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Job seekers looking to validate their qualifications often ask previous supervisors and colleagues to vouch for them by writing letters of reference. If you've worked with or supervised a teacher's aide, and have the pleasure of writing a letter on behalf of someone you believe was effective and competent at her job, construct a well thought-out letter to strengthen her case for showing she's a qualified candidate.
Make Sure You Are Allowed
Many employers prohibit supervisors and colleagues from providing references for current employees. Check with your school's human resources department to determine whether you -- as a supervisor or colleague -- have permission to vouch for the aide's qualifications. If your school authorizes you to write such a letter, you may have to provide the HR department or your manager with a copy of your draft to ensure that you're providing your individual perspective and not disclosing inappropriate information about the aide's employment status or performance ratings.
Explain Your Relationship
The first paragraph of your letter should describe your relationship. Explain whether you are a colleague, peer or supervisor. Provide information about how long you worked together and the name and location of the school. If you know anything about the aide's selection for that job, include that as well. For example, if you were on the interview panel when she first applied to be a teacher's aide, indicate your impression of her ability to articulate her qualifications.
Evaluate the Aide's Skills
Tell the reader whether you believe the aide has the necessary skills to become a teacher or teacher's aide. For example, you could write, "Mary exhibits several professional competencies in such areas as assisting the lead teacher with English-composition lesson plans and evaluating student assignments. In addition, she is well-versed in American and British literature, which are subjects our school began offering to advanced placement students last fall. Mary was instrumental in developing those two new courses."
Elaborate on Aide's Teamwork Skills
Address the teacher's aide's ability to work collaboratively with other aides and the lead teachers to whom she reports. Write a brief example and comment on her conscientiousness in working as a member of a team. If appropriate, include a statement about whether she is capable of taking on a leadership role. In addition, write about her ability to engage parents in promoting their children's academic goals.
Assess Aide's Ability with Students
Prospective employers are interested in how well teachers' aides work with students and whether their students value their guidance. Give your perspective about how students interact with her. Base these statements on your personal observations; you needn't ask students for their opinions to assess the aide's effectiveness in and outside the classroom. Include a statement about the aide's work ethics and professional code of conduct, such as her commitment to maintaining professional collegial and teacher-student relationships.
A letter of recommendation is a common requirement in job applications. When it comes to positions in the academe, teachers who want to become part of an educational institution must be able to present a recommendation letter given by either a former superior or a colleague. The gist of a recommendation letter is simple: to endorse a professional and their qualification to a prospective employer.
Though its gist is simple, there is a standard format that should be followed in order for the letter to be convincing and effective. If you have been requested to write a recommendation letter for a teacher, taking a look at these Sample Letters may very well help you.
Personal Letter of Recommendation for Teaching Position
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Request Letter of Recommendation for Teaching Position
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If there is a trick in writing Job Recommendation Letters, it is definitely this: praise. In the academe, leaders of schools and universities often choose a candidate for a teaching position by looking into who recommends them, as well as how they are recommended. Hence, the format and how you structure your recommendation letter can be crucial to the success of the application of the person you are recommending.
Here are some pointers you can take into mind when you are requested to write a letter of recommendation for a teaching professional:
- Highlight your professional relationship with the teacher you are recommending. Along with a brief introduction of yourself, you must be able to state how you know the person you are recommending in the first part of your letter. The teacher could be a former teaching aide, or they could even be a colleague. You should also state how long you have known the person.
- Praise the individual, but do not overdo it. Though the trick to making a recommendation letter effective is praising the person you are recommending, it is important that you do not make it sound exaggerated. Reviewing the person’s credentials may help you with this part of the letter. Knowing their skills and background beforehand will help you laud them sincerely and realistically in the letter.
Letter of Recommendation for Elementary Teaching Position
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Sample Letter of Recommendation for University Teaching Position
Letter of Recommendation for a College Teaching Position
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Letter of Recommendation for Teaching Assistant Position
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- Bring up the teacher’s achievements that you yourself witnessed firsthand. Has the teacher received distinctions for their efforts during their tenure in your academic institution? If so, you must mention this as it will surely bolster the teacher’s chances of getting hired. Explain what the distinction was and what the teacher did that earned them praise.
- Explain why the teacher would be a valuable addition to the academic institution they want to become part of. View this component of the recommendation letter as where you will further underscore the qualifications of the teacher. What exactly makes them an effective teacher? What specific teaching techniques do they employ that will make them a great addition to the faculty of the institution to whom they are applying? Simply answer these questions and elaborate on them.
- End your recommendation letter with a positive statement that will make a lasting impression. Teacher Letters of Recommendation are basically like any other recommendation letter. In a nutshell, they should praise the individual you are recommending and must be followed by “why” you are praising them. Close your letter with a statement that sums up the teacher’s character and competence. It should be a line that will get to the very core of the person who will be reading your recommendation letter.