Jennifer Watt, Sessional Instructor

Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning

Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba
(204) 261-4765
Jennifer.Watt@umanitoba.ca
To Whom It May Concern,
It is my sincere pleasure to act as a reference for Rebecca Routhier. During her final year at the
Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba, I was lucky enough to be Beckys
instructor for a course for future senior years teachers called Language and Literacy Across
the Curriculum (September November 2015). Becky was an enthusiastic, conscientious, and
deeply committed learner throughout the course. She found unique ways to connect her
previous teaching and leadership experiences to her passions for life-long health, fitness, and
physical literacy development.
Becky lives her beliefs about cultivating life-long, balanced, energy-giving fitness practices.
Arriving to school most days on her bike, Becky integrated her full-time school schedule with
rich and varied fitness and leadership roles. Through her strong organizational skills and by
prioritizing and understanding the benefits of movement throughout her day, Becky was able to
maintain high academic standards in all of her course assignments while still maintaining a
demanding work schedule as an Intramurals Supervisor for U of Ms Recreational Services and
a Kick Cancer Representative for Cancer Care Manitoba. Becky is also a runner who
participates regularly in half marathon races. She is a role model for future students, their
families, and her colleagues of how to embrace healthy approaches to lifelong wellbeing.
One of the ways I was most inspired by Becky was through her deep passion for making sure
that lifelong wellbeing and active living is accessible for people of all abilities. Becky was
deeply influenced by her experiences working within a Special Needs Physical Education class
in her first practicum placement at Glenlawn Collegiate Institute. Becky embraced the
opportunity to work with and learn from students with a range of physical and cognitive
abilities. She was inspired to find ways to meet potential challenges and remove potential
barriers so all people can develop their physical literacy, foster their confidence, and build a
sense of community. This commitment to active living for all has manifested in Beckys
willingness to volunteer and raise funds for the Special Olympics, including her
participation/facilitation in Motionball 2015.
Becky is an exceptionally thoughtful, reflective, and dedicated young educator. She is
committed to making her teaching accessible, inclusive, and inspiring for all the learners she
will encounter. She has a wide range of teaching, coaching, leadership, and organizational
experiences that will equip her to hit the ground running in whatever school and division is
fortunate enough to hire her. If you have any questions or would like to talk to me further about
Becky, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Watt