Callanan Middle School

3010 Center Street

Des Moines, IA 50312-3722

(515) 242-8101

Fax (515) 242-8103

Dawn Stahly, Principal

Becky Pool, CounselorJosh Griffith, Vice Principal

Sone Lovan, Nurse

Ryan Daugherty, School Improvement Leader

Wendy Hopwood, Office ManagerBrandy Borg taught in my seventh grade math classroom during the second semester of the 2014-2015 school year. My four blocks of classes consist of about 100 students from diverse cultural backgrounds. My students come from all over the world. Over half of my students are identified as ELL students and over 85% are minority. Brandy was expected to come into my class and meet all of their needs, which cover a wide range of ability levels. Her time at Callanan provided her with the unique experience of working with a culturally and academically diverse group of students and Brandy excelled with them.

Brandy willingly fulfilled all teacher duties inside and outside of the classroom. I am on many committees within our building that require extra meetings after school and other time commitments past our contractual day. Brandy gladly stayed for each meeting and event and put in extra time that wasnt required. Inside of the classroom Brandy immediately began to look at our curriculum to see where we were in the year. It is difficult to start mid-unit, but Brandy jumped in head first learning our standards so that she could effectively help students.

During her experience, Brandy demonstrated many competencies that made her an extremely effective teacher in my classroom. The strengths I consistently observed were:

1). Personal Skills- I was immediately impressed with Brandy because she seemed extremely comfortable with my students. In a school like Callanan, relationships trump every other component of the classroom. In order to teach my students effectively a relationship has to be built. Brandy showed genuine interest in my students and in return they began to trust her as a teacher. It is not always easy getting a middle school to open up and trust, especially many of my students due to their past, but Brandy was able to break down the walls and in return my students gave her the respect she needed to run an effective classroom. Brandy also worked well with the other teachers on my team and was well liked by all the staff in our building.

2.) Organizational and planning skills- Brandy has exceptional planning skills. The unit that Brandy taught was on random sampling. This is a difficult unit to plan for due to limited resources, both in print and online. Since this was just added to the common core a couple of years ago, there are not many activities and ideas to pull from. Brandy found and used every resource she could, from me, to her professors, to what she could locate online and in books. It is this type of diligent research and planning that will make Brandy an excellent classroom teacher. Well-designed lessons are the foundation for a strong classroom and Brandys plans were comprehensive and thought provoking.

3.) Student Assessment- Assessing students, both informally and formally is a critical component of teaching. Brandy used several types of assessments to gauge where the students were during the unit. She then used this data to drive what she was doing next. Brandy also reflected on student knowledge during the lesson and was constantly modifying the pace and how she taught the content. It is the personal reflection that blew me away. As a veteran teacher I am able to gauge and guide my lessons due to experience. As a first time teacher Brandy has the natural ability to see what students are struggling with and modify as she went along. Brandy also would modify lesson as the day went on as she noticed questions or issues.

4.) Classroom Management- Every teacher knows that classroom management is the hardest skill to master. Each class and each year brings a different set of challenges. My classes this year are challenging to say the least. One class in particular at the end of the day can be overwhelming some days. Brandy was able to establish a routine and personal behavior system that she implemented to help maintain a positive learning atmosphere. I have no doubt that she will be able to handle any classroom issue that comes her way!

5.) Work Ethic- Teaching is a tireless job. Brandy was diligent and conscientious about her responsibilities. She worked many hours before and after school to write lesson plans, develop activities, check papers, and record grades. She put in the extra time necessary to keep up with a very demanding job.

I believe that Brandy will be the type of professional who will continuously improve her teaching techniques because she enjoys teaching and is intrinsically motivated to succeed and to have her students succeed. At the same time, she will provide all students with a safe and supportive learning environment. I also feel that Brandy will be the kind of teacher that will contribute her time and support, not only to her classroom, but to the wider educational community. I have recommend Brandy for any secondary position, but she is a must have at the middle school level. She will be a tremendous asset to any school.

Jennifer DavisSupervising Teacher

Callanan Middle SchoolMission StatementCallanan Middle School is a diverse learning community committed to providing

a meaningful, challenging curriculum in a caring, respectful environment.