Letter to Mr. O'Daniel

Mr. O'Daniel,
Great job this semester with Student Teaching. Originally, you were not happy about your placement. You wanted to be at a different school where you had developed a solid rapport with a younger, male teacher. Little did you know this would turn out to be everything you needed, wanted, and could have asked for.

You started the semester by starting off early. Two weeks before you should have began. This innitiative is crucial, you're going to need it next year at your new home, West High. Law and Ethics Unit went great, and it was a great opportunity for students to show you who they are as people. One of your proudest teaching moments was presentation day, where your students presented themselves through the 1st amendment. That warm, fuzzy feeling is what makes this profession worth the time. You will feel this over and over again.

The amount of knowledge you learned this semester is truly outstanding for the span of 5 months. You learned how to create an eye-popping, visual stimulating, hard hitting edgy newspaper publication where your students express themselves and represent the student body. You learned the proper procedure and steps on putting together a hundred page yearbook publication. Don't worry that you are nervous about teaching yearbook next year. Your preparation during the summer, workshops, and teacher advise will guide you along the way. You also learned how to handle finances, ad sales, school trip forms, and even controversial issues such as gay/lesbian and teacher-student innappropriate conduct.

Most importantly, you took the extra step to be involved with your school. You took on the position of coaching the baseball team even when those around you said it wasn't wise during student teaching. You showed up at 7:00 a.m throughout the semester to be there extra time for your newspaper and yearbook staff to complete deadlines on time. You worked the winter homecoming dance, and even attended a couple of your player's athletic competitions. You should that you not only cared how your students did in your room, but how they do in life. You dealt with bullying situations, sleepy students, disruptive students, and students who repeatedly showed up late to school. This extra effort to build a connection with your students is why they responded so well to you this semester. Why there were little to no behavior problems in your room. Why many of your students take time after a long school day to come watch your baseball games to help cheer your team on.

I can't wait to see what you do at West High School next year. Yes, you are taking on quite a challenge. This program is in need for a spark. A fresh start and some serious energy and effort. You can check all of those as strong attributes of yours. Bring the charisma and ability to build connections with students to your next step in life, and watch the success unfold in front of your eyes. You have the ability to build a program, mold and transform it to your standards. What a great opportunity. I can't wait to see the endless possibilities for your first year of teaching. Take Care.

Spencer #2