April 10, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

I am pleased to be writing this letter of recommendation for Riva Lencer. I worked as a math
coach with Riva from September until February of the 2014-2015 school year, when she was a
long-term substitute in second grade at the Broadmeadow School. From the very beginning it
was clear that Riva is an intelligent, dedicated, knowledgeable professional who continuously
seeks to improve her practice.
My first interactions with Riva were through grade-level collaborative meetings. In these
meetings Riva demonstrated herself as a reflective practitioner, as she actively contributed to
discussions while showing consideration for the teams ideas and alternative views. Riva
immediately became an active member of the grade-level team, which can be a difficult thing for
a new teacher to do. One of the first collaborative meetings focused on the role of coaching.
During this meeting it struck me how Riva had already started thinking about her professional
goals for math instruction and how she would seek out support in working towards those goals.
It was shortly after those first meetings that Riva reached out to me, seeking support and
feedback for her math instruction. It was clear, observing Rivas class, that she has a strong
understanding of the discipline of mathematics, as well as how young children develop
mathematical concepts. While Riva taught the prescribed curriculum, it was evident that she had
put much effort into planning her lessons. During her instruction, emphasis was put on
important mathematical concepts such as equality and mathematical structure, as students were
taught lessons that easily could have been focused on procedures and basic skills.
My work with Riva primarily focused on using a workshop model in order to differentiate
mathematics instruction. She identified this as a goal for herself, as she has a strong desire to
meet the needs of all her students. Riva analyzed student work in order to determine student
needs, and we used coaching sessions to co-plan lessons that would allow for whole-class and

small group instruction. Riva implemented a management system that allowed for student
independence and individualized instruction. As this model progressed, evidence of its success
was clear in Rivas students work.
Riva was a pleasure to work with. Her openness, commitment to continuous learning, and
dedication to her students makes her a strong colleague and a wonderful addition to any staff.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss Rivas qualifications any further.
I can be reached via e-mail at Elizabeth_mack_heins@needham.k12.ma.us or via phone at (617)
817-5004.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Heins
Math Coach
Broadmeadow School