April 13, 2018

Dear Search Committee:

I am pleased to give my highest recommendation in support of Mr. Ian Hale in his pursuit of a
Social Studies teaching position at your school. I have known Ian for 13 months as an Intern
Teacher in the Teacher Preparation Collaborative (TPC) program at Winona State University
(WSU) as his professor, supervisor, and program director.

To begin, I am fully confident that Mr. Hale is prepared to teach and excel in the education
profession. Ian possess a unique blend of real-world experience with social studies content
along with the ability to create educative lessons for all students. His level of real-world content
expertise is incredibly rare for a high school educator to possess, and this background has only
enhanced Ian’s growth this past year within the education profession. Ian’s development as a
teacher has been a true pleasure to observe and support.

As an Intern Teacher at Grand Meadow Public School in Grand Meadow, Minnesota, Ian has
focused intently on developing positive relationships with all of his students. Ian has created
and delivered standards-based social studies curriculum and has effectively collaborated with
his peers to focus on supporting each student to reach his or her full potential—all while
working to complete rigorous program requirements at WSU to obtain his teaching credentials.

Ian’s commitment to his own growth as a new teacher is both well received and refreshing.
During his internship, Ian regularly demonstrated his commitment to best practice, often
seeking mentorship and exercising reflection to better assist his understanding of students, the
school environment, and the teaching and learning process. The bottom line: I would love to
have Ian as my daughters’ social studies teacher in the future!

With all of the above in mind, I am pleased to highly recommend Mr. Ian Hale for a teaching
position with your school. Please feel free to contact me with any questions about this high-
quality candidate at jtraver@winona.edu or by phone at 507.285.7189.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joel J. Traver

Assistant Professor
Winona State University College of Education
WSU-Rochester | Heintz Center (HC) 1408 | 1926 Collegeview Road East | Rochester, MN 55904
 Grand Meadow I.S.D. #495
710 4th Avenue N.E., P.O. Box 68
Grand Meadow, MN 55936
Phone 507-754-5318
Fax 507-754-5608

Superintendent/PK-4 Principal, Paul W. Besel 5-12 Principal, Jacob J. Schwarz

Email: pbesel@gm.k12.mn.us Email: jschwarz@gm.k12.mn.us

Board of Education
Jon Oehlke, Chair Dan Arndorfer, Treasurer
Marlin Fay, Vice Chair Shavonn Eastlee, Director
Wanda Edge, Clerk Dan Geier, Director

April 23, 2018

To Whom It May Concern,
It is my pleasure to recommend Ian Hale for a teaching position in your school district. I had the
opportunity to work alongside Ian during his student teaching time in Grand Meadow. I was his
cooperating teacher from September-November of the 2017/2018 school year. During that time it was my
privilege to watch him grow as an educator.
Ian, although new to teaching, is a dedicated and passionate educator. As a student teacher he was
dependable, conscientious, and professional. Ian continuously went above and beyond in regards to his
teaching performance and duties. Ian is proficient at using computers, iPads, and technology to produce
engaging and innovative lessons. I was continually impressed at the degree of thoughtfulness he provided
to every lesson and to each student. During his time in our classroom Ian developed strong relationships
with the students. In fact, they still ask me how he’s doing even though it’s been months since he was
their teacher.
I recommend Ian Hale to you without hesitation. He would quickly become a valuable asset to your
district. If you have any questions regarding this recommendation please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,

Scott Laufenberg
Middle School Social Studies Teacher
Middle School Q-Comp Team Leader
Grand Meadow Public Schools
Cell: (507) 226-7275
Email: slaufenberg@gm.k12.mn.us