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To: Teacher Leadership Project
From: Sharon Stenersen, Principal
RE:
Jeffrey Riley
Jeffrey Riley is asking to be considered for a position with the Teacher Leadership Project (TLP) to train others. This is an excellent opportunity not only for Jeffrey, but for the project as well. He is a proven staff developer and teacher of both young people and adults. It is a pleasure to write on his behalf.
Jeffrey has been teaching for more than a decade and has always included the sharing with colleagues as part of this professional practice. At first no doubt more of the learning was from his colleagues, but for the past five years that I have known him within Camelot he has been appreciated as a success with technology of all kinds as a tool for learning and working.
The computer and internet for organization, communication and research has been explored and expanded by Jeffrey over the years so that now it is as natural and necessary as any resource. His parents and students count on web pages and calendars and e-mail for their communications regarding the topics of the day, homework and acknowledgement of the levels of success for each child. The students also use it for information all day long and can be seen frequently coming in before school or staying at recess to do research, e-mail or developing their own web pages. Writing about themselves (narrative), telling you how to get information about their school (expository) or convincing you to read one of the books they review (persuasion) is one of the tings any ojne of the students might do readily. The work Jeffrey’s students did last year demonstrated meeting standards of 77%; these students continue on with Jeffrey this year and they make the next steps of growth for their best life-long learning. Students do really well in their learning of strategies and resources (both people and technology of all kinds). They love to show off their learning and to share it as leaders for others to learn – both adults and other children.
Adults too are successful with the strategies they have learned from Jeffrey. Over the years Jeffrey has served as a technology assistant leader within the building. He has also led staff development for his colleagues so that they themselves can use technology within all parts of their work with and for children. This year he took it to another level by teaching a 10 week course to about 20 people – many hours that they were eager to get with his good leadership. Just as with the children, these adult students found that the projects and end goals were things that were purposeful and meaningful skills to attain AND they were successful.
Jeffrey enthusiastically embraces technology. It is a natural part of his life and he promotes it as a tool to enrich the lives of others. His participating audience has been within the classroom, the school, the District, our Internet Academy, the community (including Tomorrow’s Classroom featured in Seattle each summer) and the learning community across the state. Jeffrey’s webpage for the school and his classroom has been recognized across the country where he regularly gets attention. Like most things for him, these things are not enjoyed except as they are shared. He is a collaborative person and one willing to give it all away – each technique, each strategy and each acknowledgement. He would be an excellent teacher/trainer for this project as well.
Sharon Stenersen |