February Sth, 2016 To the Human Resources Coordinator: Ithas been an invaluable experience for my class to have Miss Tiffanie Page as their student teacher. She brings many qualities to the classroom and to a school. Miss Page has been a true asset to me this year, as our class is very diverse in their learning needs and skill levels. ‘Thus, the fact that she is energetic, intelligent, and assertive have greatly helped. Miss Page is energetic, like most new teachers, however she puts her energy into action every minute she is at school. Her energy is focused and results in great success among students as they too feel the positive nature she exudes. She is able to use her positive attitude to make connections with the students and is genuinely interested in them and their interests /hobbies. From the first day she observed the class, she was ready to meet with groups and assist students in their learning, Now, she takes reading groups on a daily basis and supports them with comprehension, fluency, and expression. She has also planned units from pre-assessment to post-assessment and has segmented them to be appropriate for age and skill level. For instance, in math she has planned an introduction to fractions unit that has included comparing fractions (using egg cartons and Hershey Bars) and equivalent fractions. Her energy and strong background in math have taken a subject that can otherwise be daunting for students and made it extremely engaging, She created math centers that supported their learning with fractions and differentiated for student need. Truly, she has done a great job and her energy and love of learning and teaching has been ever apparent. Another area Miss Page excels relates to her intelligence. | am not just referring to being "book smart” in the traditional sense, but Miss Page is emotionally intelligent. I spend time in trainings as a TAP Master Teacher learning about differentiated coaching and during that time | became aware of emotional intelligence. Miss Page is a loving leader. She is responsive to the needs of students, but is able to manage them with ease. She is not ‘overpowering, nor does she lack the ability to manage. Quite the opposite, she manages with grace and is benevolent. Miss Page has earned the respect of students by taking their needs into account, but also lets them know when behavior is not appropriate (through the use of a clip-chart, positive reinforcement, and academic feedback). She is able to read the facial cues and body language of students to gauge when they may be having a “rough day” and helps them to work through this. Finally, Miss Page is assertive. She is most certainly not passive, which I believe is one true trait a teacher needs, the ability to see a possible problem and deal with it before it happens. Miss Page also does not need to be asked to plan or prepare for a lesson. We plan together and she executes the lesson as needed. She manages to see what needs to be done next and does it without being asked or reminded. This is a dream for a Master Teacher or Principal as she is able to work independently to complete a task, but also works collaboratively. ‘Any grade level or school would be very fortunate to hire Miss Page. She has proven in her time with me (and I have observed many teachers as a TAP Master Teacher) that she is more than ready to teach her own class and use the necessary curriculum and tools. Miss Page is truly an excellent candidate! Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Warm Regards, Shanna Cerro 4th Grade Teacher (Harloe Elementary) 661-565-5566 (shanna.cerro@lmusd.org)