Meri Tenney Muirhead Managing Director, Elementary Teacher Education

October 20, 2016

Dear School Leader,
Darcy Hackert is a recent graduate of our elementary teacher education program. As the Clinical
Experiences Coordinator and currently as the Managing Director of our elementary teacher
education program, I have worked with Darcy in her field placements, program-level
requirements and in professional interactions throughout her teacher education. It is this set of
experiences that inform my ability to highly recommend Darcy for a teaching position.
During her first year in the program, Darcy had a fall field placement in a second grade classroom
and in the winter she worked with a fourth grade teacher, both in Plymouth-Canton Community
Schools. In the practicum placements, Darcy embraced opportunities to plan and enact individual,
small group and whole group lessons mainly focused on literacy, to align with the focus of her
coursework. Planning and teaching involved collaborating with a practicum partner, university
field instructor and a mentor teacher. Darcy displayed a serious commitment to learning and
enacting the strategies and content of the curriculum while engaging in meaningful teaching for
each student. Darcy would consistently seek out opportunities to discuss her teaching and receive
feedback, with a maturity and openness that allowed for conversations to extend lessons and
prepare for further teaching.
Darcy completed her year-long student teaching placement in a kindergarten classroom with
mentor teacher, Derek Toohey at Wines Elementary in Ann Arbor Public Schools. During this
experience she taught in all of the content areas, with a heavy focus on math and science in the
fall. In her course work, she learned about engaging students in math discussions and building
inquiry-based science lessons. Darcys field instructor consistently relayed the highly detailed
planning and effective enactment of these practices in Darcys teaching. Darcys enthusiasm and
caring disposition were clear and evident in all of her interactions and instructional decisions.
Darcy consistently positions herself as a reflective, thoughtful, and strong beginning teacher.
In addition to courses and fieldwork, Darcy was a leader within her cohort. She attended events
for new students, shares her experiences with incoming teacher candidates and worked with
faculty to support our programs. Given the highly rigorous nature of learning to teach, taking on
additional responsibilities is only feasible for an intern as outstanding as Darcy. Even after
graduation, Darcy continued to work with our school partners when she volunteered at the Ann
Arbor Summer Learning Institute, supporting teachers and students in this critical summer math
and literacy program. These unique skills and professional dispositions are a part of what makes
Darcy a highly desirable teacher candidate.
610 East University Avenue, suite 1228
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

T: 734.647-6337
merimuir@umich.edu



Meri Tenney Muirhead Managing Director, Elementary Teacher Education

It has been my sincere pleasure to work with Darcy Hackert during her teacher education
program. She is without fail one of the most motivated, thoughtful, and confident teaching interns
that I have worked with in our programs. Based on my interactions with Darcy during this pivotal
time in her professional development I believe that she will be an excellent beginning teacher.
Please feel free to contact me if I can provide any further information.
Sincerely,

Meri Tenney Muirhead

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Managing Driector, Elementary Teacher Education

610 East University Avenue, suite 1228

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

T: 734.647-6337
merimuir@umich.edu