I am writing this letter in support of Michele Kerr. I have come to know Michele over the past year as her cooperating teacher in her induction program at Stanford. We have worked closely together in the classroom at Sequoia High School, and I feel I have a unique perspective of her qualifications for a job in the teaching profession. I find her to be empathetic to her students and fully dedicated to making sure they understand the math, all the while maintaining high expectations for each and every one of them.

Michele is a very capable teacher, who has good classroom presence. She is a natural in front of a group of students and had no problem in taking over all the teaching duties for her primary assignment, our 4th Period Algebra II/Trigonometry class at the semester. She has shown mastery of the material, and a real skill at curriculum development. We have also had a good collaborative relationship, and I think she will make a fine colleague in the future. She is not afraid to express her ideas, and thinks reflectively about her teaching and student learning. She also has a desire to help the students that struggle the most in math, an exceptional trait in teacher candidates seeking positions in schools with a large at-risk population. She often spends her lunch time working with struggling students on concepts they do not understand.

Michele brings with her a diverse background of experiences, from working in the technology industry to working with high school students in a tutoring capacity. These experiences help her make connections with students and for them. Michele often draws from her experience of working in the computer industry to connect the math students are working on in class. The tutoring aspect gives her a perspective that the student appreciate in terms of her knowing what they are facing as they prepare for college. She will often stop to give her students a heads up on material that they might encounter on college entrance exams such as the ACT and SAT. Her advice on the application process is also invaluable to her students.

In conclusion, I highly recommend Michele Kerr for a teaching position at your school. She will be an asset wherever she ends up.