April 11, 2018

To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing to recommend Mr. Grant Gifford for a teaching position. I had the
privilege of serving as Mr. Gifford’s field instructor for the 2017-2018 school year
at Kenwood Academy in Chicago Public Schools. As his field instructor, I had the
opportunity to observe Mr. Gifford’s teaching practice, including both “in the
moment” instruction and reflecting on planning and assessment practices. Through
this experience, I was most impressed with Mr. Gifford’s ability to reflect on his
practice, to take ownership of his lessons in order to engage students in a variety of
activity types, and to successfully adapt to the dynamic atmosphere that teaching for
CPS provided.

Mr. Gifford assumed all responsibilities of a teacher in his placement including

submitting lesson plans, developing assessments, data analysis, attending staff
meetings, and communicating with parents. Mr. Gifford’s lessons particularly struck
me as innovative and he was particularly adept at making connections between the
curriculum and the “real world” for students. Additionally, throughout his
placement, Mr. Gifford sought professional development opportunities whenever
possible. This included taking full advantage of peer groups, school-level offerings,
and his courses at MSU. It is noteworthy that his willingness to take on the
additional challenges presented by an internship in a challenging urban environment
that required him to remotely attend classes and interact with his instructors speaks
to Mr. Gifford’s dedication and enthusiasm.
College of
Education If you would like to talk additionally about Mr. Gifford as a prospective candidate
for your position please do not hesitate to contact me at (810) 650-3014 or
Department of
Teacher Education amanda.slaten.frasier@gmail.com.

Michigan State Regards,

University
Erickson Hall
620 Farm Lane
Room 116
East Lansing, MI 48824

517-355-1726
Fax: 517-432-2795
education.msu.edu/te/sec
Amanda Slaten Frasier, Ph.D.
ondary/

MSU is an affirmative-action,
equal-opportunity employer.