January 17, 2023
I am pleased to offer this letter of recommendation on behalf of Jamie Tidey. I served as Ms. Tidey’s
Professor in the Spring of 2022 wherein I taught TE 406: Teaching of Mathematics to Diverse
Learners- Elementary. This foundational teacher preparation course prepares teacher candidates to
teach elementary mathematics (K-5) that encourages children to learn and apply mathematical
concepts and skills beyond the classroom. The course provides candidates with opportunities to
develop knowledge, skills, and competencies that would help them teach math in ways that engage
and respect children’s racial, social, academic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. This includes
teaching small groups, engaging in one- on-one instruction, and providing classroom support to the
Lead Instructor. Lastly, this course requires critical reading, thinking, and writing, creativity,
collaboration, and critical analysis, all which Ms. Tidey demonstrated very well. What I recall most
about Ms. Tidey was her honest reflections about her work and engagement in the course and her
commitment to improving her teaching practice.
Ms. Tidey’s classroom performance and engagement ranks in the top 10% of students that I’ve taught
as a Professor and as a Course Instructor (while I was a doctoral student). She completed all her
assignments on time with markings of 90% or higher, completed service-learning hours in a timely
fashion and with diligence and integrity, and collaborated with her peers both in person and virtually.
I could count on her participation and engagement on a weekly basis from questioning and
comments during lectures and requesting feedback for assignments and projects, to her
communication with her peers in small and large group settings.
Ms. Tidey’s commitment to learning and expanding her knowledge base was just as strong. She truly
engaged in the work of TE 406. She took the necessary time to critically read, write, and synthesize
information. She proposed thoughtful questions and “wonderings” to further her thinking as well as
her peers. Recognizing the challenging learning tasks and activities of the course, the sensitive nature
of some of the topics discussed, and the need to be vulnerable and honest in the classroom space,
College of Ms. Tidey embraced the complexities of learning about how to teach math in an educational system
Education wrought with many challenges and inequities. I believe her past experiences working with English
Language Learners (ELLs), teaching and facilitating small group instruction, and volunteering in early
Teacher Education childhood and elementary classrooms in both public and parochial settings benefitted her greatly in
this course.
Michigan State University
620 Farm Lane,
313 Erickson Hall I believe Ms. Tidey is very capable of succeeding as a teacher wherever she may land. She possesses
East Lansing, MI 48824 both the tangible and soft skills to do so. She has the educational background, skill set, and drive to
excel, and I know first-hand that she will achieve her goals. Should you need any additional
517-353-5091
Fax: 517-432-5092 information, feel free to contact me via email or phone.
education.msu.edu
Educationally Yours,
Effat Id-Deen, PhD, MSW
Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
Southeast Michigan Elementary & Secondary Internship Coordinator
P: 734.646.6534
E: eiddeen@msu.edu
MSU is an affirmative-action,
equal-opportunity employer.
