Miss Sochacki tutored two second grade children in mathematics. This was one of Miss Sochackis first course experiences working with children in a structured instructional setting. Miss Sochackis lessons were consistently well- prepared for the children and reflected what she had learned in class about childrens mathematical thinking and ways to develop childrens conceptual understanding of various topics, as well as what she learned from the children as she worked with them. Another way that Miss Sochacki displayed her enthusiasm and enjoyment for learning was through the courses she took as a part of her program. For example, Miss Sochacki wanted to challenge herself to grow professionally so she completed a portion of her teacher assisting experience in South Africa. After returning from South Africa, Miss Sochacki communicated to me some of what she learned from the experience. It was clear that she found the teacher assisting to be a rich and enjoyable learning experience. Another of Miss Sochackis strong characteristics is her ability to ask questions that challenge others to think outside-the-box. Miss Sochacki and I communicated several times throughout her coursework. Most of the time, Miss Sochacki asked me questions that had not been previously asked by other advisees. Her questions suggested she had thought deeply about various issues and largely focused on situations related to what-if or is it possible. I greatly enjoyed Miss Sochackis questions as they challenged me to investigate and learn new things. I also observed Miss Sochacki asking similar types of questions of both herself and her peers during class. The questions were intended to help both her and others learn and proved highly effective in promoting learning. In summary, I have found Miss Rebecca Sochacki to be a very pleasant and positive person who works well with others. She greatly enjoys challenges associated with learning and helping others learn in meaningful ways. I think Miss Sochacki has the potential to be an outstanding teacher. I also think any child would be fortunate to have Miss Sochacki for a teacher. I highly recommend Miss Rebecca Sochacki for your consideration. Sincerely,

Nancy K. Mack, Professor Department of Mathematics mackn@gvsu.edu