Writing reccomendation FOR a professoer

[zeppelinpage4]

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Hey guys,
I wasn't quite sure who to ask or where to look, but I was recently approached by my professor and asked to write a letter for her. I am incredibly honored that she has come to me for something so important, and this professor has had a huge impact on me over the years and wrote my letters of recommendation in the past. I've taken multiple classes with this professor and I currently do research in her lab.
So, I really want to do a good job with this.

Only problem, I've never written a letter of recommendation before, and I certainly don't know what to write regarding a professor. Has, anyone written a letter for a professor in the past?
How did you approach it?
To be honest, I'm a little intimidated, but I really want this letter to make a difference. 😳

 

[mehc012]

Hey guys,
I wasn't quite sure who to ask or where to look, but I was recently approached by my professor and asked to write a letter for her. I am incredibly honored that she has come to me for something so important, and this professor has had a huge impact on me over the years and wrote my letters of recommendation in the past. I've taken multiple classes with this professor and I currently do research in her lab.
So, I really want to do a good job with this.

Only problem, I've never written a letter of recommendation before, and I certainly don't know what to write regarding a professor. Has, anyone written a letter for a professor in the past?
How did you approach it?
To be honest, I'm a little intimidated, but I really want this letter to make a difference. 😳

Depends on what the LOR is for...we can't really give any meaningful insight w/o even knowing what your task is.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

Depends on what the LOR is for...we can't really give any meaningful insight w/o even knowing what your task is.

I apologize, I don't want to reveal too much info. Basically, it's for a prestigious award/honor given to the most dedicated professors on our campus.

 

[xGeorgettex]

I've helped friends edit letters like this and done one myself. My best advice is to write up a list of reasons why you think your prof is the best on campus and then fill in specific, 'warm and fuzzy' type examples. For instance, if you say your prof makes you excited about research because of his/her incredible interest, give a vivid example of a time when that happened. Imagine when you write that you're sitting with a good friend who wants to learn about this professor. Tell them all the excellent stuff you've experienced in detail.

 

[La Presse]

A resume/CV may also be handy. Ask the professor for a copy.

 

[battousai]

I've helped friends edit letters like this and done one myself. My best advice is to write up a list of reasons why you think your prof is the best on campus and then fill in specific, 'warm and fuzzy' type examples. For instance, if you say your prof makes you excited about research because of his/her incredible interest, give a vivid example of a time when that happened. Imagine when you write that you're sitting with a good friend who wants to learn about this professor. Tell them all the excellent stuff you've experienced in detail.

I agree with this, but don't forget to say why you think you professor is on of the most (if not the most) dedicated professor on campus.

 

[red7]

I've helped friends edit letters like this and done one myself. My best advice is to write up a list of reasons why you think your prof is the best on campus and then fill in specific, 'warm and fuzzy' type examples. For instance, if you say your prof makes you excited about research because of his/her incredible interest, give a vivid example of a time when that happened. Imagine when you write that you're sitting with a good friend who wants to learn about this professor. Tell them all the excellent stuff you've experienced in detail.

+1 - also, just run an internet search on how to write recommendation letters. You'll have to mold it to your requirements, but there are a lot of guidelines about how to write a strong letter of recommendation online.

 

[lovesfall]

I had to do this before. I agree with previous posters. Remember, you're evaluating an educator from a student's perspective - so focus on the areas that are important to students' success that her peer references won't be able to address as meaningfully. If in doubt, I think it's OK to ask if there are specific areas she'd like you to highlight. Obviously you don't want her to write it for herself any more than you'd like to have to write your own, but if you're at a loss it might be good to find out what the evaluation criteria are and touch on those areas.

 

[EnginrTheFuture]

I had to do this before. I agree with previous posters. Remember, you're evaluating an educator from a student's perspective - so focus on the areas that are important to students' success that her peer references won't be able to address as meaningfully. If in doubt, I think it's OK to ask if there are specific areas she'd like you to highlight. Obviously you don't want her to write it for herself any more than you'd like to have to write your own, but if you're at a loss it might be good to find out what the evaluation criteria are and touch on those areas.

These two bolded points are worth emphasizing. If you know the award, look at the description and evaluation criteria. This will give you a basic structure of things to mention. Focus on coming from the student experience. It is highly likely the professor will need a letter from his/her department chair, a post-doc or funded student (if research related), and another peer. Your letter has a specific purpose you should fill... speaking as a student.

Don't be afraid to be a little less "stiff" than you would first tend to be. You are not the department chair. Speak from your heart but keep it at a reasonable level of professionalism. I think reading something that is clearly sincere is important.

I had to do one of these for a professor for both an intra and inter university award. She won the intra university award. If you would like me to provide feedback of an anonymized version please feel free to PM me. Good luck.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

Hey, I just want to thank you guys for taking the time to post and help me out. I drew a lot of advice from your posts and opted to do a student's view point review. It was professional, but I made it a bit more personal and laid back.

Anyways, I had my professor take a look before submitting and she liked it a lot, so I'm hoping it helps. No word on the award yet, but hoping for the best. Thanks again for all the help.🙂