<p>My D (a junior) recently found out that one of her favorite h/s teachers - who have taught her longer than others and knows her better than others is going to retire next year. And DD was going to ask her for some of recomendation letters next year (to the colleges which don't specify which subjects teachers should those recs be from); so, now I wonder, would it be appropriate to still ask that teacher (this year?) about the possibility of recomendations? How it's done? Or should we forget about it and think up some other teachers with whom my D would be able to build good relationships as soon as possible?</p>
<p>Yes, you can get letters from retired teachers but you need to maintain contact -- and of course the teacher needs to be willing. Have your daughter talk to the teacher now and, if the teacher is amenable, be sure to get the teacher's home telephone or email address so that contacts can be made next year. My experience with public schools is that "retired" teachers very often continue to show up quite regularly as substitutes in the schools where they taught, so often they are still around in any case.</p>
<p>Definitely a real and good possibility. At my S's hs, the time to ask teachers for recs is spring of junior year, so that they have the summer to do them. Very appropriate.</p>
<p>As an aside, an English professor I once had was involved in reviewing applications - a peer review, apparently - and complained to us that the letters were too vague, all sounded the same, etc. She attributed this to the delay between teaching the course and writing the letter, and recommended to us all that we get recommendations right after completion of certain courses.</p>
<p>My kids both received recommendations from a retired teacher. After recommendations were written, we gave a box of chocolates to each teacher at school. For the retired teacher, we ordered a lovely basket of goodies to be mailed to him at his retirement home, as we felt he really went above and beyond the call of duty.</p>
<p>I think it's advantageous to have a retired teacher do the letter, if s/he's willing, because there's much more time available and clarity of mind (not besieged by hundreds of other h.s. students daily).
Definitely agree to it before the retirement farewell, however. If the teacher's willing to write it this year and file it with the Guidance Counselor, that'll also do.</p>
<p>Now that the school year is over, my D took her teacher's outside-of-school e-mail, but didn't ask about recomendations (was too shy to do it in front of others or because "nobody does it so early" or whatever). I tried to urge her to e-mail her teacher NOW, as soon as possible, in the beginning of the summer, while her teacher's memory of her students is still fresh, but DD refused, again because "it's not how the things are ususally done; everybody does it in the fall of senior year and so will do I". (She is highly wary of non-standard situations and actions ;-)).</p>
<p>So, which idea, in your experienced opinion, is better - her or mine? :-) And why?</p>
<p>Myau, in my opinion, your idea is much better but this is something that your daughter has to handle --you've already told her your thoughts, she is not comfortable with that, so I think that you have to let it go for now. It will probably be o.k., but if it doesn't work out, then your d. will just have to get a letter from someone else in the fall.</p>
<p>One of the reasons of her reluctance to write the teacher now is that her final college list is not ready yet. So, she is not sure how that rec letter writing should be handled if she can't right now give the teacher the rec forms from any particular colleges. I am not sure about it myself, but feel that she should at least make some preliminary request with that teacher. </p>
<p>Any ideas how to do it appropriately?</p>
<p>It's not a problem that she doesn't have the final list of colleges worked out. That happened to my S when he had to transfer from Tulane post-Katrina. It was complicated because he had spent his only college term at Bates for the Katrina semester and had built a great relationship with a prof there, but wouldn't be seeing him again. He emailed (called? I don't remember; knowing my S, it was likely email) the prof to ask if he would write a rec when the time came. This was while he was very fresh in the prof's mind, even tho apps were 3 months away. </p>
<p>I think she could write an email along these lines (using her own voice, of course):</p>
<p>"Dear Teacher, Now that you are retiring, I just wanted to tell you how much it meant to me to have you as a teacher at xx school over the last 4 years. You were always my favorite teacher and I enjoyed every single one of your classes, especially blah blah.</p>
<p>As I begin my college applications next fall, I would really like to have you write one of my recommendations. Is that something you would be able to do? If so, I will be sure and contact you when I've finalized my application list. I was thinking I would provide you with stamped addressed envelopes and any rec forms the colleges require. Is there anything else that would be helpful?"</p>
<p>In the case of my S, the prof was very happy to do it; was extremely supportive. He asked that we put the deadline for each school's application in light pencil on the envelopes S provided.</p>
<p>If this makes your D comfortable, I think it's better to give the teacher a head start, so she can write the rec when it's most convenient for her.</p>
<p>But if she waits until fall to ask, that's ok, too. Sometimes we parents are way more logistically organized than our kids, but somehow they work it all out - even if it's not as nice and neat as we would have done it. ;)</p>