November 30, 2016

To Whom it May Concern:

It is my distinct honor to be able to recommend Nicole McIntyre for employment as an educator.

I served as a peer mentor for her on the Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) team for St. Paul
Public Schools for the full 2015-2016 school year, and made numerous visits to her classroom.
We also had ongoing planning and coaching conversations. During our work together, I had the
opportunity to see how invested she was in her practice and her students. She is a tireless
instructor who freely collaborated and supported her team. She is an innovative teacher who
continuously explores ways to improve her practice and connect to the interests and abilities of
her students.

Ms. McIntyre spent a great deal of thought and effort crafting engaging lessons that would hold
the interest of her middle-school learners. She often reached out for ideas on lesson and unit
plans and for ways to be innovative while still teaching the basics of the expected curriculum.
She was particularly savvy with use of technology and crafted her lessons in a way that allowed
students to interact with the available technology and with each other. We often met after
school to review her lessons and to plan ahead for the various units and skills that she wanted
to explore. It was evident throughout the time we worked together that she was willing to go
well beyond basic expectations, weaving her creativity and enthusiasm into all of her lessons.

Her classroom reflected her efforts in planning and preparation. The room was calm, welcoming
to all, and set up for effective instruction. Students had table partners and were able to interact
easily with each other and their teacher. Nicole is particularly adept at facilitating groups,
encouraging them to be meta-cognitive about how their teams are functioning. What is working
in your group; what is not going well? She also encourages feedback from students through
writing. When they finished written assignments they were routinely asked what they thought
worked well, what aspect of the writing assignment was the most challenging, and where they
got their inspiration for the writing they did; why did they choose their selected topics.

In addition to receiving feedback from her students, she also asked for professional feedback
around the instructional and professional goals she set for herself. She was very clear and
specific about the kind of feedback she sought which allowed her to accelerate her practice in a
targeted manner rather than looking at overall instruction. For example, trying a new student-
centered discussion activity she would ask for observation and feedback around its success and
open a discussion about how to make the lesson better, as well as identifying areas of strength.

Nicole is a highly energetic, creative and dedicated teacher; any staff would find her a welcome
and supportive addition to the team. If you would like to discuss further Ms. McIntyres qualities
as a teacher, feel free to contact me.

Respectfully,

Dianne Lee
Hamline University Student Teacher Supervisor
612-414-8972