SCHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
SAN DIEGO, CA 92182-1153
PHONE: (619) 594-6131
FAX: (619) 594-7828

June 10, 2019

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my pleasure to recommend Alexandra Ortega for a teaching position. I worked with Alexandra as her
University Supervisor during her Fall Semester of student teaching at Hilltop Drive Elementary in Chula Vista.
During that time, I saw her rapidly grow into an excellent classroom teacher. Alexandra has many strengths,
but she is especially effective in the areas of classroom management and in supporting her English language
learners.

Alexandra’s classroom management skills are outstanding. She uses positive behavioral support strategies
and employs a strength-based approach to meet the needs of her students. She sets and teaches clear
behavior expectations and holds her students accountable. She implements organized transitions and does
not waste one minute of instructional time.

Alexandra’s instructional skills were far above those of most students during their first semester of
student teaching. She always set the purpose for her lessons and clearly explained the activities step-by-
step, making sure the students knew what they were supposed to do. She used a variety of different
strategies to hold her students accountable for their participation in class and in the groups that she was
not directly supervising. She made sure to keep the students on pace and monitored the whole group
effectively as she worked with small groups.

Alexandra included a variety of different EL and SDAIE comprehension strategies in all of her lessons to
scaffold for and support her English language learners. She consistently encouraged her students to think
deeply and respond to challenging questions. She made sure to include wait time, frequent think-pair-share
activities and collaborative group work to support all of her students.

Alexandra is one of those students who stand out among others. I have no doubt she has grown into a
highly effective and positive classroom teacher. I recommend her without hesitation for a teaching position.
If you have any further questions, I can be reached at lcarneyfarwell@sdsu.edu or (360)970-2028.

Sincerely,

Lisa Carney Farwell

Instructor, College of Education
University Supervisor, School of Teacher Education
San Diego State University

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