I have had the pleasure of teaching with Landon Hatch as he completed his PS III internship at Gilbert Paterson Middle School. From August 25 to December 19, 2014 his teaching responsibilities included science at the grade 7 level and a dryland training option. The academic units taught in science included: Interactions and Ecosystems, and Heat and Temperature. Landon frequently integrated lab experiments, group projects, and demonstrations into his course. It was obvious from the quality of and delivery of his lessons that Landon was extremely well planned. He used a variety of approaches to teaching and was very knowledgeable in his subject area. Landon linked his lessons together with a review of previous lessons as well as insights into upcoming lessons. It was also very apparent that his lessons met prescribed program of study objectives and effectively maintained high levels of student interest and engagement. Landons voice projection, classroom movement, and personal connections to his teaching helped to increase student participation. Landon always showed high levels of enthusiasm and energy which contributed to student achievement and accountability. Watching him teach it was made apparent to me that Landon was effective at creating a positive learning environment for all students, meeting a variety of learning styles and needs. Landon always returned student work in a timely manner using both formative and summative assessment strategies. Landon consistently ran a classroom in which students were aware of his expectations. As a result, students conducted themselves in a polite, respectful manner and worked hard to meet his expectations. He also did an excellent job in developing positive rapport with all students which was essential to maintaining his classroom management. Landon was genuinely interested and invested in the students at Gilbert Paterson. He would also frequently make himself available at lunch for extra help. Landon was very involved in many aspects of the Gilbert Paterson community. He was involved professionally at our school by: participating in district pd learning days, school based pd math groups, helped plan and attend field trips, attended our fundraising bottle drive, helped build sets for drama productions, and was part of a committee responsible for delivering our Remembrance Day assembly. He always contributed well thought out ideas and was able to articulate those ideas to other people on staff. Landon was also involved with kids at our school by: coaching club volleyball, running a girls club, and volunteering to help with basketball. It was great getting to know Landon both professionally and personally over the course of his internship. He was an integral part of our grade 7 teaching team. Landon is a mature, poised, intelligent, and talented teacher who would be a strong addition to any school. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further questions you may have about Landon Hatch. It would be my pleasure to discuss further her potential for any position in any school district. Sincerely,
Matt Brunner Gilbert Paterson Middle School matthew.brunner@lethsd.ab.ca Work 403.329.0125 Cell 403.393.2060