May

4, 2020

Dear Hiring Committee:

It is my pleasure to provide this letter of recommendation for Natalie Arm. I have known Ms. Arm approximately
three years in my role as a teacher educator and the director of secondary education at Susquehanna University.
I taught Ms. Arm in on-campus courses fall 2019 and was her university supervisor for her spring 2020 student
teaching semester. In all my interactions with Ms. Arm, I have found her to be committed to her development as
a preservice teacher, responsible, intelligent, and professional.

Of particular note is Ms. Arm’s work ethic and determination. During her four years at SU, Ms. Arm was a vital
member of the very successful SU women’s volleyball team. At the same time, she maintained a very impressive
GPA, while completing the requirements for majors in both English-secondary education and Spanish Studies.
Additionally, Ms. Arm completed a semester-long study abroad in Chile. Upon her graduation this month, Ms.
Arm will have completed all but one course necessary for the ESL Program Specialist dual certification.

Like most student teachers in Pennsylvania, Ms. Arm had her student teaching semester disrupted by the
statewide closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the closure, Ms. Arm had successfully
completed eight weeks of her student teaching semester. She had assumed full-time teaching responsibilities for
multiple weeks and had adeptly managed all duties associated with planning and preparation, the learning
environment, and instruction and assessment without undo oversight by her cooperating teacher or me. Her
cooperating teacher and I were very pleased with Ms. Arm’s progress and felt confident she would conclude her
student teaching without difficulty while continuing to refine her practice. In the weeks following the closure,
Ms. Arm continued to work with her cooperating teacher to provide their students with online instruction and
support, exhibiting dedication, resiliency, and flexibility in unprecedented circumstances.

Ms. Arm is eligible for Pennsylvania certification, having demonstrated both in her classroom-based practice and
in her support of remote learning excellence in all teaching competencies. I am confident Ms. Arm is well
prepared to take on a full-time teaching position in secondary English/language arts for the 2020-2021 school
year. Furthermore, I feel she will quickly become a valued member of the school community she joins.

If you wish to contact me for additional information related to Ms. Arm’s capacities and dispositions as an
aspiring English/language arts teacher, please feel welcome to contact me via email allisonv@susqu.edu or by
telephone (570) 495-3243.

Sincerely,

Valerie A. Allison, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Education