April 29, 2017

Dear Colleagues:

I am writing to recommend Alison Hastings for a teaching position at your school.

I am a consultant and assistant professor at Daemen College, as well as a
learning (disability) specialist in private practice. I have had the privilege of
knowing Alison as a student in three of my undergraduate courses: SED 340,
Inclusive Education for Children with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders; SED 401,
Methods of Inclusive Education; and EDU 327, Teaching to the Standards. At the
graduate level, I have had Alison as a student in two of my courses: SED 606,
Instructional Methods and Strategies for Students with Disabilities, and SED 642,
Curriculum Modifications in the Content Areas of Math, Science, Technology, and
Social Studies. Additionally, I have worked with Alison through my roles as
Diverse Learner Academy Coordinator and Portfolio Coordinator for the Thomas
Reynolds Center for Special Education. Throughout all of these experiences,
Alison has proven an understanding of students unique learning profiles,
differentiated and engaging lesson planning, and methods for empowering
struggling learners. She has also developed into both a conscientious student
and a caring, empathetic teacher.

As an undergraduate student, Alison was an active participant in discussions, and

she was candid and honest in her comments. She was well respected by her peers,
and she contributed to group projects and activities. Alisons work was thoughtful,
complete, and well done. She asked questions and took feedback willingly. During
EDU 327, the seminar that runs concurrently with student teaching, I could count on
Alison to work well with any student in the classroom for peer review. She often
reached out to students who needed more support and tried to include students who
were new to the group. As a significant attestation of her abilities, Alison passed the
edTPA on her first attempt.

In her SED 401 practicum, Alison taught a learning segment to a student with
moderate disabilities. Although initially hesitant due to a lack of experience in this
setting, Alison proved that she has the disposition to work with children of all ability
levels. She had a lesson planned, but unlike many of her peers at this level, Alison
was able to adjust instruction on7the7fly and extend the lesson extemporaneously
when the student performed at a higher level than expected by the cooperating
teacher. Alison was able to follow student interest in order to provide teachable
moments within what otherwise would have been down time. She understood the
student in ways that allowed her to guide him through instruction without any of his
typical task7avoidance behaviors. Her interactions with all of the students in the
classroom demonstrated compassion and intense responsiveness. Several students
demonstrated their appreciation for Alison during the brief time I observed her lesson.
Out of all of the teacher candidates in that course practicum, I was most proud of how
Alison overcame her initial hesitation and was able to internalize what she learned in
order to deliver instruction calmly and effectively.

As a graduate assistant, Alison has benefited from the experience of teaching in the
Thomas Reynolds Center for Special Educations After7School Program. In that role
she has organized a classroom from scratch, designed a classroom management
plan, written daily lesson plans for ELA and math remediation, delivered individual
assistance through homework help, and provided feedback to parents. Through the
graduate assistantship program, she has participated in over 50 hours of professional
development beyond her coursework in the areas of ELA, math, diverse learners,
behavior management, classroom technology, and assessment. All of this training
has been followed by practical application of the concepts within her after7school
classroom. She has also received supplementary instruction in the use of IEP Direct/
Frontline and the CSE meeting process. The hands7on experience she received has
benefitted Alisons confidence in the classroom, making her an asset to any school.

Finally, Alison has played an integral role in a pilot research project where she
modified executive function strategy lessons that were designed at a fifth7grade level
(and higher) to be appropriate for third7 and fourth7grade students. She participated
in related trainings, worked on a literature review in support of the research, and co7
designed a poster for a 907minute presentation at Daemens annual Academic
Festival.

Given her abilities to establish rapport with students, identify learning styles, and
design engaging lessons, Alison will be a teacher who is both effective and loved by
her students. I appreciate the opportunity to share Alisons successes with you, and I
look forward to hearing of her future accomplishments at your school. Please feel free
to contact me at 716787075296 with any questions.

Sincerely,

Mindy Schreiner Scirri, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Education

Diverse Learner Academy Coordinator,
Thomas Reynolds Center for Special Education

/ms