Department of Early and Middle Grades Education | West Chester University

Recitation Hall | West Chester, 19383 | 610-436-2944 | fax:610-436-3102 | www.wcupa.edu

December 22, 2016

To Whom It May Concern:

I am pleased to offer my highest recommendation for Ms. Summer Araujo as she seeks a teaching position. In
fall 2016, I served as supervisor for Summer in her student teaching placement in third grade at Starkweather
Elementary School in the West Chester Area School District in Pennsylvania. Summer was fortunate to be placed with
Ms. Amy Robinson, an experienced and outstanding teacher. Ms. Robinson and Summer enjoyed a positive working
relationship during the placement. Ms. Robinson included Summer in all aspects of planning, instruction, and
assessment, and, importantly, she gave Summer the freedom to experiment with various teaching techniques and
management strategies. In this setting, Summer demonstrated extraordinary initiative and had ample opportunity to
sharpen her teaching skills. Her communication skills and her technological skills are outstanding. Summer is the kind
of individual who goes well beyond what is expected, and her overall performance in student teaching was stellar.

I observed Summer teaching successful lessons in reading/language arts, mathematics, and science. In every
observation, I was impressed with how beautifully her lesson unfolded from warm-up to closure. This was due in large
part to Summer's careful and detailed planning. In whole-class instruction, Summer consistently demonstrated a strong
command of her subject matter, and she delivered well-paced, creative lessons that kept her students motivated and
engaged. Summers' third graders were active learners! Summer's large class of 26 represented not only a wide range of
academic abilities but also some special needs and behavioral challenges. Summer gained much experience in
differentiating instruction and assessment and in making adaptations so that each student could experience success. I
was always amazed at Summer's good nature and persistence as she held students to high standards of academic work
and good classroom citizenship. It was obvious that she loved teaching. Summer's management and organizational skills
are strong, and she learned the importance of giving very clear and explicit directions and modeling for her third graders.
In this way, she could maximize time on instruction. She was fair and respectful to each student, giving individual
attention when needed. In return, the students were respectful toward her; they looked up to her and trusted her.

Over the course of the semester, Summer made several educational bulletin boards and visual displays, and
she made appropriate use of the teaching materials and resources at her disposal. Summer used the document camera,
video, interactive whiteboard, and individual student iPads as well as newer applications such as Quizlet and Nearpod to
enhance her lessons. Summer also participated in parent conferences and faculty meetings and in the after-school
Science Explorers Club. She viewed everything she did as an opportunity to learn how to be a more effective teacher.

In my conversations with Summer, I always found her to be thoughtful and child-centered. She has a warm and
nurturing personality that is well suited to elementary teaching. Summer understands child development, teaches
engaging lessons, assesses learning, and makes appropriate adaptations to address her students individual learning
needs. She will be an asset to any faculty. I wholeheartedly recommend Summer to you.

Sincerely,
Sara Lamb Kistler
The Professional Education Unit is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education
Middle States Association and Pennsylvania Department of Education

West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Sara Lamb Kistler, Ph.D.
Professor