Ames High School

HIGH

1921 Ames High Drive Ames, Iowa 50010

Phone: (515) 817-0600 Fax: (515) 817-0627
www.ames.k12.ia.us/AHS/AHS.html

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with the greatest pleasure that I recommend Hannah Preston as a promising future educator. I have known Jayd
for four years as a Speech Club participant, English student and, most significantly, have had the pleasure of her
assistance as a practicum student in my classroom this year. Hannah is a quiet leader who takes pride in helping
others.

As a student, Hannah is a conscientious, motivated learner. She takes her time and always gives her best effort. As a
writer, she is willing to accept criticism and make changes as she is truly interested in improving her craft. As a
reader, she is always challenging herself to more difficult and complex texts. Other students look to her to set an
example of a motivated learner. I am confident that Hannah will take these skills with her when she becomes a
teacher. She will be able to model her authentic love of learning and her willingness to try new things, make
mistakes, and most importantly, learn from those mistakes in her future classroom.

As a practicum student, Hannah has been invaluable. She is eager to be involved with multiple aspects of the
classroom. She has done everything from helping me to prepare lessons, respond to student work, create sample
artifacts for class, and even teach a lesson on main ideas in non-fiction texts to my 9th grade struggling readers. In
that setting, she demonstrated her willingness to make connections with students, model her own thinking, and ask
good questions. She was reflective after her lesson, noting both what went well and what shed like to work on in the
future. This willingness to reflect on her practice will be her most valuable asset moving forward. In addition, she
has interacted with my 11th grade small groups during literature circles. Even though these students are only a year
younger than Hannah, she was able to gain their respect and trust.

Outside of the classroom, Hannah has been involved in both large group and individual speech. Over the last two
years, Hannah has lead by example. She is always willing to practice, take feedback, and try new events.
Underclassmen looked to her for a model of how to be an active, growing member of our speech program. In
addition, Hannah donates her free time to the librarys youth program. She works with young children to build
literacy skills by reading and engaging in activities. Both of these extracurricular activities will help Hannah build
communication skills that she will need to be successful in the classroom.

Throughout all of these encounters with Hannah, I have found her to be truly one of the most motivated, responsible
students I have encountered in my career. It is without reservation that I enthusiastically recommend Hannah Preston
as a future educator. I look forward to the day when I can call her a colleague. I welcome the opportunity to discuss
Hannahs accomplishments further. Contact me by email at erin.miller@ames.k12.ia.us or by phone at
515-708-2282.

!
!!
!!

Sincerely,

Erin M. Miller
English Teacher
Speech Coach
Ames High School

Spence Evans, Principal

Michael J. Avise, Ed. D, Assoc. Principal Jeff Anderson, Assoc.
Principal