January 25, 2004
Recommendation on behalf of Jane Rubio
Jane Rubio has been the teacher of my daughter’s Advanced Placement History course at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School this school year. I’ve gotten to know Jane directly through several face-to-face meetings and indirectly through conversations with my daughter about the class. I’ve come away extremely impressed with Jane—she’s a very gifted young teacher.
I first became acquainted with Jane early in the school year, on the evening when parents were invited to CRLS to meet with their children’s teachers. In Jane’s classroom, some parents expressed concern about low scores on the first AP history tests—several of these parents were, I felt, disrespectful and overly aggressive. Yet Jane was able to handle their inquiries with poise and aplomb. She did not get flustered, which could easily have happened to a young teacher in such a situation. Instead, she stayed calm, explaining the high standard students would be held to and noting that they were dictated by the demands of the AP test. She never waffled about the course’s demands, yet managed to explain them in a jovial, disarming way. I was struck by how well she defused what could have been a tense incident.
I made a point of speaking with Jane after this meeting to thank her for her work in the class, which was already my daughter’s favorite. In this conversation and subsequent ones, I’ve been struck by her intelligence and diligence. Jane is a graduate of the Social Studies program at Harvard College. I know from attending graduate school there that this is among the most demanding and thorough undergraduate programs at Harvard; anyone who completes it comes away with an excellent grounding in modern history and the social sciences. In talking with Jane about her prior teaching experience, at a Catholic high school in East Boston, I learned about her social conscience and dedication. And in speaking with my daughter about the class, I’ve come to see how well Jane is running the course. She’s provided a solid combination of lectures and class discussion, and has given insightful and helpful comments on my daughter’s work.
During my daughter’s three years at CRLS, I’ve had dealings with nearly two dozen teachers. With her combination of intelligence, diligence and personal charisma, Jane is matched by only one other teacher—an outstanding member of English department who had more than a decade of experience. I believe Jane has the potential to be a truly special teacher. Any school that has the opportunity to hire her will be quite fortunate.
If you have any additional questions about Jane or about my daughter’s experience in her class, feel free to contact me by email at rjl@mit.edu or to call me in my office at 617 253 0526.
Sincerely,
Robert Laubacher
Research Scientist
Recommendation on behalf of Jane Rubio
Jane Rubio has been the teacher of my daughter’s Advanced Placement History course at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School this school year. I’ve gotten to know Jane directly through several face-to-face meetings and indirectly through conversations with my daughter about the class. I’ve come away extremely impressed with Jane—she’s a very gifted young teacher.
I first became acquainted with Jane early in the school year, on the evening when parents were invited to CRLS to meet with their children’s teachers. In Jane’s classroom, some parents expressed concern about low scores on the first AP history tests—several of these parents were, I felt, disrespectful and overly aggressive. Yet Jane was able to handle their inquiries with poise and aplomb. She did not get flustered, which could easily have happened to a young teacher in such a situation. Instead, she stayed calm, explaining the high standard students would be held to and noting that they were dictated by the demands of the AP test. She never waffled about the course’s demands, yet managed to explain them in a jovial, disarming way. I was struck by how well she defused what could have been a tense incident.
I made a point of speaking with Jane after this meeting to thank her for her work in the class, which was already my daughter’s favorite. In this conversation and subsequent ones, I’ve been struck by her intelligence and diligence. Jane is a graduate of the Social Studies program at Harvard College. I know from attending graduate school there that this is among the most demanding and thorough undergraduate programs at Harvard; anyone who completes it comes away with an excellent grounding in modern history and the social sciences. In talking with Jane about her prior teaching experience, at a Catholic high school in East Boston, I learned about her social conscience and dedication. And in speaking with my daughter about the class, I’ve come to see how well Jane is running the course. She’s provided a solid combination of lectures and class discussion, and has given insightful and helpful comments on my daughter’s work.
During my daughter’s three years at CRLS, I’ve had dealings with nearly two dozen teachers. With her combination of intelligence, diligence and personal charisma, Jane is matched by only one other teacher—an outstanding member of English department who had more than a decade of experience. I believe Jane has the potential to be a truly special teacher. Any school that has the opportunity to hire her will be quite fortunate.
If you have any additional questions about Jane or about my daughter’s experience in her class, feel free to contact me by email at rjl@mit.edu or to call me in my office at 617 253 0526.
Sincerely,
Robert Laubacher
Research Scientist
