Rhea N. Galati, Ph.D.

Habersham Central High School

Habersham County
English/Language Arts
1 year
Top 1%
A. Noah demonstrates an incredible work ethic, creativity and deep understanding
of the subject matter, as well as a drive for perfection. He has the maturity to strive
for a higher level of learning and to function outside the box with more creative
and interesting projects than the vast majority of his classmates. The high standards
he imposes for himself are impressive, and he is a self-starter. Noah stays after
school or comes in before school in order to create projects and essays of
exceptional quality as well as participate in clubs and extracurricular activities. One
of Noahs most memorable creative projects concerns the Transdentalists
contribution to and definition of the American Dream. During his research and text
analysis for this project, he discovered Thoreaus writings. His passion was ignited
and he has read most of Thoreaus works in a very short period of time. His insights
into the complex texts were translated into a piece of art that incorporated color
symbolism, text as construction materials, and contemporary connections that
provided an enthuastic and informative presentation for the entire class.
B. The most demanding assignment in the AP Language and Composition class is
mastering the in-class essays. Noah writing skills were above average when he
arrived in my class, but the addition of a timed situation shattered his focus and
confidence. Rather than blame the gods, the teacher, or the AP/College Board
institution, Noah set about methodically and doggedly to improve both his writing
skills and his time management issues. His dedication to this process included, but
was not limited to, receiving after-school tutoring from me, numerous rewrites to
improve academic voice and depth of analysis, online tutorials and practice essays,
guidance from the professional writers at the newspaper where he interns,
modeling from professional writers of the New York Times, The Washington Post,
Atlantic Monthly, Time, Newsweek, and many other professional sources he
devoured, as well as hours and hours of thinking about and practicing the art of
writing. Obviously, his writing and ability to manage time and pressure have
improved by grade levels and his confidence and maturity regarding writing, as well
as a number of other topics, has markedly improved. Today, Noah is a confident
writer with substantial things to say in a mature and academically fluent voice. Noah
preforms brilliantly with the most difficult assignments in my class through
dedication and hard work.

C. Noahs most impressive strengths are his insatiable curiosity and love of learning.
In an age of instantious gratification and Wikipedia-depth analysis, Noah exhibits a
hunger for complex issues and in-depth research and analysis. In my AP Language
and Composition class, Noah is a leader in all class discussion and devotes himself to
further research and analysis of each topic we examine. I receive emails and texts
from Noah at night and on weekends when his excitement over newly discovered
materials and authors cannot be contained until the next class meeting. He is an
outstanding student who has the natural curiosity to pursue a subject to greater
depths than the academic setting would allow. Noah thinks on a deeper level than
the average teenager and has the self-confidence to debate his ideas with
confidence. Both national and international affairs hold a special interest for Noah
and he is well informed on current issues, with the love of debate. His greatest
growth has occurred in the area of current events and the political and social areas
of world events. The natural curiosity he exhibits has been refined and focused on
the world around him by AP Language and Composition.
E. One of the most impressive traits Noah possesses is his sense of humor. It speaks
to his intellect and his abilities with satire/sarcasm. Although these are talents that
may not be appreciated by all teachers, this is one I value highly. Not only does Noah
appreciate the deeper analysis of various issues, he is also developing a razor wit
regarding a multitude of topics and individuals. This wit demonstrates a layered
understanding of the subject and his entertaining insight into that subject.