Let’s be real for a second. Sitting down to write a letter of recommendation for a teacher colleague is usually the last thing anyone wants to do at 4:30 PM on a Tuesday when you’ve still got three stacks of geometry proofs to grade. You want to help your friend. You know they’re a "rockstar" or whatever the buzzword of the week is. But when you stare at that blinking cursor, everything feels like a cliché. "Dedicated." "Passionate." "Team player."
Honestly? Those words are where recommendation letters go to die.
Principals and hiring committees read hundreds of these. They can smell a generic template from a mile away. If you want your colleague to actually land that new gig at the high-performing charter school or the cushy district office, you have to stop writing like a robot and start writing like a witness. You aren't just vouching for them; you're providing evidence.
Why Most Peer Recommendations Fail
The biggest mistake is staying too high-level. I’ve seen letters that spend three paragraphs talking about how "kind" a teacher is. Kindness is great, but it doesn't tell a principal if the person can handle a rowdy 9th-period inclusion class or if they actually understand how to use data to drive instruction.
A letter of recommendation for a teacher colleague needs to bridge the gap between "they’re a nice person" and "they are a pedagogical powerhouse." If you're just repeating what's on their resume, you're wasting space. The resume says they taught 10th-grade English. Your letter should say how they taught it so well that the kids who usually cut class started showing up early.
The "Show, Don't Tell" Rule for Educators
Think about a specific moment. Maybe it was a Tuesday morning during a PLC meeting. Your colleague, let’s call her Sarah, didn't just nod along. She brought a specific spreadsheet showing exactly where the ELL students were tripping up on the last formative assessment. She had a plan. She had three differentiated worksheets ready to go.
That’s a story.
When you write that story into the letter of recommendation for a teacher colleague, you’re giving the hiring manager a mental image of Sarah in action. You’re showing them she’s collaborative and data-driven without ever using those exhausted words.
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Classroom Management vs. "Magic"
We often hear about teachers who have "magic" with kids. It’s not magic. It’s systems. If you’ve stepped into your colleague’s room and noticed it’s unusually calm, don't just say they have "great classroom management." Talk about the specific culture they built. Did they use restorative justice circles? Did they have a hyper-organized laboratory setup that prevented chaos?
According to research from the Learning Policy Institute, teacher turnover is often linked to a lack of support and administrative culture. When a principal reads your letter, they are looking for someone who contributes to a positive, stable environment. They want a "culture builder."
Structuring the Letter Without Looking Like a Template
You don't need a five-paragraph essay structure. That's for the students.
Start with the "How I Know Them" bit, but keep it brief. "I’ve taught across the hall from Sarah for four years" is enough. Then, move straight into the meat.
I like to focus on three distinct pillars:
- Instructional Grit: How do they handle the hard stuff? Give an example of a lesson that flopped and how they fixed it the next day. This shows humility and a growth mindset.
- The "Invisible" Work: This is the stuff parents and students don't see. The late-night curriculum mapping, the mentorship of new teachers, or the way they organized the entire science fair when the department head was out on leave.
- Student Impact: This isn't just about test scores. It’s about the kid who hated reading until they entered your colleague's room. Mention specific (anonymized) student growth.
What If You Don't Like Their Teaching Style?
This is the awkward part. Sometimes a colleague asks for a recommendation, and you’re just... lukewarm.
If you can't honestly rave about their pedagogy, focus on their reliability. Are they never late? Do they always have their grades in on time? Are they a whiz at the technical side of the LMS? You can write a solid, honest letter of recommendation for a teacher colleague by highlighting their professional strengths even if you wouldn't necessarily want your own kid in their class.
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However, if you truly believe they are a detriment to a school, the kindest thing you can do is decline. A "meh" letter often hurts more than no letter at all because it signals to the hiring committee that even their friends can't find anything great to say.
