Stephanie Rossier

Mt. Abraham Union High School

Bristol, VT 05443
March 1, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
Over the past 6 months, Ethan Self has been a student teaching intern in my Biology
classroom at Mt. Abraham Union High School in Bristol, VT. As an intern, Ethan first
observed my classes, but then quickly advocated to jump in and begin teaching. After
modeling my lessons, he soon began designing his own lessons and assessments. His
growth and implementation of new instructional techniques and educational philosophies
has been exceptional. I am confident that Ethan will be an excellent teacher; he has
already exhibited many skills of a seasoned teacher.
In the classroom, Ethan has shown great professionalism and strong classroom
management skills. He understands that engaged students are the key to classroom
management. He structures his lessons so that students begin each day with a starter
activity. He then provides several opportunities to review and practice the new learning
as he circulates the room, answering questions and helping individuals and small groups.
He also works to engage students by integrating current events in science, sharing
personal experiences, and providing visual schema. It is clear that Ethan strives to get
students to ask meaningful scientific questions and be the owners of their learning.
Additionally, Ethan has shown great ability to adapt lessons to better engage students,
showing a strong desire to improve as a teacher and have students learn in a meaningful
way.
Being a digital native, Ethan is fluent in technology and has implemented several
technological teaching tools during his internship. He has developed his own Google
webpage and video screencast to use in his Biochemistry Unit, and he has used Google
Classroom to assign homework and provide extra learning opportunities to his students.
Ethan has also used Powerschool as a grading program to document student learning and
has worked to merge the Powerschool grading program with standards-based grading
practices. He has developed standards-based learning targets for his units and aligned
assessments to each target. He has supported all students in meeting these learning targets
and has provided after school help before allowing students to be reassessed on the
learning targets.
In conclusion, I highly recommend Ethan Self for your educational institution. He
connects with kids and is a strong classroom manager. He has great enthusiasm for the
topic of science, and it is apparently clear that he loves teaching. He will thrive in his
own classroom and will only grow from more experience. Without a doubt, Ethan will be

a tremendous asset to your school. If you need any further information, please do not
hesitate to contact me at (802)-522-0965.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Rossier
Science Teacher
Mt. Abraham Union High School
802-453-2333 ext. 2110
srossier@anesu.org