2311B 7th Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
February 7, 2010
To Whom It May Concern,
When I was told that my school was bringing in a new coach to train and tutor me, I almost ran for the door – I had had enough failed support. What I got, however, was a mentor who completely turned both my teaching practices and mindsets around for the better.
Andrea Guy De la Salva – believe it or not – has only completed two full years of teaching, but has been in the classroom and has been mentored by other veteran teachers for her entire life. She has the attitude and approach of a highly experienced and qualified teacher. The qualities that make Andrea so special and effective as a coach, however, are not her teacher practices; they are her communication and people skills and her relentless pursuit of results.
When Andrea and I first met, Andrea took the time to become acquainted with me. She evaluated and took notice of how I learn and how I listen. She asked me what my hopes and dreams are, what I was facing, and how I was feeling. She even asked me about my family and friends and what I like to do in my “free time.” Andrea understood that before she could advise me, she had to first listen and learn how I process and internalize information so that we could best work together professionally. Andrea worked with me, not just as a teacher, but as a person.
Once Andrea had gotten a good impression of my own mindsets and skills, she strategized on how to best approach both my external (the classroom itself, differentiation, management, administration, lack of resources, etc.) and internal (my attitudes, frustrations, pessimism, pride, etc.) challenges. She met with me daily with a complete agenda and objective prepared. She observed both my Spanish I NNS and ELD I-IV classrooms, even though she was only expected to assist with ELD. She modeled good teaching practices with my students. She shared with me different resources that, to this day, I am using in my classroom.
Even when my days took a turn for the worst, Andrea never let me take a step back. She held me to high expectations and she forced me to hold myself accountable as well. Andrea was able to do this – put me in my place and have me take her seriously – because she had taken the time in the beginning of our coaching period to build a mutual relationship founded on friendship, professionalism, and respect.
There is still a lot I need to learn to become the teacher that both I and Andrea would like me to be, but Andrea is the reason I am still in the classroom today. She guided me out of a place where quitting seemed like a viable option to a new place of hope and encouragement. She is the reason I can take tiny victories and turn them into accomplishments. I am eternally grateful for Andrea’s assistance and mentorship and I only wish that she could be here with me today,
coaching me to success.
Sincerely,
Caroline F. Braun
LPS College Park
8601 MacArthur Boulevard, Building 100
Oakland, CA 94605
Tel: 510 633 0750 Fax: 510 291 9783
Email: oakland@leadps.org
Web: www.leadps.org/oakland.html
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to express my recommendation for Andrea de la Selva as a bright, passionate, and committed educator. As the Reading Curriculum Specialist for the Leadership Public Schools network, I coached Andrea for the second semester of the 2008 – 2009 school year and collaborated with her for a few months in the fall of 2009. Andrea surprised me practically every day that we worked together: she worked harder than any other teacher I’ve ever supported, and she responded to input with the thoughtful consideration and energy of a naturally gifted leader.
One of my highlights of the 2008 - 2009 school year was collaborating with Andrea. I observed her classroom many times, and we generally de-briefed each observation with a lengthy discussion. During these conversations, Andrea and I discussed her philosophies of education, social justice, and social change. One strand of our conversations culminated in her conscious adoption of a skill-focused approach to curriculum and instruction, which Andrea faithfully applied to every subsequent lesson. We both saw measurable improvement in students’ writing. Andrea’s new focus directly benefited her students, and seeing students’ success pressed her to continue pushing her instructional
practice to the point that our network CEO stated that Andrea was our “strongest implementer” of the Academic Leadership course that year.
While Andrea is exceptionally gifted, my favorite quality of Andrea’s is her practical and efficient responsiveness to input. While most teachers grow accustomed to receiving feedback, Andrea – in her first year of teaching – was able to move beyond mere reception to careful consideration and immediate implementation. Every observation de-brief meeting we had resulted in near-instantaneous changes. Perhaps most unusual, these shifts mainly centered on the areas of classroom management, procedures, and instructional routines: sensitive topics that are difficult to alter after the first few weeks of the school year. Andrea incorporated much of my critical feedback around her management
strategies, checking for student understanding, and active student participation, and she reported observable improvement due to these changes. She trusted the input she received, challenged her thinking and her practices, and thereby improved her own instruction.
Andrea’s job performance at LPS Oakland was excellent. She has been, and will be, difficult to replace. I hope to work with her again someday and I wholeheartedly endorse her future candidacy.
Sincerely,
Julie Christensen
Leadership Public Schools
(408) 603-0828
jchristensen@leadps.org
