January 31, 2012 Re: Letter of Recommendation for Morgan E.

Elliott To whom it may concern: It is my pleasure to write this letter for Morgan Elliott, who was a graduate student in two of my classes at Drake University Curriculum & Pedagogy and Social Studies Methods. Therefore, I have had many opportunities to speak with her about her educational experiences, her career goals as a teacher, and her thirst for knowledge. Morgan will be a wonderful teacher! As her professor, I have clearly recognized her skills and attributes. They include: Personal attributes: Morgan is one the MOST competent and affable students I have ever taught in 15 years. She is dependable, trustworthy, and motivating. She sees the bright side of a situation and remains positive in her interactions with her peers, teachers, kids, and parents. She is a patient and caring teacher. She is careful to see the needs and issues of others, but makes up her own mind through thoughtful reflection. She is enthusiastic, mature, and professional in her interactions. She was a joy to have in class. Her ability to make connections and to reflect on past experiences is phenomenal. She says, I am LOVING student teaching because I am seeing some great teacher collaboration, teacher support, and strong curriculum. I would love to get a teaching job there following my student teaching. This is true. She knows what good teaching looks like. Professional attributes: She has strong classroom management skills, prepares interesting, engaging lessons for studentsweek after week over time. She is a very creative person as evidenced through her Junior Achievement (JA) instruction, financial literacy focus and participatory citizenship projects. In both courses she demonstrated expertise in childrens literature and in development of interdisciplinary units of study. But what is unique about her is her readiness for a teaching career. She had a positive student teaching experience that prepared her for future teaching endeavors. She, wants to constantly learn new and better ways to teach. She will! I highly recommend Morgan for any elementary teaching position, especially where she can use her mathematics and reading (in progress) endorsements. While she has had both urban and suburban teaching experiences, she will be a success anywhere. Her Drake degree has prepared her as a teacher leader. She will be not only a fabulous, caring teacher but she will be a thoughtful and collaborative faculty member. Contact me if you need further information on this applicant. Hire her asap! Sincerely,

Sally R. Beisser Sally R. Beisser, Ph.D. Professor School of Education Drake University Des Moines, IA 50311 515-271-4850 (O) 515-225-2945 (H) 515-491-1185 (C) sally.beisser@drake.edu