Dr.

Heather Casey
Associate Professor
Department of Teacher Education
609-895-5646 / hcasey@rider.edu

December 14, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:
It is with great pleasure that I write in support of Ms. Samantha Tunnell who is applying for a teaching
position. Samantha was a student in two field based classes that I teach Emergent Literacy (K-2) and
Fostering Language and Literacy (3-6). As part of the courses, I had the opportunity to work with
Samantha on campus as well as supervise her methods level internship experience. In both settings,
Samantha was exemplary. Samantha earned an A both classes.
Samantha sought out every opportunity to build her understanding, frequently visiting during office hours
and after class to discuss and critique what she was learning and reading and relating that to her field
experiences. This careful, critical reflection deepened Samanthas knowledge and is a key element to
effective teaching. Samantha thought carefully about how the Common Core State Standards can be built
into her daily teaching and developed multiple lessons and assessments that reflect best practice in the field
of literacy.
In the field classroom, Samantha also excelled. Samanthas cooperating teachers were impressed by her
ability to interact with children and support their learning in multiple settings including whole group, small
group and one-on-one. As a result, Samantha had the opportunity to be a part of many experiences above
and beyond what is required in the courses.
Samantha is dedicated to her developing expertise. As you can see from her resume, Samantha seeks out
opportunities to work with children. I highly support Samanthas application for a teaching position. I
believe Samantha has a lot to offer the schools, the field, and most importantly the children in her
classroom. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,

Heather Casey, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Literacy Education
Department of Teacher Education
Rider University
Site Director National Writing Project@Rider www.nwprider.org
Graduate Level Literacy Concentration Program Coordinator Rider University