December 30, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a letter of highest recommendation for Ms. Mechaela Vardoulakis. I have had the pleasure of
being her master teacher from January 2015 through May 2015. Mechaela was a student teacher in my
Kindergarten classroom at Wilson Elementary. Wilson is located in Santa Ana, California and is a lowincome school with a predominantly Spanish-speaking population.
I highly recommend Mechaela for ANY educational related position! She possesses all the qualities that
an administrator would like to see in an employee. She was punctual, prepared, hard-working, and
enthusiastic. The following are specific areas in which Mechaela excelled and demonstrated exceptional
teaching skills.
Mechaela was outstanding at organizing subject matter for student lessons, planning instruction and
designing learning activities for all students. She was a seasoned professional when it came to her
organizational skills. She developed excellent, well-planned math and ELA lessons to meet all
Kindergarten standards. She created many of her own instructional materials that were specifically
tailored to her students' needs.
Mechaela did an excellent job at engaging her students in the lessons she taught. She used a variety of
instructional strategies to teach to students' varying needs. She provided ample opportunities for
students to collaborate with one another , thus increasing their engagement. This support of learning
took place in whole group and small group instruction.
Mechaela was able to create and maintain an effective learning environment for students. Throughout
her student teaching, Mechaela maintained a motivating and extremely positive environment. She had
excellent classroom management, procedures, and routines for all students. Her transitions from one
activity to another were always very smooth.
Mechaela also excelled in assessing student learning. In developing lesson plans for her students, she
took into account all data from assessments given, in addition to their English skills, their ability to follow
directions and their learning styles. She always reflected and adjusted her lessons to ensure student
success.
During her time as a student teacher in my classroom, I watched Mechaela develop as a professional
educator. She was involved in planning sessions with the grade level team and attended weekly staff
meetings. She developed strong professional working relationships with the staff, with the students, and
with our parent volunteers.
Mechaela is an amazing, dedicated and extraordinary young woman. She went above and beyond in
everything she taught in my classroom. I considered her more as a partner than a student teacher. I
HIGHLY recommend Mechaela Vardoulakis for ANY classroom teaching position!
Kathy McKinney
Master Teacher
Kindergarten
Wilson Elementary School
(714) 401-5527