4-27-2016

To whom it may concern:

With great enthusiasm, I recommend Sarah Lecus for a science teaching position in your district. Throughout her
time in the Sonoma State University teacher preparation program, Sarah has demonstrated exceptional work in
instructional planning and creating a positive learning community within her classroom. Sarah is committed to
engaging a culturally and linguistically group of students in a rigorous, standards-based science curriculum that
connects students to authentic, real world applications of science.
As an Assistant Professor of Science Education, I was Sarahs instructor for Teaching in the Content Area:
Science at Sonoma State University during Fall 2015 and her university supervisor in Spring 2016. Thus, I have
been able to see first hand how Sarah applies what she has learned in coursework to student teaching. Teaching in
the Content Area: Science emphasizes inquiry-based science instruction through scientific practices as prioritized
in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), as well as integrating disciplinary literacy and English
language development promoted through Common Core Standards and California ELD standards. Additionally,
the course was supported through a research and development grant funded by the National Science Foundation:
Secondary Science Teaching with English Language and Literacy Acquisition (or SSTELLA). As a project
participant, Sarah experienced and discussed model lessons, videoclips, and other activities to understand how to
enact effect science teaching practices for ELs, such as supporting student use of scientific models and argumentdriven inquiry, contextualizing instruction, and engaging students in disciplinary texts. These opportunities set
Sarah up to support rigorous science learning in multilingual and multicultural classrooms and be an advocate for
all students.
What impressed me the most about Sarah was her poise in the classroom from the very start. She manages classes
just as an accomplished teacher would holding students to high learning and behavior expectations and
following through on consequences, which include the student calling home if her/she did not complete
homework. At the same time, Sarah creates a learning environment where students are able to take risks, share
ideas, and work together as a community. There is a positive energy among students in her class and between
Sarah and her students. Sarah does this in two different class contexts, which represent a wide range of student
experiences and academic backgrounds. She teaches an Academic Biology class as well as a Physical Science
class. Sarah has utilized strategies from restorative justice to further promote a community of learners.
Conversations with both of her mentor teachers reinforce that she is just simply an outstanding and deeply
passionate student teacher.
Sarah excels at developing and implementing lessons that engage students in understanding the nature of science
and applying core ideas in science to real world issues. It is such a rarity to walk into a student teachers
classroom and every time see students investigating the world around them. As an example, for one set of
activities, Sarah replicated a crime scene in the classroom and students read about the problem they needed to
solve figuring out who stole the mentor teachers beloved stuffed Jackalope (which was relevant to students in

the classroom context). Students collaborated as teams and rotated through different stations to garner evidence
they could use to support or eliminate a host of suspects. At the end of the first day of this lesson, Sarah revisited
a framework (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning), used with students to defend claims with evidence about their work.
Sarah collaborated with her mentor teacher and others in the department and benefited from the co-planning
experience. With experience in environmental education, Sarah is excited to connect students local environment
to course content. She has brought in guest speakers, helped students investigate local creeks, and has expressed a
deep interest in larger projects and experiences in which students can understanding ecology to be become
scientific literate citizens.
Finally, Sarah consistently reflects on her practice in ways to understand how to better serve all of her students.
Often she is her own worst critic (never praising herself as much as her mentors) and listens actively for strategies
to improve all aspects of her teaching from classroom management to making science more inquiry-based. More
impressively, she does not just take feedback face value. She contemplates and discusses ideas, fitting them into
her own teaching philosophy and the curricular and student context.
In summary, Sarah comes in already with natural abilities to interact with students and engage in effective science
teaching practices for a diverse group of students. Yet, she is still willing to learn and develop as a teacher. Sarah
has benefited from experiences to support ELs through language and literacy development in science in ways that
reflect NGSS and CCSS. Sarah promises to be an outstanding science teacher, and I imagine future leader, and
will make a strong contribution to your school and district and of course the students. Feel free contact me with
questions.
Sincerely,

Edward Lyon, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Science Education, Sonoma State University
Email: lyone@sonoma.edu
Cell phone: 707 921 9983

AASC MOU

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May 2013