June 19, 2012 2809 Saucon Valley Rd.

Center Valley, PA 18034 To whom it may concern: I am writing to recommend Sarah Effross for a permanent teaching position in Physical Education & Health. During this past semester I served as the University Supervisor during Sarahs student teaching experience at Lower Nazareth Elementary and Nazareth High School. During this time she exhibited numerous qualities which make her an excellent potential teaching candidate. Sarah demonstrates clear knowledge of both Physical Education & Health-related principles. She is very active and interested in living a life of wellness and this becomes evident as she interacts with her students. Sarah is also knowledgeable of developmental stages and adjusts her content and lesson materials accordingly to best engage the individual learner. Sarah is able to create a classroom climate conducive to student learning, both in the gym and also in the classroom. She works to get to know her students individually and sets standards for learning and also classroom management to this end. Sarah has the ability to work with students at all levels of ability, from the high performing athlete to the IEP student. I was constantly impressed by Sarahs ability to cultivate rapport with her students despite the short time frame at each school. Sarah places a great deal of emphasis on her planning and preparation. Her lesson plans are thorough and she delivers this content in a highly effective manner. She constantly provides meaningful feedback to her students and adjusts her lesson plans when necessary. When in the gym and classroom, Sarah exhibits confidence through her voice level and body language. Throughout her placements, Sarah cultivated important relationships with other teachers and administrators and displayed a professional attitude. She demonstrated effective communication methods, both oral and written, throughout her placements. It is evident that Sarah understands what professionalism means as it relates to Physical Education & Health and she continually strives to improve as a teacher. In closing, it is my pleasure to recommend Sarah for a Physical Education & Health teaching position. I have no doubt that she will be a terrific addition to any school district and individual school. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best regards,

Douglas R. Hochstetler Associate Professor of Kinesiology Penn State University, Lehigh Valley Dxh174@psu.edu 610.285.5215