judith lachance-whitcomb

7770 Burr Street Unit 3422 Schererville, IN 46375

219.321.2185 whitco19@msu.edu judyanneliz@gmail.com

To Whom it May Concern:

It is my pleasure to write this letter recommending Salena Sikand for elementary school teaching positions. Ms. Sikand was
a student of mine during the 2017 - 2018 school year during her nine-month internship in the Chicago Public School System
at John A. Walsh Math and Science Academy. During that time, I worked with her in TE801 Professional Roles and
Mathematics Teaching Practice (Fall 2017) and TE804 Reflections and Inquiry in Teaching Practice II Elementary Science
(Spring 2018), I became well acquainted with her dedication to education, work ethic, peer interactions, and her competency
in constructing and carrying out instructional units in Math and Science.

The internship year for Michigan State University teacher interns is a grueling one. Taking on classroom duties,
planning, enacting and assessing lessons/units while completing four 800 level courses provides interns excellent
training that does challenge their stamina. In addition, Salena had an exceptionally difficult placement and was faced
with numerous additional challenges. Her class underwent a major reorganization well into the beginning of the school
year that completely changed the make up of students and required redoing of her lesson plans. Her mentor teacher
quit at the end of the first semester and that impacted her placement and subsequently she had to “float” until a new
permanent mentor was assigned. During all of this, Salena demonstrated remarkable professionalism and flexibility.
She continued to focus on the students she was given to work with at any given time and strove to provide them with
continuity in learning. She accepted all the challenges as an opportunity to grow professionally.

The construction of her lessons/units demonstrates Salena’s solid academic background in educational theories,
practices, and techniques. Throughout the year in both courses, Salena engaged in a continual practice of
professional growth. She unpacked standards (Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science
Standards) in a way that demonstrated she knows how to effectively use standards as a foundation for instruction.

Salena seeks out and reflects on suggestions and resources from peers, instructors, and mentors. She adapts those
suggestions to fit the needs of her class. Her gentle demeanor and strong academic knowledge are constant in all her
work and interactions with peers as well as instructors, mentors, and most importantly with her students. Her work ethic
is focused and consistent.

Ms. Sikand’s ability to meet and adapt to multiple challenges while maintaining her dedication to the craft of teaching,
her professionalism, and her deep commitment to her students, makes her a strong candidate for teaching positions.
With great pleasure, I recommend Salena Sikand to you without reservations. If you have any further questions with
regard to her qualifications in any of these areas please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Judith Lachance-Whitcomb
Judith Lachance-Whitcomb
Adjunct Professor