Teacher Letters of Recommendation

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Teacher recommendations can be a daunting task.  The start of the school year is hectic enough and then the seniors come out of the woodwork to request a recommendation.  You already know they don't give you enough notice - "PLEASE the deadline is coming up in 3 days".  😵

How Teachers Can Reduce Stress

1. Understanding what colleges want from a teacher recommendation

2. Creating a system to manage recommendation requests

3. Creating a system to write and fulfill recommendation requests

4. Using technology to help

What Colleges Look for in Teacher Recommendations

CollegeBoard describes "Teacher recommendations should be honest appraisals of a student's academic performance and intellectual promise. They are intended primarily to convey the teacher's classroom experience with the student, giving colleges an idea of how the student is likely to perform academically."  

Feedback from colleges can help teachers to understand exactly what they want from their recommendations.

  • Honest & Specific: We are always telling students "show me, don't tell me" and now it's your turn.  Colleges want anecdotal feedback.  Try to list specific examples or instances where a student demonstrated the characteristic, skill or attribute you are describing.  Provide a true, authentic appraisal of the student's ability as colleges want to predict how they will perform academically in college.
  • Academically-Oriented:  Of course it can be beneficial to focus on personal aspects of the student like any struggles or hardships, extraordinary accomplishments, etc. but colleges are relying on the teacher rec to provide feedback that is specifically academic.  You know the student best from an academic perspective and that is what they want to hear. 
  • Comparison & Context: Make your assessment meaningful to readers by providing context and comparing the student's performance and qualities to their peers.  Rather than stating the student performed well you may consider how they performed compared to their class, or compared to the average student.  
  • Relevance to Post-Secondary Goals: When you can, relate the student's abilities to their interest and post-secondary goals.  It's beneficial for colleges to see how a student's strengths align with their chosen field of study, especially if it relates to your subject or content area.  

Creating a System

Using a system for collecting student information, managing requests and writing your letter can be a great time-saver.  I recommend using a Google Form that notifies you of new form responses each time a student requests you as a recommender.  Gather the important information, inquire about upcoming deadlines and make sure the student understands how much time you will require to process each request.





Use AI & Technology to Write Letters of Recommendation


Using AI or a program like ChatGPT might seem like "cheating" but you are the one strategically selecting the information, relaying it in your own words, and editing the final result.  Once you give it a try you might never go back.  You can even customize your settings so that ChatGPT remembers what school you work for, what role you are, your contact information for the signature of your letter, and more.  You can work smarter, not harder and save time if you incorporate AI to manage your recommendation writing.

  • Save time & reduce stress
  • Custom styles & personalization
  • Inspiration and overcoming writers block
  • Consistency
  • Language polishing & wording
Let me know what you think about AI or about other ways teachers can help manage the stress and time commitment that comes with writing college letters of recommendation!

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