Tempe High School

1730 South Mill Avenue

Tempe, Arizona 85281
Phone: (480) 967-1661 fax (480) 736-4096
http://tempeunion.org/tempehigh

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been the supervising teacher for Erin McDowell since August, 2015. During this time I have
worked with her in Freshman English classes and Freshman Reading Strategies. It has been my sincere
pleasure to watch her develop into a fine teacher. She has shown the passion for learning, the intelligence,
the ability to question, and the ability to connect with students which are the building blocks for
educational greatness.
To begin, Erin is dependable and creative. She began to work in the curriculum before the students set
foot in the classroom. She is in class every day and brings a positive, energetic attitude. She has many
creative ideas for instruction and assessments. Erin works diligently to develop lesson plans that will
engage the students. She varies her instruction so that students are involved in their own learning. She has
provided feedback that feeds forward and motivates the students to reflect on their own work, challenging
them to surpass their own expectations.
In our Freshman English class, Erin has taught to the AZCCR standards. This includes short story terms,
rhetorical questioning, characterization, speaking and listening skills, as well as conducting
comprehensive research. The students created projects, presentations, and many were successful on their
assessments. Erin understands the importance of formative assessments and uses these to guide her
planning. She teaches bell to bell and holds high expectations for all of her students.
Throughout our Freshman Reading Strategies class, Erin has navigated the difficult situations that go with
teaching students who struggle academically. Erin has instructed the students using the Read 180 program
which includes teaching strategies such as identifying Main Idea, Sequence of Events, Vocabulary and
Context Clues, and many more. She has worked with students in a whole group setting, one-on-one
setting, and evaluated students Read 180 data.
I will close by saying that I completely trust Erin to teach my students. She will excel as an instructor in
the classroom.
Thank you for your time and consideration and please feel free to contact me at (480) 967-1661 ext.
20557, or at rhensel@tuhsd.k12.az.us.
Sincerely,

Rebecca Hensel, M.Ed.

Principal
Interim
Dr. Kate Glenn

Assistant Principal
Academics
Dr. Stacia Wilson

Assistant Principal
Athletics
Shelly Arredondo

Assistant
Principal
Assistant
Principal
Activities
Activities
Suzanne
Pachuta
Suzanne Pachuta

Tempe High School

1730 South Mill Avenue
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Phone: (480) 967-1661 fax (480) 736-4096
http://tempeunion.org/tempehigh

Principal
Interim
Dr. Kate Glenn

Assistant Principal
Academics
Dr. Stacia Wilson

Assistant Principal
Athletics
Shelly Arredondo

Assistant
Principal
Assistant
Principal
Activities
Activities
Suzanne
Pachuta
Suzanne Pachuta