Doctoral programs,
I am writing to recommend Mr.
John Press as a doctorate student. I had had the privilege of working
with Mr. Press for eight years at
As a teacher, Mr. Press showed
dedication, patience, and tremendous skill in managing overcrowded classrooms
of ninth to twelfth grade students. He controlled even the challenging
youngsters, enticing them to follow class rules and strive for increased
achievement. On stage in his classroom, Mr. Press captures the attention
of his audience with motivational insights into “real life”, along with his
dramatic flair for lecturing. His talks are so interesting, in fact, that
I have often found time in my schedule to visit his classroom to be
entertained and learn from his marvelous technique. Furthermore, Mr.
Press has incorporated a tremendous amount of group work and interactive teaching
strategies, involving students of different learning styles through
collaborative assignments. At the same time, Mr. Press emphasizes study
skills, proving guidance on how to meaning fully participate in discussions and
direct instruction on how to take notes. Truly, Mr. Press’ students learn
much more than just the curriculum in his classes; they learn skills and
concepts which will serve them well in higher education.
Besides being a teacher, Mr.
Press spent three years as our teachers’ union representative. In this
capacity, he was a leader for our staff, inspiring his colleagues to act for
the betterment of education, students, and teaching as a
profession. He worked amicably with the principals to prevent
disputes between the administration and our certificated staff. In
a fairly unpopular position, Mr. Press made a difference at our school with
compassion and without fear.
In addition Mr. Press took on
a part time position as our school’s dean of discipline. In this role, he
showed that he could be strict with students while being meticulous in
following District Guidelines and procedures. Mr. Press was able to
manage his time well between teaching and being dean, serving our numerous
students and attending to multiple staff concerns. Meanwhile, he has an
ability to treat each child as an individual who merits his time and effort.
In closing, Mr. Press has a
multitude of talents which he has exhibited at our school. I am confident
that he will do well blending all of these skills into probing the needs of
schools from an academic perspective. I
respect him greatly, and wish him the best in his future accomplishments.
Thanks,
Mr. Eric Jacobson
Counselor
e_jacobson@sbcglobal.net