To whom it may concern: December 27, 2019

It is with great excitement that I provide this letter of recommendation for Jessica Szuber. I
have had the opportunity to work closely with Ms. Szuber for the last year and a half as her
instructional coach at Slater Elementary. She is truly dedicated to learning and reflecting in
order to refine her craft and meet the needs of all students.
Jessica believes that collaborating is essential for the success of both teachers and students.
She meets regularly with her teammate to plan, analyze data and student work, and share
instructional strategies to ensure that students are continuously growing. Ms. Szuber seeks out
feedback and engages in reflective conversations because she knows that it takes a plethora of
tools and strategies to meet the individual needs of her students. It is important to her that
every student is supported and empowered, both academically and with social-emotional
wellness, so that they can experience learning at high levels throughout the school day.
When visiting Ms. Szuber’s classroom, it is obvious that she works hard to create an authentic
and engaging learning environment. Jessica connects with her students on a very real level. She
gets to know everything she can about them. She is committed to finding tasks that are of high
interest and are relatable for her students. Through her lessons, she is intentional about making
connections to her own life and experiences. Her dedication to building strong relationships
allows her classroom to be one that is full of rich discussion. It also allows her to respond to
high-needs students or behavioral challenges with empathy and understanding. Her students
see her as an ally and someone who always has their best interest at heart.
Ms. Szuber establishes clear and high expectations for her students. She believes that learning
should be fun and meaningful. In order to set students up for success, she carefully plans and
anticipates structures or supports they may need to participate and engage with the learning.
Some of the high leverage strategies Jessica consistently uses are gradual release,
metacognitive thinking, and providing explicit modeling. She also has structures in place to
respond to disruptions without derailing a lesson or losing the focus of the group. Although she
is only in her second year of teaching, she has natural and intuitive abilities to create a learning
space where students can thrive.
Jessica Szuber is committed to the field of education and would be an incredible asset to any
school. I highly recommend Ms. Szuber for your teaching position. If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact me by phone (407-754-4243) or email
(heather.patel@jeffco.k12.co.us)
Sincerely,
Heather Patel
Instructional Coach