Dawn J. Edwards-Raynold

I have known Dawn Edwards-Raynold since 1993, initially as the parent of two students in our Primary School, and over the last few years as a teaching colleague and substitute teacher. As Head of the Primary School I have worked as Mrs. Edwards-Raynold’s direct supervisor.

During the school years 1993-1994 and 1994-1995, Mrs. Edwards-Raynold was employed as a substitute teacher in our Primary School. She was on call for substitution in all our primary classes and during these years taught at every grade level, teaching the full range of 5-11 year olds. She showed great flexibility as a substitute teacher, was responsible and reliable and tackled each new role with humour and energy. Her classes were characterised by the good discipline and order which she commanded of her students. She was meticulous in carrying out the instructions of the absent teacher and left well-organized notes for the teachers on the completion of her daily substitution duties. During these years, Mrs. Edwards-Raynold also attended staff meetings and in service sessions whenever possible.

During the academic year 1995-96, Mrs. Edwards-Raynold took on the position of Primary School Resource Teacher. This involved the maintenance and management of the primary school resource room. She was responsible to all primary teachers for helping them gather the necessary artefacts and equipment needed for their teaching. The position involved co-ordinating with the subject co-ordinators and a knowledge of the topics taught at the different year levels.

In addition to her duties as resource room teacher, Mrs. Edwards-Raynold was responsible for in-class work with class teachers. During the year she assisted in the teaching of many special projects. These included running novel study groups, teaching groups of students, Mathematics, working alongside class teachers on specific projects and providing extra support where necessary. In this way she gained experience in teaching across the whole age range and with a variety of different teachers and took on these whole class responsibilities willingly and with enthusiasm. The position of Resource Room teacher was discontinued at the end of 1996 for purely administrative reasons.

During 1994-1995, Mrs. Edwards-Raynold also completed her degree in Economics at the University of London. She is interested in pursuing a career in education and to this end has embarked upon an M.A. in Education with the Open University. To date, she has completed the first of three course modules in the area of Curriculum Learning and Assessment.

This year (1997-1998), the Vienna International School has been involved in writing a very full and detailed self-study document as part of the school’s accreditation process with the European Council of International Schools (ECIS). Ms. Edwards-Raynold has served as a member of the Committee on the Assessment of Student Learning, once again showing her interest and commitment to the school and education matters.

From 1996 until the present time, Ms. Edwards-Raynold has continued to offer her services as a substitute teacher at V.I.S.. In this capacity, she has worked with all grade levels and has served the school loyally. I am pleased to recommend her to any educational institution which is looking for a hard-working committed teacher.

Anne L. Pönisch
Head of the Primary School
Vienna International School

15 May 1998