April 21, 2020

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with pleasure that I write to you on behalf of Christina Harr who performed her student-teaching
practicum in my classroom at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. Despite the disruption in her
experience due to COVID-19, Ms. Harr established herself as a competent future educator.

For nine weeks, Ms. Harr was responsible for three of my Contemporary Literature and
Composition/Honors classes. In this core senior-level course, Ms. Harr prepared and delivered lesson
plans pertaining to a dramatic piece, ​The Laramie Project​, and a novel, ​The Curious Incident of the Dog
in the Night-time.​ She was encouraged to be consistent with my practices and she readily complied, while
still experimenting with her own ideas. For example, she created engaging anticipatory guides for the
novel which framed purposeful, critical reading and to which she returned as appropriate closure at the
end of the unit. In terms of composition--a challenging component to teach--Ms. Harr effectively modeled
my scaffolding and applied it to her instruction. Her evaluation of individual essays was concise and
meaningful, upon which students could reflect and efficiently revise original content. She incorporated a
fair and appropriate rubric, expanding upon my version so her expectations of quality work were clear and
equitable.

Furthermore, Ms. Harr quickly adapted to our classroom technology, specifically our Google Classroom
platform. She efficiently maintained open communication of expectations, objectives, and daily tasks. Her
record-keeping of attendance and other legal documentation was timely and consistent. She used Google
Slides and other applications to enhance her delivery of instruction.

In terms of classroom climate, Ms. Harr was immediately and affectionately received by my students. She
managed to maintain a professional authority while nurturing a respectful and positive rapport with each
class. Her sense of humor and easy smile invited students to engage and feel safe. In one instance, Ms.
Harr formed a strong rapport with a behaviorally at-risk student whose attitude improved during the
course of her practicum. In general, she made herself available to work with students after school to
improve their work and spoke privately with individuals as positive check-ins. Each period, she greeted
her classes at the door, setting a daily welcoming tone.

Though her time was cut short this semester, Ms. Harr demonstrated great potential and a genuine passion
for teaching as well as learning. She meets students where they are and works to raise their potential. She
honors their voices and cultivates safe spaces for expression. She appreciates her role as a facilitator of
learning who is flexible and compassionate. I am confident she will be an asset to this profession.

Sincerely,
Sahar Mustafah,
English Department