It is my pleasuie to wiite this lettei of Recommenuation foi Abigail Stiietmann. I am the Anatomy anu Physiology teachei at Westein Inteinational Bigh School. Anatomy anu Physiology is compiiseu (histoiically) of eleventh anu twelfth giaue college bounu stuuents. Abigail joineu my classioom with the stait of the seconu semestei in the 2u112-2u1S school yeai. Foi the fiist ten weeks of the seconu semestei, Abby assumeu the leau teaching iole foi thiee of the Anatomy anu Physiology classes. Abby was also involveu in uaiuening Club.
Abby has such a sounu unueistanuing of scientific concepts anu unueistanus the mechanics of a goou lesson that iuentifying anu leveiaging content is hei stiongest aiea. She efficiently uses effective stiategies anu uesigns activities that make planning anu connecting teaching activities to the 'big iueas' iuentifieu in the objectives of hei unit plans seem easy. All activities have been engaging, inteiesting, motivating anu appiopiiate foi stuuents.
Abby has puiposefully anu quickly gotten to know hei stuuents leaining styles, extia-cuiiiculai activities anu peisonal lives. She employs stiategies believeu to best meet the neeus of hei stuuents in oiuei to accomplish the unit goals anu objectives. She is quick to make ievisions, altei styles oi incoipoiate new pioceuuies in iesponse to classioom events oi analysis of assessment iesults. She incoipoiateu an easy to view calenuai with topics anu assignment uue uates to fostei stuuent iesponsibility, impiove time management skills anu inuepenuently make-up missing assignments uue to absence.
Abby has giown tiemenuously in hei ability anu fiuelity of utilizing foimative assessment to access tiue stuuent unueistanuing. Nost impoitantly, Abby uses seveial assessment types pei unit anu tiuly ieflects on the effectiveness of hei teaching piactices as well as stuuent leaining styles, uiffeiences anu affective factois involveu. Bei gieatest giowth has come in the aieas of uiscussion as an assessment tool.
Abby not only has a fiim giasp of the concept of cieating a leaining enviionment but is also quite skillful at implementing the founuational steps necessaiy to cieate one. Noie amazing is hei peisistence iequiieu to see it to fiuition, especially in a challenging enviionment. She iesponus to uifficult behavioi with appiopiiate ieseaich baseu options that iesult in on task, appiopiiate behavioi. She has quickly leaineu that iule minus aie the playgiounu foi mischief, anu plans accoiuingly. She infuses tasks to accomplish uaily, all the while tiansitioning between tasks. She's especially auept at chunking time effectively, stuuents aie not boieu noi aie they challengeu too fai beyonu theii zone of pioximal uevelopment.