Science graduate student with professional teaching experience offers multi-subject tutoring for middle- and high-schoolers in the San Diego area

I am writing in order to recommend to you a former employee of mine, Eleanor. In 2015, I trained Eleanor to teach for the Institute of Reading Development during our summer teaching term. I was Eleanor’s direct supervisor until the conclusion of the term at the end of August, during which time Eleanor taught multiple programs for us. Eleanor also taught for us last year, though I was not her supervisor during that term. Eleanor is an excellent teacher and a wonderful employee, and she was a tremendous asset to the Institute’s students.

The Institute of Reading Development offers private educational reading programs that teach reading development and study skills courses to children and adults of all ages. During her tenure with us, Eleanor faced both challenges and responsibilities in a manner that demonstrated her high personal standards and exceptional ability to work successfully with others. All Institute instructors train for, and then instruct, multiple age levels, working with students ranging in age from preschool through adulthood. This experience ensures that teachers have a fundamental understanding of reading instruction as a developmental process and prepares teachers to appropriately challenge students with varied skills in the same classroom. Eleanor learned to implement strategies of reading instruction specific to each developmental reading stage; throughout training and into the classroom she exhibited a thorough knowledge of these various stages. Eleanor also learned effective classroom pedagogy, which she was able to use, in conjunction with her theoretical understanding, to run effective and exciting classes.

With the Institute, Eleanor has proven herself to be not just a technically sound instructor, but also a passionate and effective teacher with students of all ages. She has the ability to connect powerfully with her students, from teaching phonics and working closely with parents in our pre-school classes, to leading discussions of classic literature in our middle school and high school classes, to teaching speed-reading skills, note-taking strategies, and other critical reading techniques for advanced readers in our college-level classes. Eleanor also demonstrated a flexibility and willingness to shift gears that is critical to successful teaching.

The two goals of our program are to give students the age-appropriate skills they need to become strong readers, and to develop in them a love of reading. Eleanor was consistently successful at meeting these two goals. Eleanor’s older students were challenged and pushed to meet high standards; her younger students were infected with her own enthusiasm for books and reading. Eleanor was always attentive, watching her students carefully for signs of difficulty or success, and was quick to provide encouragement in either case. Eleanor did an admirable job of managing her classrooms with warmth and authority.

In addition to being a committed teacher in the classroom, Eleanor was a pleasure to work with. She was open to critique both during training and teaching, and she worked hard at developing her skills in the classroom and building good relationships with students and parents. Eleanor is organized and coped very well with the administrative and logistical side of the job. She demonstrated a consistent willingness to give her all to this program by taking on challenging schedules, enthusiastically subbing for fellow teachers, and conducting herself with integrity and thoughtfulness.

Finally, Eleanor possesses a strong combination of intelligence, authority, creativity, warmth and professionalism that will make her an asset in any academic or professional setting. I know that she has the dedication, integrity and intellectual gifts to inspire people to success. I am confident that Eleanor will bring the same level of commitment and attentiveness to your institution as well.

In her time as my student she has shown herself to be one who quickly develops a strong understanding of new concepts by paying attention and listening carefully.
She is clearly grounded in a strong set of ethical principles that allow her to treat other members of professional community with great respect, while bringing her own ideas to the table. Eleanor is a hard worker and never hesitates to help others around her.