There are infinite ways to see & perceive the world.

February 24, 2022

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing you a letter of recommendation regarding Paige Rottschafer. I am very happy to do so; I have been hoping an opportunity would arise to, in some way, pay Paige back for the splendid education she gave to my son. Every once in a while you encounter one of those people that supersede the typical descriptors of “proactive” or “smart;” where the overused phrases simply don’t suffice to describe an individual who creates her own electric atmosphere of energy; who draws the best out of others with the magnetism of her personality; who shapes and leads the discussion and engages all her class with thought–provoking topics and ideas; who is at once both intelligent and diligent enough to dispense all the facts and all the knowledge, but also adds her signature creativity and innovation to how she disperses the information; who powers a classroom through a year of virtual lessons with her own indefatigable energy. Such an individual is Paige Rottschafer.

My son was in Paige‘s virtual classroom for 2020 to 2021. Starting the year, my wife and I were concerned regarding whether his attention would be kept or whether his education would suffer. All of our concerns were allayed by observing Ms. Rottschafer, and our expectations were far exceeded. It became quite clear over the year that she is a special individual. She gave thoughtful analyses of my son’s learning progress during our parent-teacher conferences. She both solicited and accepted feedback very well. She was organized and had plans to address areas of concern. She considered him as a whole individual, not just as a vessel to fill with facts. She cared for his social, emotional and psychological, not just intellectual, development. I could not imagine a better role model for him, and I am convinced that his year spent under her tutelage was instrumental in developing him into a mature adolescent. I asked my son for his input on this letter, and his favorite thing about Ms. Rottschafer as a teacher were her logical and detailed explanations of the topic-at-hand, her patience in answering numerous questions, and her broad view of a specific topic which allowed her to intelligently discuss it from multiple points of view. These were not simple topics: Paige fearlessly dived into thorny environmental problems, social issues, cultural issues, and global problems with her class. She discussed these scientifically and also holistically, with emphasis on the inter-connected and multifaceted nature of problems and ostensible solutions.

As an adult, I was impressed by the mental flexibility that goes into such an approach, and as a 21st-century citizen, I am even more appreciative of the training to understand different perspectives that my son and his young classmates received under Ms. Rottschafer’s instruction. My son’s favorite section of class was a brainchild of Ms. Rottschafer called “Wake up World,” in which she would virtually connect the class with a person from a different country to discuss cultural differences as well as similarities. The complex issues that I already alluded to were also discussed, further adding to the education in different cultural perspectives. This was not part of the standard curriculum, but rather an example of the aforementioned creativity and innovation. My son’s favorite thing about Ms. Rottschafer as a person was her warmth and indefatigable positive energy. She was the perfect answer to a year that could have been somber and rote.

In summary, Paige Rottschafer is a superbly talented and mature individual, well-suited and equipped to take on any role that requires intelligence, integration, awareness, advocacy, and appreciation of a complex and interconnected system involving people, society, and technology.

If we can answer any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Parents of 4th grader (name changed for privacy)