Ruth Hellier-Tinoco, Ph.D.

Professor: music, theater, dance, feminist

studies, Latin American Studies

Rhellier-tinoco@music.ucsb.edu
805-284-7399

August 3, 2016

To Whom It May Concern

RE: Lauren Lewis Substitute Teacher

[20733 Claretta Ave., Lakewood, CA 90715. (562) 688-0526]

I write to enthusiastically and whole-heartedly recommend Lauren Lewis as an outstanding

candidate for a position within your school district as Substitute Teacher. Lauren is highly
intelligent, deeply creative, organized, and motivated and has all the attributes and skills
necessary to perform as an outstanding Substitute Teacher.

Lauren’s own desire to develop and learn is an important quality of suitability to be an

excellent teacher, and I note with delight that she wishes to undertake the role as substitute
teacher in order to obtain a better idea of which age group and subject she would prefer to
teach as a credentialed educator and that she plans to go on to attain her teaching credential
(and a Masters and PhD to compliment her chosen program of study).

I write this Letter of Recommendation as Lauren’s professor in her final quarter in her
undergraduate degree program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I also write as a
former classroom teacher of 6 to 16 year olds, knowing the skills, qualities and attributes
required.

Lauren was an active and excellent undergraduate student in my class “Mexican Theatre and
Performance, focusing on Women, Power and Politics” (March to June 2015), for which she
was awarded an A grade. I was deeply impressed by Lauren’s abilities, knowledge, and
engagement in my class and her by exceptional ability to adapt to and manage extremely
difficult circumstances, a point to which I return later.

The course requires students to combine theoretical readings and discursive writing with
performance-based studio work, engaging creative practice, conceptual thinking, academic
writing, discussion, live presentations, and new performance. The class meets for 3 hours per
week over the course of a 10-week quarter, therefore students have to be highly organized
and immensely creative. Students deal with a broad range of topics, methodologies and
theories, including: a historical and political trajectory moving from 1500s to present day,
involving politics and cultural histories of Mexico; discursive theoretical material from
feminist studies and theatre /performance studies; and creative, live, performance-based
work.

The cohort is small (18 students) and they work very closely with me throughout, so I am
able to get to know the students well. Lauren excelled in all aspects of the course, and
demonstrated intellectual rigor; creative imagination; independence, responsibility and drive.

Writing: Lauren’s weekly reading notes demonstrated a high level of ability to grasp and
synthesize complex and diverse topics and ideas, and to generate interesting written
responses. In her term papers, she demonstrated a high level of sophistication in terms of
written English, with an excellent ability to organize, synthesize and communicate ideas.

Live communication: In class she contributed fully and intelligently to all activities, ranging
through discussions, workshops, creative exercises and presentations. She was always
articulate, engaged, thoughtful, creative, and passionate.

The course requires students to work closely as a team, leading, facilitating and cooperating.
Lauren excelled in all these aspects.

What sets Lauren apart, and would make her ideally suitable as a teacher, is her ability to
adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, and to remain organized, level-headed and
competent. At the beginning of Spring Quarter 2015 Lauren was pregnant, and therefore
entered her final quarter dealing with the final stages of her pregnancy, while completing her
course and degree. She gave birth very soon after the end of the quarter (and had completed
all the work for the course by the end of week 9 of a 10-week quarter). Lauren’s ability to
manage the final weeks of her pregnancy, even as she contributed fully to the course, to her
fellow students, and to the course requirements, demonstrates that she can not only cope, but
excel in the most difficult of circumstances.

Lauren is independent and self-motivated, even as she is an excellent team player. She is
highly personable, with excellent communication skills of reading, writing, listening and
speaking. She is knowledgeable, passionate, organized, caring, and eager to teach others and
will therefore make a great contribution to the lives of the many children she will teach.

In sum, I whole-heartedly recommend Lauren as an outstanding candidate for a position

within your school district as Substitute Teacher.

I should be happy to supply further details if you desire them.

Yours respectfully,
R. Hellier-Tinoco
Ruth Hellier-Tinoco, Ph.D.