March 3, 2016 Colcxado University Department of Bogs Fort Colin, Colorado 80825-1778 (o70) 91-08 EA B70 $9160) rocoto eduDepfEagish Dear school district colleagues: Itis my pleasure to recommend Saraswoti Shinkle for a position teaching secondary English language arts, I first met Saraswoti three years ago, when I started serving as her undergraduate academic adviser. During her time at Colorado State University, I was thrilled to get to work with Saraswoti in my English Language for Teachers I course (E 322). Iwas so impressed by her intelligence and her work ethic that asked her to serve as my undergraduate teaching assistant for adolescents’ literature (E 405). In addition to her love of language and reading, Saraswoti is an invested, collaborative colleague who would be an asset to your school community. [As an advisee, Saraswoti always came to advising meetings prepared, with her questions outlined in advance. She kept up-to-date on course offerings and program requirements, and she openly accepted advice about her plan of study. Because of what I knew about her as an advise, it did not surprise me that Saraswoti was an equally diligent student in the classroom. In our English Language for Teachers I course, she came to class prepared and on time, ready to engage in rigorous discussion about course concepts, from grammar to sociolinguistics. Saraswoti did her strongest work on her scope and sequence, where she synthesized her knowledge of reading, writing, and language instruction, outlining two to four weeks of integrated language instruction within the larger English language arts curriculum. Saraswoti’s work was smart and purposeful, showcasing her ability to address the range of language arts in the secondary classroom. Last fall, I had the pleasure of teaching with Saraswoti, as she served as the undergraduate teaching assistant for my adolescents’ literature course. This is a rigorous course to teach, with a class size of 38, including both undergraduate and graduate students. Saraswoti read, responded to, and graded 13 reading notebook entries per week. She was a fair and consistent grader, and her marginal comments helped students to think more deeply bout their reading. In addition to the eleven required texts, we challenged students to read an additional 3,000 pages of adolescents’ literature of their own choosing, to increase the breadth and depth of their knowledge of the genre(s). Saraswoti read, responded to, and graded 13 sets of book cards, where students recorded their outside reading experiences, every three weeks, Also every three weeks, Saraswoti participated in Book Bistro, where students shared their outside reading in small group, café-like settings. Saraswoti checked in on discussion leaders, and she shared her own outside reading as well. When you interview her, be sure to ask about what she gained from these experiences, as I was impressed by her willingness to fully participate in in-class activities.Fortunately, I was able to witness Saraswoti’s teaching abilities in our adolescents’ literature course as well, During week 12, Saraswoti taught a full, 75-minute class on the role of structuralism in Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust. Per the ritual of our class, she opened with three questions for students to respond to in their Reader’s Notebooks. Saraswoti wrote the questions herself, and they proved to be rich for discussion and response: 1. How does the free-verse format of the narrative contribute to the overall meaning of the text? (1 point) 2. What does it mean to be an adolescent in Out of the Dust? Does adolescence exist? (2 points) 3. Provide an example of a binary opposition within this book. What role does this tension play in the advancement of the story? (2 points) Following this opening writing activity, Saraswoti incorporated one of my favorite teaching strategies — a Quaker Reading. Students came to class having selected their favorite, words, sentences, and paragraphs, and then they shared them aloud, one by one, in the classroom, providing a new and nuanced reading of the text. It was a powerful experience. After the Quaker Reading, Saraswoti transitioned seamlessly to an introduction of one of the most complex literary theories available to readers: structuralism. I admired how she shared her own. struggles with structuralism, adding, “You don’t really know something until you teach it,” which is especially true of this level of critical theory. Saraswoti came across as very comfortable teaching about structuralism, reading from her notes—which was very appropriate for this kind of direct teaching—yet walking away from the podium and engaging with the students. She used a well-designed power point to help illustrate key ideas about structuralism, and I was pleased with students’ level of understanding. saw a lot of great teaching and learning going on during Saraswoti’s full lesson. First of all, Tapplaud her for her skills in preparing the lesson. She demonstrated in-depth knowledge of both content (Structuralism, writing, Out of the Dust) and pedagogy (large group work, small group work, individual work). She did a professional job of pacing the lesson, efficiently keeping students moving from one task to another. In this 75-minute lesson, she incorporated Reader’s Notebook, Quaker Reading, written response, oral response, critical theory, and small group discussion. As we all know, it is a good idea to change tasks approximately every 20 minutes, to maximize students’ attention spans, and she did an effective job of keeping the lesson moving while ensuring that students were retaining and applying information. Before the lesson, I asked three of Saraswoti’s peers to provide her with written feedback as well. One peer wrote, “First off, great job in leading a class for college students - that was some really high level material, I'm not an English education major, so the fact that I could follow along is a great indication of how well it went.” That's what we call a positive review.Saraswoti and I met in person to debrief her lesson afterward, and I was impressed by her willingness to accept and to apply feedback. She understands that teaching is both art and science, and she is deeply committed to being the best teacher she can be. That is why I give my highest recommendation to Saraswoti Shinkle for a position teaching secondary English language arts. She is smart, prepared, and invested. I still miss teaching beside her, and I know she will be valued by students, parents, and colleagues. Ifyou have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via telephone at (970) 491-6428, or via email at pamela.coke@colostate.edu. Sincerely, SoS. Coke. Pameli K. Coke Associate Professor of English Education