April 7, 2023
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter offers my upmost support for Ms. Valerie Halbardier. She serves as the Resource Specialist at Orangethorpe Elementary School in the Fullerton Elementary School District for the 2022-2023 school year. As a Teacher on Special Assignment for Student Support Services, I had the pleasure of working with Valerie in order to familiarize her with our special education programs.
Ms. Halbardier creates a warm, inviting classroom that promotes learning and takes into account the specialized needs of her students. She engages students to achieve their weekly goals by creating a token economy as a reinforcer and motivator. Students are eager to graph their progress and
…show more content…
Halbardier teaches her students digital literacy skills. Specifically, she trains students and general education teachers on how to use tools such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text and other accessibility options for students with reading disabilities. She also includes other free options teachers can use to provide audiobooks for their students.
As a Resource Specialist, Ms. Halbardier makes it a priority to ensure the students on her caseload are successful in the general education classroom. This requires her to learn the specific strategies that each teacher utilizes by communicating regularly and pushing into the classroom to support her students. For example, she uses specific graphic organizers that help students with organization when writing an essay. If the learning tool requires differentiation to make it accessible to her students, she is an expert.
Curriculum is another strength of Ms. Halbardier, She adapts supplemental curriculum to target student's reading, math, and writing goals efficiently. She utilizes both informal formal assessments to target areas of need. Ms. Halbardier implements an Orton Gillingham-based reading program to ensure her students with dyslexia make consistent progress. To further engage her students in their learning, she creates visual aids and games to make learning