Writing a Letter of Recommendation: Getting Started

Like most new instructors, I was pretty clueless when I wrote my first letter of recommendation. After all, it's a huge responsiblity! That letter plays a big role in whether the student is admitted to graduate school. No one tells instructors what they need to write a decent letter. Instead they -- myself included -- learn through trial and error. Some simply don't learn. Don't be that instructor. Take this responsibility seriously. Learn what you should request from students and get ideas about what your letter should cover. If you're a student, you should also take a peek as it will help you help your instructor.