February

13, 2015

Dear Administrator,
It is my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Maria Camarena. Ms
Camarenas field placement has been in my First Grade classroom at Jackson Elementary
School in Salt Lake City. I have taught first grade for twenty years and believe Jackson to
be a particularly demanding placement for student teachers. This year Ms Camarena
and I have worked closely together, not only planning and teaching, but also evaluating
and assessing student work. I have observed Maria teaching countless times and am
very familiar with her work habits and teaching style.
Behavior management at Jackson can be a challenge for even the most experienced
teacher and Ms Camarena has dealt ably with a wide variety of student behavior. She is
familiar with our school wide behavior initiatives, as well as my classroom procedures.
She added her own incentives for positive classroom behavior by introducing the Lunch
Bunch, where students can earn lunch with their teacher, and using an online,
interactive behavior tracking system. These changes were made in response to Ms
Camarenas recognizing and addressing the need to reinforce positive student behavior.
She does not hesitate to ask for a more experienced opinion or to attempt new ideas to
create a better classroom community. She brings a fresh prospective and enthusiasm to
the classroom that is appreciated by both myself and the students.
Perhaps Ms Camarenas greatest strength lies in her willingness to approach difficult
situations from a variety of directions, searching for workable solutions. She is
thoughtful about her teaching, listens carefully to suggestions and follows through when
making changes. When our students struggled on a recent math assessment, she
evaluated their responses and focused on the areas of greatest difficulty. This
information allowed her to direct her re-teaching specifically to our students needs.
Maria has gained experience with both formative and summative assessments, as well
as keen observation and anecdotal evidence of student learning. She understands how
to use data and assessment information to guide her instruction and is her students
greatest advocate for success.
Ms Camarena will make a fine addition to any teaching staff. She understands what the
profession entails and is dedicated to becoming a successful teacher. I will miss the
energy she has brought to my classroom and know that after she has completed her
placement my students will continue to call me Ms Camarena! I strongly encourage
you to interview Maria Camarena and give serious consideration to her as a prospective
teacher. Do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information.














Regards,

Victoria Piper

Victoria.Piper@slcschools.org