Assistant Principals

Jenny Blair
Kelvin Norton
Marcus Scott

Shelly Bell, Principal

Deans
Joy Becker
Todd Lanter

AMOS P. GODBY HIGH SCHOOL

1717 West Tharpe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32303
Telephone: (850) 617-4700
To Whom It May Concern:
It is with great pleasure that I write this letter on behalf of Krista Popkin. This spring, Krista has been
teaching 11th and 12th grade Dual Enrollment at Amos P. Godby High School, a Title I high school
located in Tallahassee, Florida. This course is an extremely challenging, rigorous course, and Ms.
Popkin has excelled tremendously as a beginning teacher. She is not only knowledgeable of the
content matter, but she also has a natural talent for conveying such material to the students in
manageable, innovative ways. It is with these qualities in mind that I wholeheartedly write this letter
on her behalf.
From the beginning of her internship, Krista wanted to be involved in teaching, planning, and getting
to know the students. She asked from the very first day how she could engage with the students, and
she was involved in classroom duties from the beginning. Krista never sat in the back of the class;
from the minute she came into the classroom, she was co-teaching in some capacity. This illustrates
Kristas eagerness and willingness to work with the studentsshe was never timid, nervous, or
reluctant to being thrown right into the mix. Throughout her internship, her eagerness and
enthusiasm for these students have not wavered, and it shows in her daily interaction with the students.
One of Kristas many strengths is in her ability to remain flexible. In addition to teaching, Krista
creates the weekly lesson plans, and every week, she has had to rearrange her lessons to accommodate
the myriad schedule interruptions that occur in the school day (testing, pep rally, fire drill, senior
meetings, etc.). With many beginning teachers, this constant interruption can be quite overwhelming;
however, Krista has managed to effectively reorganize her instruction to meet the schedule
fluctuations. Kristas ability to remain flexibleand to provide quality instruction during even the
most tumultuous weeksis a sure sign of her maturity, professionalism, and tenacity as a beginning
teacher.
In addition to her flexibility, I cannot speak highly enough of Ms. Popkins level of professionalism.
As a beginning teacher, she has had no issues whatsoever taking control of the classroom in a firm yet
approachable manner. She has quickly learned the balance between discipline and forgivenessa trait
that is essential to establishing a rapport with the students at our school. With the respect that Krista
expects from her students and shows her students, she is able to connect, encourage, and challenge her
students to work harder and be better.

Leon County Schools does not discriminate against any person on the basis of gender,
marital status, sexual orientation, race, religion, national origin, age, or disability.

Krista has also been a valuable asset to students both inside and outside of the classroom. She stays
after school daily to help students with their writingsomething that many of her students have
utilized and appreciated. Furthermore, she has mentored many students who hope to go to college but
don't know where to start. Many of our students will be first generation college students, and they do
not have the support at home to guide them through the seemingly impossible process of applying to
colleges. Krista has helped many of our students by providing resources and advice, which has helped
them immeasurably.
Krista has been a remarkable intern the moment she came into my classroom. Due to her stellar
performance, she has been nominated for the John Simmons Award for Excellence in English
Education, an award that is specifically targeted to outstanding student teachers. She is not only
knowledgeable about the content of the course but also she has a natural desire to truly want to engage
with and get to know her students. She truly has the natural instincts of a teacher, and she has grown
tremendously as an intern at Amos P. Godby High School. If you have any further questions, please
feel free to contact me at thayerk@leonschools.net or at kmk08g@fsu.edu.

Sincerely,

Kelly K. Thayer
Kelly K. Thayer, PhD
Amos P. Godby High School
Supervising Teacher

Leon County Schools does not discriminate against any person on the basis of gender,
marital status, sexual orientation, race, religion, national origin, age, or disability.