March 18, 2008 To Whom It May Concern: It is with both sadness and pleasure that I write this recommendation for Denise Henry, who has been my neighboring teacher for this semester at Aptos High, after the retirement at the semester of my previous neighbor. It is sad because I just hate to think of Denise not coming back next Fall. But, joyous because I can begin to count the ways that Denise is a fabulous teacher. In 20 years of teaching, I really don’t think I have ever had close contact with a teacher who does more to prepare for her students than does Denise. The energizer bunny has nothing on Denise. She is kind, yet demanding, in a way that makes kids feel safe. She is amazingly competent, and always looking for ways to make lessons more graspable and engaging. She has a real depth of understanding about how to motivate and fairly assess students at all levels of ability. She has shared some great ideas with folks here who have been teaching much longer. I like computers and authentic learning experiences with technological tools. I would really have enjoyed working with Denise to promote the use of such tools as Geometry Sketchpad, a highly creative and interactive program that allows students to really see and experience their learning. But, our class sizes will go up and our staff numbers will go down, and such will not be the case. This is particularly sad since Denise has far, far more computer skills than any teacher or administrator I know. Her quick, creative technological approaches to learning, sharing, communicating and engaging are wonderful. I honestly can say that I have never been more enthusiastic in recommending a fellow teacher for a teaching position. Denise will do marvelous work in any teaching position or location. She has heart, depth, breadth, intellectual abilities and… the soul of an artist. I think that the student population most likely to appreciate the many gifts and skills Denise offers are the students most as risk academically. I have seen her connect with kids of all stripes, but very few teachers connect with non-typical students as Denise does. Please write or call if there is any information I can share that will help. PVUSD students need Denise! Most sincerely, Claudia Ayers Claudia Ayers, math teacher Home 831.462.4823; claudia.ayers@gmail.com