April 12, 2016

Dear Colleagues:
Without hesitation, I am writing to recommend Sam Schaefer for a teaching position
at your school. I am a consultant and assistant professor at Daemen College, as well
as a learning (disability) specialist in private practice. I have had the privilege of
knowing Sam as a student in one of my undergraduate courses, EDU 327, Teaching
to the Standards, and in two of my graduate courses: SED 606, Instructional
Methods and Strategies for Students with Disabilities and SED 642, Curriculum
Modifications in the Content Areas of Math, Science, Technology, and Social Studies.
I have also had the pleasure to know Sam as a student in my Diverse Learner
Academy (as part of the professional development included in her graduate
assistantship through the Thomas Reynolds Center for Special Education).
Throughout these experiences, she has proven that she will be an incredible asset to
your organization.
As a student in my courses, Sam has demonstrated professionalism and a strong
determination to succeed. Within each course, she has participated in classroom
discussions, submitted exceptional work, and never hesitated to ask for clarification
or further information. In her peer presentations, Sam was extremely prepared,
focused, and effective in engaging her fellow graduate students. She presented
strategies with hands-on activities, underlying theory, and differentiated
applications. Sam provided extensive feedback on collaborative projects, helping to
guide initial professional students toward success through her efforts. Her positive
attitude and encouragement of others bolstered the supportive climate of every one
of my courses.
Most recently, I provided feedback on a math lesson plan where she brilliantly
combined instruction on geometry within the context of Native American dream
catcher traditions. Her understanding of pedagogy is solid, and her creativity
maximizes student engagement. Sam combines her background in early childhood
education with a desire to empower students toward success. She carefully
manipulates instruction and assessment in order to support struggling or gifted
students; differentiates appropriately according to readiness, interest, and learner
profile; and addresses potential behavior concerns within her planning. I was so
impressed with this geometry lesson that I requested permission to use it as an
exemplar for future classespermission which she graciously offered. This is the
type of work that gets highlighted among colleagues in discussions of teacher

candidate success. As further testimony to Sams pedagogical and academic skills,

she was able to score at the mastery level on the edTPA teacher certification test.
As a graduate assistant, Sam has benefited from the experience of teaching in the
Thomas Reynolds Center for Special Educations After-School Program. In that role
she has organized a classroom from scratch, designed a classroom management
plan, written daily lesson plans for ELA and math remediation, delivered individual
assistance through homework help, and provided feedback to parents. Through the
graduate assistantship program, she has participated in over 50 hours of
professional development beyond her coursework in the areas of ELA, math, diverse
learners, behavior management, and classroom technology. All of this training has
been followed by practical application of the concepts within her after-school
classroom.
Finally, Sam has played an integral role in a pilot research project where she
modified executive function strategy lessons that were designed at a fifth-grade
level to be appropriate for third- and fourth-grade students, and she implemented a
computerized, game-based executive function skill-building program. She
participated in related trainings, worked on a literature review in support of the
research, and co-designed a poster for a 90-minute presentation at Daemens
Academic Festival.
As a result of all of the above attributes, I am able to recommend Sam Schaefer
without reservation. I appreciate the opportunity to share Sams successes with
you. Please feel free to contact me at 716-870-5296 with any questions.
Sincerely,
Mindy Schreiner Scirri, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Education
Diverse Learner Academy Coordinator,
Thomas Reynolds Center for Special Education

June 1, 2015
To Whom It May Concern:
I have had the pleasure of getting to know Ms. Samantha Schaefer in several of my
classes as she was completing her bachelors degree in early childhood
education/special education: early childhood education (birth-grade two) at
Daemen College. I also was honored to be her direct supervisor at both of her
student teaching experiences: one session was in a special education setting, the
other in an early childhood setting. Suffice it to say that she excelled in both of these
experiences.
Ms. Schaefer, from the moment of her first placement to her very last day of student
teaching, presented herself with confidence, knowledge and leadership. The
students were most responsive to her teaching. She also reached the Mastery level
as measured by the edTPA assessment. Becoming a teacher is not something that
Samantha fell into; this goal, now within her reach, has been planned and worked on
for years. She is the kind of person that you would feel comfortable teaching your
children or grandchildren.
Samanthas exceptional academic achievement allowed for her to be inducted into
our special education honorary, known as Sigma Pi Epsilon Delta. She was an
integral part of its growth and its service to community agencies, while serving in
the role of treasurer for the organization.
Also, without overstating her emergent abilities as a future teacher, she was one of
the hardest working scholarly students I have had in my own classroom. You will be
more than pleased to have her on your faculty.
Succinctly, let me say that I fully recommend Ms. Samantha Schaefer without
hesitation.
If you need any further information, please feel free to contact me at 716-839-8536.
Sincerely,

Bruce A. Shields, Ph.D.

Associate Professor