Please understand that recommendation letters are something that teachers do outside of their contractual responsibilities to Governor Livingston and the Berkeley Heights Public Schools.  As such, I have a particular set of guidelines that must be followed.

Juniors: College Recommendation Letters

In order to be considered for a letter, students must meet the following criteria:

• • Has not participated in an academically dishonest activity (see below)

  • Course average of "B" (80%) or better OR demonstrated growth from first semester to second semester and is on track for a second semester average of "B" (80%) or better with no single marking period below 70% except if substantial growth is evident.

  • No discipline issues in class for the entire year; has not been distracted by Chromebook or Phone during class.

  • Active participant in class discussions, group problem-solving, and group lab activities.

  • Has not missed submitting any work for the year with perhaps a rare exception.

  • Spoken to me outside of the classroom setting; has worked to develop a rapport.

  • Taken advantage of nearly all extra credit activities conducted outside of class time; demonstrated devotion to coursework.

  • Exhibits independence and the ability for self-advocacy as demonstrated by the absence of parent-initiated teacher contact.

While this is not a requirement to be considered for a letter, a student that demonstrates a passion for physics by continuing physics education at GL via enrolling in AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, Intro to Astrophysics, and/or Exploration of Mars will be given additional consideration.

After we have a conversation outside of class and if I agree to write you a letter, you will receive a Google Form to complete via email.  This form must be completed no later than 12:30 pm on the last day of school.  If you do not submit a form by this date, I will no longer be able to write you a letter.

If you apply to schools that require a physical letter (ones that cannot be sent via Naviance), you are required to give me hard copies of the application form (make sure you fill out your section first) and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Please understand that I usually get a high volume of requests.  It is inappropriate for you to ask more than 2 teachers to write you a letter.  Writing a letter takes time and if you ask more than 2 teachers for a letter (since most schools only take 2), that means you only plan to use certain letters for specific applications.  That places a huge burden on teachers to now write even more letters since everyone is asking more than 2 teachers.  I will not write you a letter if you ask more than 2 teachers for letters.

When completing my online form, the part at the end asks you to write a personal reflection.  Many students believe this is an area to let me know "how cool" I am or "how much fun" you had in class.  This is not the point of this section.  You do not need to flatter me to write you a good letter.  I need something to put in the letter and writing how cool I apparently am in your letter doesn't help you get into the colleges of your choice.  The more effort you put into this section of the form is directly proportional to how personal and detailed your letter of recommendation is.  Spending little time and submitting a vague answer will result in me sending my generic letter of recommendation to your colleges.

Sophomores & Juniors: Summer Program, Employment, etc. Recommendation Letters

In order to be considered for a letter, students must meet the following criteria:

• • Has not participated in an academically dishonest activity (see below)

  • Course average of "B" (80%) or better OR demonstrated growth from first semester to second semester and is on track for a second semester average of "B" (80%) or better with no single marking period below 70%.

  • No discipline issues in class for the entire year; has not been distracted by iPad/Chromebook or Phone during class

  • Active participant in class discussion and group lab activities

  • Has not missed submitting any work for the year with perhaps a rare exception

  • Spoken to me outside of the classroom setting; has worked to develop a rapport

  • Taken advantage of nearly all extra credit activities conducted outside of class time; demonstrated devotion to coursework

  • Exhibit independence and the ability for self-advocacy as demonstrated by the absence of parent-initiated teacher contact

Seniors: College Recommendation & Scholarship Letters

Seniors looking to request a college recommendation letter have unfortunately missed the deadline to request.  Requests must be made at the end of junior year as described above.

Seniors looking to request a scholarship letter must have already asked and have been granted a college recommendation letter.  If you already have requested a college recommendation letter and one is written, please request the scholarship letter via email no later than 2 weeks prior to the deadline.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic Dishonesty (also known as academic misconduct or academic fraud) is defined as any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise.  It may include, but is not limited to plagiarism, fabrication, deception, cheating, bribery, sabotage, impersonation, or complicity.

Plagiarism: the use of another person’s distinctive ideas or words without acknowledgement (word-for-word copying, interspersing/rewriting of one’s own words here and there while copying another’s work, fabrication of references, submission of another’s work as one’s own, neglecting quotation marks on material that is otherwise acknowledged)

Fabrication: falsification of data, information, or citations in any formal academic exercise

Deception: providing false information to an instructor concerning a formal academic exercise (i.e. giving a false excuse to missing a deadline or missing an examination)

Cheating: any attempt to obtain assistance in a formal academic exercise (the possession, communication, or use of information, materials, notes, study aids or other devices not authorized by the instructor - i.e. copying from another’s paper or receiving unauthorized assistance from another during an academic exercise or in the submission of academic material, asking another student for the contents of an exam already administered to the student you are asking)

Bribery: giving assignment answers or test answers for money or a service (i.e. you tell me what’s on test B and I’ll tell you what’s on test A)

Sabotage: acting to prevent others from completing their work

Impersonation: assuming a student’s identity with intent to provide an advantage for the student (i.e. logging into an electronic submission system as another student and completing their work)

Complicity: knowingly contributing to another’s act of academic dishonesty (i.e. willingly providing information that should not be shared in order to give an advantage to another student or allowing a student to sign their name to work they did not participate in completing)

This definition has been adapted from Wikipedia and the University of Colorado, Denver.