Good news!

Good news today! Myra and Joanne came to see me after school & reported that after a strict analysis of my performance and evaluations throughout this school year, they are giving me a rating of 4.6 out of 5; that’s awesome! I was just hoping for a solid 4…..which is what a competent teacher rating is anyway. They also told me they’ve been working on my letter of recommendation, and that they are really pulling for me, explaining what a difficult school year it’s really been, & they feel sure I’ll at least be able to stay in the Salt Lake City district; yay!
(Myra’s letter of recommendation):
Katie Bauserman has successfully completed her first year of teaching as an intern in Grade 4 at Washington Elementary in Salt Lake City. Washington is a Title 1 school with a poverty rate near 80% and an English language population of 25%. The challenges of teaching in a diverse classroom were met with enthusiasm and a sincere desire to understand the needs of urban students. Katie is a stalwart defender of all students. She speaks Spanish fluently; this understanding of a second language has enabled her to better meet the needs of the English language learners in her classroom.

Katie approached this year with a positive and determined attitude, an open mind and a sincere desire to understand the dynamics of a difficult, urban classroom. The demands of her classroom required energy, clear thinking and a problem solving attitude. Katie accepted the challenge and her progress has been impressive. Understanding of teaching pedagogy is evident. Lesson planning is thoughtful; objectives are clear a variety of instructional strategies are used to engage students. Strategies are monitored and adjusted in response to the students’ understanding and motivation. Assessment strategies are used throughout instruction to surface students’ understanding. Lessons are engaging and promote opportunities for students to think critically and problem solve. She holds high expectations for each of her students and handles discipline in a fair and equitable way. At the heart of her teaching is concern for each student. She remains an active learner herself and is able to reflect accurately on her teaching practice.

Katie solicits feedback and professional support and demonstrates an ongoing curiosity to understand and improve her teaching practice. She collaborates with mentors and literacy and math coaches to gather and understand classroom data as a way to improve her instruction. She remains appreciative of the opportunity to learn from others. She would be a great asset to any school community; she has the heart of a teacher.