When I first met X X, he was an arrogant 16-year-old sitting in my advanced level English class. He was smug in his confidence, boasting that he could decode my notoriously difficult summer reading tests without cracking a book. Needless to say, I had a challenge on my hands – X himself a challenge and then there remained the challenge to my tests as well. My tests held their own that August as did X. I have to say that neither was totally successful. X didn’t fail miserably, and I begrudgingly admit that I was secretly hoping that he would. I realize that a teacher shouldn’t wish for a student to fail, but I wanted so badly that moment of satisfaction when he was to be taken down a notch or two. It didn’t happen – not the way I expected, anyway. This first episode in our tenure as teacher and student clued me in on several things that X cannot resist – a challenge, an argument, and a little friendly sarcasm. And while X did try to pull one over on me that first month of school, I think at that point we began to develop a mutual respect for one another. At least he began to read the assignments. I have to admit that X is the kind of student that I love to have in my classroom. He is different from the anal, overachieving perfectionist. He possesses none of those characteristics, but what he loves to be more than anything is right. Grades don’t matter as much having the perfect intellectual response in class or catching the teacher in her own fallacies, which he has done a time or two, but I still have the upper hand. The important thing is that he challenges himself and in doing so, he challenges his classmates and his teachers as well. Some teachers aren’t quite as responsive to X’s kind of provoking. I welcome it. He keeps me sharp too. I can never rest when he is in the room. I still haven’t found the novel that he loves or the author that speaks to him like no other. I am ashamed to say that I cannot make English majors of them all, but what I can do, is help them become thinkers. I like to think that maybe I had a little influence on his becoming one. If nothing else, X looks at the world with a critical eye, and he is constantly surprising me by what he is capable of. This past summer he attended a summer program at Philips Exeter Academy. He brought back with him a poem that he wrote while he was there (I had no clue that he was a writer). It was a poem entitled “Theme For Creative Writing” based on the poem by Langston Hughes called “Theme For English B.” Wow, I was blown away. In the poem, he took to task the teacher and the white students who tiptoed around him because he was the only darker complected person in the class. As I read the poem, I thought – this guy has something; I wish I were more like him. In response to reading his poem, I wrote him a short note and think it appropriate that I include some of it in this recommendation. “I just read your poem again, and I sit here amazed, teary-eyed, and with that happy teacher smile on my face. I applaud you for voicing this frustration and for acknowledging your own struggle with it. This not only took guts, but also intuitiveness. I’m proud to be able to say ‘that kid there, with the braids, you know, the smart one, he’s my student. He’s proud to be smart; he’s not afraid to question or to admit that he doesn’t know (well, maybe that’s not entirely true). That kid there, he taught me a little more about what it means to be a teacher.’” This, in a nutshell, is X X as both a person and a student. I admit – he’s my favorite; so I may be a tad biased. But, I assure you that X X comes highly recommended by a teacher who thinks the world of him and hopes to see his collegiate dreams come true. A better student and person you will not find.
It is with great pleasure that I write to you in order to recommend one of my top students, X X. Her transcript speaks for itself, which makes my job one of simple embellishments. As her English teacher for the past two years, I feel confident in commenting on her analytical abilities, motivational skills, writing style, and interpersonal adeptness. She comes from a well-rounded, eclectic background which accounts for her many interests and areas of expertise. As well as her academic and social accomplishments, she possesses a truly superb integrity of character that one might consider rare in today’s youth.
As stated previously, X’s academic standing is no less than perfect. She holds herself to this standard, feeling pressure only from herself to do her best and meet the goals that she has set for herself. In witnessing first hand X’s inherent motivation to succeed, I notice in her a tenacious desire, not necessarily to achieve, but to acquire knowledge. This love of knowledge applies to all disciplines and areas of interest, and this acquisitiveness that I refer to has lead to her many achievements, one of which is being a contender for the position of valedictorian.
Her inherent love of knowledge also proves that her motivation is intrinsic as well. In X we see someone who has overcome tremendous obstacles in order to prove herself. No task is daunting; no problem is too hard. She attacks each new situation with strength and vigor. Her motivational skills merge with her leadership abilities, which afford her the respect of her fellow classmates. She has served on the student council, representing the views of the student body. She has only been met with praise.
X X is a superior student, who deserves the exemplar education. I strongly recommend her. I can think of no other student as worthy or capable as she.