January 10, 2023

To the Bone Scholarship Selection Committee:

Even though I have only been a teacher at University High school for two years, I’ve worked
with several TCH 216 students. Sometimes they would really struggle, and sometimes they
would be just fine. Rarely, there were TCH students who not only had a clear vision and
articulation of what they wanted to teach, but were able to execute it in the way that they had
planned, and adapt with flexibility that often only comes after a few years of teaching
professionally. Alejandro (Alex) Gonzalez is a high caliber student, and teacher candidate, with a
patient and compassionate persona that will lend itself to new generations of students in his
classroom.

Alex started the semester with me very quiet and reserved. He was assigned to my dual credit
writing course with two other very positive and bubbly TCH students. Alex didn’t seem to have
the personality that his co-teachers had, and I wasn’t sure what to expect from him in the first
few days as we got to know each other. Very quickly, however, it was apparent that Alex has an
aptitude for working with students one on one. When the TCH students entered the course with
us, my dual credit high schoolers were in the middle of one of their first writing projects and I
established a workshop atmosphere where the high school students were to come to me, but
encouraged to go to the TCH students to get one-on-one help. I had gotten to know my students
already, and had adapted the habit of getting through them quickly during workshop time so I
could cover more ground. Alex took great care to make sure he listened carefully to whatever
student he was with, thought deeply and purposefully about their issue, and had patient
back-and-forth conversation with them until they felt they could continue on their own. It was
also during these times that I noticed one of my quieter students speak more to Alex than he ever
had to me about his writing. I think this student saw himself in his TCH teacher because of the
way Alex carries himself and speaks to students. Having someone in the room like Alex, even if
he wasn’t delivering direct instruction, gave the classroom a balance and impacted the mood of
the room in a very positive way.

It wasn’t only his effectiveness in the classroom that stood out to me, but the work that he did to
build his lessons, both in isolation, and with his co-teachers did as well. Teachers do so much
invisible work so that, when the time comes to execute the plan, students don’t see the seams and
learning happens as smoothly as possible. TCH 216 students learn this during the clinical
experience, and sometimes it is a hard lesson. so I gave Alex and his co-teachers very nebulous
expectations for their lessons: “Teach students how to analyze graphic texts through a feminist
lens.” There wasn’t much more guidance than that, until they began to plot out their plans and
ask individual questions. Alex got right to work and had no trouble identifying standards,
establishing formative and summative assessments for his lessons, and shaping the time during
the class period to serve his students best. The questions he asked while in this process showed
genuine curiosity for what it means to be a teacher, and true desire to be an exemplary one. And,
because he was so effective in his planning process, his co-teachers were also successful, as they
planned their lessons together as a 9-day unit in which Alex’s work would be built upon. His
co-teachers were able to frequently refer back to work Alex did with the class in order to teach
new concepts and assess student progress. Even after the 216 students left, I was also able to do
this! This is a mark of a future teacher who can align beyond their own plans and keep an
extended view of curriculum in his scope. Alex has a commitment to students’ learning in
general, not just learning from him.

Near the end of his experience in my classroom, Alex gave feedback on the summative
assessment he gave to the students: a short graphic text in which they utilized the tools of writing
such a text that Alex taught them. Even after his exit, students still remarked on the depth of his
feedback, on their work, and how much they appreciated his specificity when telling them what
they did that was effective, and how they could make something more effective. This may seem
like one of those things that teachers “just do.” But the time Alex took to write about a paragraph
of feedback for each student, communicated to them how much he valued the time that they
spent creating the piece he was assessing. If he carries that with him into his own classroom, in
addition to his kind but passionate demeanor, he will be an exemplary teacher.

I have known a few Bone Scholars in my time in and around Illinois State. I’m almost certain
that I currently work with a few of them! If the same parameters apply to my colleagues as to a
potential Bone Scholar, then I would have no hesitation in recommending Alejandro Gonzalez
for this honor.

Sincerely,

Meghan Flanagan-Rudd

English Department
University High School
Normal IL