April 24, 2015

To whom it concerns:
It is my pleasure to report that Carly Zacharias has completed her Student Teaching at Utica High
School during the school year 2014-15, teaching my 11th Grade British Literature/Composition
class.
As a classroom teacher Carly is a natural. She has a wealth of enthusiasm, which she
demonstrated from the very beginning: showing eagerness in becoming acquainted with policies
and procedures in the building, as well as with her content materials. Her willingness to take
initiative in these areas made her transition into the classroom the smoothest I have ever
witnessed.
Carly is extremely passionate about fostering relationships with her students, and they respond in
kind. They show an enormous respect for her both as a teacher and as a person; because they
know she is there to make them the best versions of themselves. She generously gave up her time
to support the students outside of the classroom as well, volunteering for tutoring, and extracurricular activities like Book Club and athletic events.
Watching Carly in the classroom, I am confident in her classroom management and her lesson
planning ability. She is consistently offering positive feedback, and encouraging even the most
introverted to come out of their shells. She has an excellent basis for ideas on the curriculum and,
interwoven with her natural flexibility to adjust to the atmosphere in a given class, she elicits
triumph from all types of learners. Carly also worked extensively with a unit review for ACT test
with her junior class, preparing her students to be successful in their test taking, and gaining skills
as a proctor.
Carly is one of the most organized people I have ever met, and, by balancing her teaching with
her final classes at Oakland University and a job, her time management skills are beyond
impressive. Somehow, she also manages to always have a smile on her face, and never complain.
Carly is a reflective, accomplished, creative teacher with such a passion for education and
children she will be an asset to any school. She is not merely a positive contribution to the
teaching profession; teachers like Carly are a necessity in this field. She has my highest
recommendation for a teaching position.

Melissa Kevonian
Department of English
Utica High School