TO:

WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

FROM:

Ronald Sallade, Student Teacher Supervisor, School of Education, Drake

University, Des Moines, Iowa

SUBJECT:

Employment Recommendation for Colin Seebach, Student Teacher, Drake

University, Des Moines, Iowa, Spring Semester 2015

DATE:

February 18, 2015

This is a letter of recommendation enthusiastically supporting employment for Colin Seebach, a

student teacher at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, who will be a fully certified teacher in
Secondary Education, with endorsements in 5-12 Biology, All Sciences, and Basic Science. I
have been supervisor of Colin's student teaching during the Spring Semester, 2015. His student
teaching assignment has been 6th, 7th, and 8th grade science at Bergman Academy. Bergman
Academy is a private pay school of about 225 students, serving the greater community of Des
Moines, Iowa. When some of the mostly high achieving students complete their work at the
Bergman Academy, they matriculate to Central Academy of the Des Moines Public Schools.
Students at the Central Academy are perceived to be gifted and talented and continue their high
school studies at a central campus in downtown Des Moines.
In brief, Colin is a very successful, intentional teacher: setting his lessons in context; providing
direct instruction in a stimulating and effective manner; engaging students in an exciting,
purposeful way; using a variety of instructional approaches; appropriately checking for students
understanding; and re-teaching as needed. Colin is a very strong teacher.
Colin has an excellent teacher presence. He creates an orderly, active, positive classroom
environment and puts forth great effort to achieve his desired outcome. His students are
engaged, and his classroom is well managed. He conducts himself as a professional in every
respect. He holds himself accountable for learning and accomplishes a great deal. He
intentionally seeks opportunities to communicate with students on a very personal level.
Mr. Seebach's lesson plans are very well prepared and interconnect appropriately with the course
curriculum. In preparing lessons, Colin has a thorough knowledge of the content and relevant
vocabulary as well as seeks and uses supplemental materials from resource books, the Internet,
and the library. For his physical science class, he planned and implemented unit plans
concerning the constant velocity and constant speed particle models that involved both individual
and group work. Colin planned and implemented unit plans using the Understanding by Design
framework Curriculum to build concept development, critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Colin very ably employs a variety of instructional strategies, such as direct and indirect instruction
as well as collaborative and experiential learning. He also applies multiple teaching models such
as Gradual Release of Responsibility, Predict, Observe, Explain and the 5E learning cycle
(Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate).
Students are quite responsive to Colin. Students benefit from positive, spontaneous, interactive
rapport with him. Colin demonstrates a decided self-confidence. Students know that he is helping
them, and students readily accept his instruction. Colin and his students obviously benefit from
mutual respect. His students like him, are comfortable with him, have a high opinion of him, and
eagerly follow his instruction.
Upon evaluation, Colins mentor teacher, Jaci Easter, noted him as competent, if not exemplary,
for each of the INTASC standards used to assess new teachers by Drake University. He was
evaluated as exemplary in his Planning for Instruction. In addition to earning these high ratings,
the form is filled with positive comments from his mentor throughout: "strong understanding of
learning process"; "always pushing students to grow"; "good rapport with students"; "content
knowledge is strong"; "made some nice connections with the nature of science"; "understands
different types of assessments"; "does a good job of using inquiry, small-group work, and

questioning strategies"; very reflective; "works well in a collaborative environment."

Mr. Seebachs interpersonal skills (active listening, clearly understood voice, effective eye
contact) are especially effective and obviously an important part of his communication with
students. I am quite impressed by Colins easy, interactional repartee with students, his ability to
capture and synthesize students ideas during discussion, as well as his ability to concurrently
record students ideas on the board. Typically, those abilities are evident later in a teachers
career.
Colin is quite collaborative in his approach. He has been involved with various forms of
professional development, and proven his ability to work well with other professionals.
In short, Colin is an exceptionally effective, successful teacher. Overall, I would rank Colin
Seebach in the top fifteen percent of beginning teachers. He has the decided commitment and
will make a major difference. As a student teacher, Colin is impressive. Colin is unique in that he
has a natural passion for science and now he is developing a passion for the teaching of science.
Augmenting his passion for the teaching of science is his focus and intentionality in providing for
very effective teaching and students learning.
Colin is talented academically, taking courses toward an undergraduate degree at Drake
University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he will earn a Bachelor of Education majoring in Science.
Concurrent with his intelligence and teaching abilities, Mr. Seebach is a mature and socially
appropriate professional. I believe Colin is an exceptionally good candidate for placement in that
he is certified in All Sciences, 5th through 12th grades. He is also interested in getting involved
with Science or Engineering Clubs, any student leadership program, as well as any tutoring
programs.
I very enthusiastically recommend Colin Seebach for any teaching position for which he is
qualified and certified. If representatives from school districts have questions or would like more
information, they are invited to contact me personally.
Ronald Sallade, Ph. D.
3715 SW 28th Street
Des Moines, IA 50321-2024
515.249.5627 Daytime Mobile
RonaldSall@aol.com