Miami University Department of Teacher Education 401 McGuffey Hall Oxford, Ohio 45056 March 18, 2014

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing this reference at the request of Ms. Lauren Haven who is applying for a position at your school district. I have known Ms. Haven for two years through the middle childhood science methods (EDT 441). I also know Ms. Haven personally from the childcare center, Kids R Kids, where she works. As her instructor, I have had an opportunity to observe Ms. Havens participation and interaction in class and to evaluate her knowledge of the subject matter as well as of pedagogy. Based on her performance and participation in the course, I would consider Lauren one of the most hardworking and dedicated students. She is also an intelligent, resourceful, dependable and highly motivated person who favorably impressed all of her professors at Miami University, Middle Childhood Education program. She works well with others and is able to learn from those around her. In my science methods course, she was expected to reflect on the issues related to science teaching at grades 4 through 9, and to develop and teach several inquiry-based lesson plans aligned with both the new Ohio Science Education Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Lauren did an excellent job in each one of these assignments. She not only learned to be reflective, but also became aware of the importance of being reflective as a teacher. She demonstrated the understanding of the importance of finding out the prior knowledge her students will bring to her classroom, prior to planning and teaching a lesson plan. Finally, she mastered the skills to write and implement inquiry-based science lessons and activities that the national and state level reforms promote. Based on this, I rate Laurens knowledge and skills outstanding. Lauren also participated in my research project which required her to practice teaching middle school science concepts in a virtual classroom simulation, called TeachLive Lab. In this virtual classroom, students represent a stereotypical population from an urban school and the teachers who are practicing have to implement effective classroom management techniques while also teaching the science concept assign to them. Lauren had three opportunities to practice with this simulated classroom environment in the spring, which was significantly more than the science teaching opportunities she had while doing her field teaching experiences. In addition, she was able master effective classroom management skills as a result of this

experience. I truly believe that this experience greatly supported the pedagogical skills she has already mastered while at Miami. Lauren had very diverse field experiences throughout her formal teacher training at Miami University. She worked at schools that are housed in inner city, rural, and suburban districts. Several of these schools are considered high-needs in Ohio. She taught and assisted 5th through 8th grade classrooms. In the light of all of these experiences, I feel confident in saying that Lauren understands how to work with students who are in different contexts (e.g., grade levels, locations, SES) and students with different needs. I have had many opportunities outside and inside the classroom to observe Laurens strong sense of responsibility and self-driven personality over the last two years. She is one of the most effective multitasking people I have seen. While majoring in one of the strictest programs at Miami, she has also been an active member of the Miami University Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Alpha Delta Pi, and Miami Student Education Association at Miami University, and tutored struggling middle school students. Despite her very busy schedule, she is still able to maintain a 3.54/4 GPA in Middle Childhood Education program. Finally, let me unequivocally state my strong recommendation for Lauren Haven. I believe that she displays the qualities that make a teacher successful. If you have any further questions regarding Laurens ability or this recommendation, I would be happy to talk with you. You can reach me at (513) 529 7208 or e-mail me at nubautista@miamioh.edu.

Sincerely,

Nazan Bautista