AMBROSE

UNIVERSTTY
COLLEGE

March 7'h 2ot2

Re. Letter of Reference for Dzenana Tahmiscic

To whom it may concern,

the pleasure of working with Dzenana Tahmiscic as her University Consultant during her final
practicum in the Ambrose University College Bachelor of Education Program. I have no hesitation in
giving her a strong recommendation for her performance during this practicum. As a former principal
would welcome her as a member of my staff.
I had

Dzenana is a warm, genuine, person who establishes relationships with children that enable her to invite
them to learn successfully. She speaks to children calmly and clearly and her story-telling is wonderful to

experience. ln a particular lesson I observed she skilfully created a story using personal images from a
Disneyworld vacation as a lead-in to a fairy story lesson. The pedagogical intention she displayed reflects
a professional maturity that is rare in pre-service teachers.
.Dzenana's lesson designs include variety and excellent pacing. She understands the need to be aware of

attention span and moves children along in their learning as mastery is achieved. Dzenana's lessons are
well organized and I note her attention to firmness as she responds to children. She understands the
need for firmness with children and similarly understands that firmness does not compromise good

relationships. She knows the importance of classroom managements; that children need to have
expectations communicated to them with clarity and, above all, with their own voices heard in ageappropriate ways. Dzenana, in her characteristically thoughtful ways, successfully attends to these
matters and she will enter the Profession well prepared for a successful career.
A real strength of Dzenana's is her warm personality. Successful learning, especially for younger

children, is founded on strong relationships. Dzenana has this engaging way of speaking to children. Her
tone of voice, intonation, and body language, communicates a genuineness to which children
immediately respond. I give this a special mention because it is disarming and comforting to children.
New learning often involves risk-taking and children will do this much more readily when they are
working with the kind of comfort level that Dzenana creates. Children in her class feel safe in the socioemotional sense. They feel safe asking and answering questions knowing that whatever their response,
accurate or otherwise, they will receive a dignified , helpful answer.

to Dzenana after observing her classes and by way of encouragement, that one of the best
compliments a parent can give a teacher is to say that if my children were of an age to be in school
I said

Ambrose University College

'150 Ambrose Circle 5W, Calgary, Alberta, T3H

015

Telephone 403 410

2000

Facsimile 4O3 571

2556

www.ambrose.edu

Dzenana Tahmiscic reference

page 2

would want them to be in your class. That is what I would have wished for my children. She is a very
conscientious person, always open to suggestions and eager to ask questions. Clearly she does not feel
that asking questions is a sign of weakness as is sometimes the case. She should never lose this qualiW;

it will serve her well in the future.

to any jurisdiction or school considering her for

employment. I consider her to be a person of high moral standing, a conscientious, thoughtful
professional, and an efferuescent, positive addition to any staff.
I recommend Dzenana Tahmiscic, unequivocally,

Peter Waldron, BEd, MA

University Consultant
Ambrose University College