I am a new teacher, and my supervisor asked me to write a letter recommending a student for an award. I don’t think he is qualified. What should I do?
Nancy, No City Please
Teachers are often asked to recommend students for awards, scholarships, or job applications. Sometimes we know the student well, and our remarks could span several pages detailing accomplishments and credentials. Other times, we don’t know the student well enough to write an enthusiastic recommendation. Finally, we may have very compelling reasons, based on our experiences, not to recommend a student at all. Without knowing the requirements of the award or the details of your relationship with the student or your supervisor, I’ve compiled some suggestions to help you think through this.
First, there are some general factors you should consider:

• What is the relative value of this award?
• Is student being judged on his potential for future achievement or on his past
• performance?
• How well and under what circumstances do you know the student?
• Is the student a protégé of your supervisor?
• What happens if the student is denied the award?
• What happens if the student wins the award?
• Are other nominees more deserving?
• Do you have a student you would rather recommend?

One option is brutal honesty. You could tell your supervisor you decline to write the letter and specify the reasons. Do this respectfully and professionally, and you would most likely leave the meeting feeling positive about your personal integrity. However, I can’t guess how your supervisor would react;,the fact you are writing for advice suggests that as a new teacher you might be a little nervous about this. Of course, if there are compelling reasons for not recommending the student (e.g., dishonesty, bullying) this is your only choice.
Another option would be to meet with your supervisor and tactfully mention that you are having some difficulty organizing your thoughts. Ask for some help to think through the particular qualities or potential of this student so that you can choose which to emphasize. Be sure to ask questions for clarification. Perhaps your supervisor knows this student from other contexts beyond your class and can help you to develop different perspectives on the student’s qualifications, at least enough to craft a letter.
There is also the time-honored tradition of damning with faint praise. You could choose to write the letter with well-worded honesty. Keep it brief, emphasize the positives of this student from your experiences, and avoid any direct negatives. Provide contact information if the award committee requires further (verbal only) information. Savvy members of the award committee will see through this and base their decision as much on what you don’t say as on what you actually say.
Then there is the “oops” approach. As a new teacher you are surely busy beyond belief. Some things naturally slip off the table for all of us. No one will ever know that the delay in completing your letter was intentional. There are some potential negatives for this approach, especially in that you may seem disorganized or undependable.
In the end, only you can decide how much emotional and intellectual energy to invest in this situation, and only you can make the final decision as to what to do.