April 23, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with great pleasure that I recommend Megan Saputo for a secondary English
teaching position with your district. As Megans English methods course instructor
over the past two years, I have been impressed with her coursework. Ms. Saputo has a
very positive attitude and healthy work ethic. She would be an asset to your teaching
staff.
Megan has a friendly, thoughtful personality. This translates to the way she interacts
with those around her. While she may initially seem soft-spoken, I have watched as Ms.
Saputo has gained confidence in her teaching over the past two years. She takes her
position as a teacher very seriously, and she is able to skillfully manage the classroom
while still communicating her care for her students.
Ms. Saputo constantly displays her desire to improve both her coursework and
teaching. She always works to create engaging lessons around the Common Core State
Standards. For example, in order to incorporate more dialogic instruction (talking to
learn) into her classroom, Megan built a lesson around breaking down stereotypes.
She had students write down words to describe a time they were bullied or judged,
and then she asked students to write down words they think actually describe them.
They had a discussion about their experiences, and they hung the positive words on
the wall as a reminder to themselves and their peers. Without structure, this lesson
would result in students not taking it seriously or being rude to one another, but Ms.
Saputo was able to use it to create a stronger classroom community and address
speaking and listening standards.
College of
Education
Department of
Teacher Education
Michigan State
University
Erickson Hall
620 Farm Lane, Room
116
East Lansing, MI 48824
Fax: 517-432-2795
education.msu.edu/te/sec
ondary/

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

I also admire Megan for her diligence. As an undergraduate student, Ms. Saputo was
employed by MSUs Teacher Education Department. This allowed me to see her in
another setting. She maintained excellent grades while working, and she completed all
tasks with a smile. Megans position required her to interact with faculty and staff on a
frequent basis, and I know they appreciated how hard working and respectful she was.
Do not hesitate to hire Megan Saputo for a position on your teaching staff. Ms. Saputos
dedication to educating students to the best of her ability would be a welcome
contribution to the district. If I may provide any additional information, please do not
hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,

Julie Bell, Doctoral Student

Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education
TE 802/804 Course Instructor
E-mail: belljuli@msu.edu
Cell Phone: (269) 921-6741