The Semantic Power of "Initiative"
In the modern school environment, nobody wants a teacher who just follows orders. They want someone who sees a gap and fills it.
I remember a colleague who noticed our school lacked a clear protocol for identifying gifted students in underrepresented populations. She didn't wait for a mandate. She spent her own time researching the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test and presented a case to the board.
When I wrote her letter of recommendation for a teacher colleague, that was the centerpiece. It proved she wasn't just a "cog" in the machine. She was an advocate.
Essential Components to Include
If you want the letter to hit the right notes for an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and a human reader, you need a few specific "nodes" of information.
- The Context: State your role clearly. If you are a department chair, say it. If you are a co-teacher, even better—that speaks to their ability to share a space.
- The "Special Sauce": Every teacher has one thing they do better than anyone else. Is it parent communication? Is it integrating AI in the classroom? Is it making Shakespeare feel like a Marvel movie? Find that one thing and hammer it home.
- The Soft Skills: Mention how they handle stress. Education is a pressure cooker. A teacher who keeps their cool during a chaotic pep rally or a tense IEP meeting is worth their weight in gold.
Real-World Example (Illustrative)
Instead of saying: "John is a great history teacher who uses technology well."
Try writing: "During our unit on the Cold War, John transformed his classroom into a 'situation room.' He leveraged Pear Deck and specialized simulation software to get students debating geopolitics. I watched students who typically struggle with engagement stay thirty minutes after the bell just to finish a 'negotiation.' His ability to blend rigorous historical standards with high-tech engagement is something I’ve rarely seen in fifteen years of teaching."
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See the difference? One is a Hallmark card. The other is a job offer.
Formatting for the 21st Century
Don't send a Word doc if you can help it. Save it as a PDF. Use the school’s letterhead if you’re allowed to. It adds a level of institutional weight that a plain white sheet of paper lacks.
Also, keep it to one page. No one is reading page two. If you can’t convince them in 400 words, you aren’t going to do it in 800.
Dealing with the "Why"
Why are they leaving? If it’s for a promotion or a move to a new city, say so. It eases the mind of the new principal. "While we are devastated to lose Sarah to her move to Chicago, I am thrilled that another school will benefit from her expertise" is a classic but effective closer.
It frames the departure as a loss for your school and a win for the new one.
Actionable Steps for Writing the Letter
- Interview the colleague first. Ask them what specific "wins" they want highlighted. Sometimes they want to pivot from being a classroom teacher to an instructional coach, so your letter should focus on their leadership rather than just their rapport with kids.
- Gather the data. Ask them for their latest growth percentiles or a copy of a particularly glowing parent email. Stick those specifics into the prose.
- Draft the "Hook." Start with a bold claim. "In my decade of teaching, I have encountered only a handful of educators who possess the innate ability to..."
- The "Three-Story" Method. Pick three anecdotes: one about a student, one about a colleague interaction, and one about a personal professional achievement.
- Verify the recipient. If you can address the letter to a specific principal by name rather than "To Whom It May Concern," do it. It shows you actually care about where your colleague is going.
- Proofread like a hawk. A letter with typos from a teacher is a bad look for both you and the candidate.
Writing a letter of recommendation for a teacher colleague is a significant responsibility. You are essentially holding their career trajectory in your hands for a moment. By ditching the "edu-speak" and focusing on the raw, tangible evidence of their impact, you provide the hiring team with the one thing they actually need: proof that this person will make their school better.
Be specific. Be honest. Be human. That’s how you get them the job.
Once you’ve finished the draft, let it sit for an hour. Read it out loud. If it sounds like something a computer would spit out, go back and add more "dirt"—the grit, the real-world challenges, and the messy, beautiful reality of what happens in a classroom. That’s what sells. That’s what sticks.
Reach out to your HR department to see if they have a specific portal for submission, or if a signed PDF emailed directly to the hiring manager is preferred. Getting the logistics right is the final hurdle in making your recommendation stick.