District 131 East Aurora High School 779 slh Avenue . Aurora, lL 60505 . Telephone (630) 299-8000. Fax (630) 299-8199 December 6,2013 To Whom It May Concern: I am pleased to write this letter in support of Tracy Hand's application for employment in your district. For two semesters, I have obierved Ms. Hand in mycapacity as the English and Fine Arts Division Chair at East Aurora High School. In the spring semestei of iol3,she w-orked closely with one of our veteran teachers in preparation for student teaching which took place during the fali semester of this school year. Besides teaming with her cooperating teacher in Junior-English, which is a course focusing on American literary themes, tvts. ttand taugit Sophomore English, a brand new world literature course for this year. Whether s he was workiig witir a reluctant learner or an advanced writer, she consistently demonstrated her intelligence, humor, creativity, and patience. Ms' Hand exemplified the characteristics of an exceptionaiteacher through her process of seeking feedback to improve her instructional practi""r, "sp""iully in the area of cJop".ut'ir,." learning. As a student teacher for fourteen weeks, at East Aurora High School, Ms. Hand consistently demonstrated a commitment to her students and her craft. In addition to this ,igo.ow schedule, she participated in curriculum development with the Sophomore English prC we-ekly. This group developed and taught a highly relevant narrative-based unit, where-sophomores gained descriptive skills through their reading of Like Water for Chocolate and pre-writing activities. Students wrote a narrative incorporating magical realism as the summative assessment for the unit. After this narrative unit, Ms. Hand took advantage of the writing skills students attained to have them complete an argument, where they followed a structu.Jd-pro""., approach to writing about controversial -fssues, and in Junior English, Ms. Hand impiemented a Wiki to assist students with their editing skills. Without question, Ms. Hand is prepared to enter a classroom as an instructor and make a difference in the lives of students Ms' Hand's professionalism does not end at the classroom door. She is dependable, conscientious, and professional in her appearance and demeanor. Ms. Hand attended all department and faculty meetings, parent open house, and parent-teacher conference, as well as all professional development opportunities. Ms. Hand successfully worked with our specialeducation a'"purt*"rt to implement IEPs and 504 plans. Ms. Hand accurately set up and impiemented classroom systems to organize student work, grade papers, return them promptiy, and enter them into the Infinite Campus program, as well as take daily attendance. She also activeiy lnvolved herself in the lives of our students in extra- curricular activities. Ms. Hand worked closely with our drama program to assist students in our fall musical, Zombie Prom, and she voluntarily coached flags for our marching band season. Without reservation, I recommend Tracy Hand for this position. The students who encounter her will be fortunate to have her in their school. IfI can provide any further insight into Ms. Hand,s character, please contact me at (630) 299-8107. Sincerely, Andrea Cobbett English and Fine Arts Division Chair East Aurora High School lllinois' FIRST Public Schoo/ District