Sheryl A. Ludwig, Ph. D., Assistant Professor, Teacher Education Department

4 May, 2009

To Whom It May Concern:

Although William Allen is a new educator, seldom have I known an educator at any stage of his/her career who is more capable, thorough, professional, and passionate about helping children learn. For the past year I have had the pleasure of teaching and supervising William in various teacher education classes at Adams State College. He has consistently excelled in both his academic work and in his field interactions with faculty and students at local Alamosa public schools.

Among the many qualities that have impressed me is William’s diligence in working with a young Guatemalan student. When working with this student for a class project, William learned that the student, despite having been enrolled in the district for several years, was reading at less than a first grade level. Once William began to study the child’s background, he discovered that many of the sounds the child couldn’t master didn’t even exist in Q’anjobal, the child’s first language. William then sought information about the Q’anjobal; he used linguistic connections to help the child experience success. In reporting on this literacy project, William said, “I don’t know who was happier the first time he got 100% on his spelling test.” Employing research-based literacy practices, William has continued to use modified fifth grade curriculum so that the student would not feel embarrassed about having to do work that was different from his classmates. Today that child is finally making progress in achieving basic literacy.

It is telling to me that William has successfully, so early in his career, shown through practice that he understands and does what it takes to individualize for a student’s learning needs. While other teachers new to our profession are still sorting out what it takes to manage a classroom and structure educative experiences for students, William has demonstrated that he embodies both the science and the art of teaching. Seldom have I been more confident in recommending a new educator. William is a wonderful addition to the educational profession.


Sincerely,


Sheryl A. Ludwig, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor,
Teacher Education Department
Adams State College