June 18, 2012

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to extend this letter of recommendation for Kara Gardner who is currently seeking a teaching position at your school. This year, I had the great pleasure of working alongside Kara as she completed her first formal year of teaching at Apache Junction High School where she worked as the 11th Grade English Inclusion Specialist. During the course of the year, Ms. Gardner was responsible for teaching in the general education classroom as the special education teacher with her co-teacher who was certified in Secondary English. She also taught one section of Academic Lab where she delivered small group instruction to special education students. Here she assisted students with homework assignments and study skills necessary to be successful in their general education classes. She performed these duties in addition to managing a caseload of 18 special education students, scheduling and facilitating annual IEP meetings, developing the written Individualized Education Plan (IEP) document, and assisting the school psychologist with portions of the Multi-disciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) document. During her first year, Kara also worked after school to deliver home instruction to a student on her caseload, assisted the girls basketball team and volunteered for duties at school athletic events. As I got to know Kara this year, I always knew her to be kind and nurturing. She built a solid rapport among students, staff, and parents and is well-liked on campus. She creatively developed lessons for students in the general education classroom that met state standards, while accommodating learning needs and preferences as stated in their IEPs. This was no easy task as she was teaching students of very diverse performance levels, (some who were far below grade level) in the general education classroom. She also integrated technology to streamline existing lessons to support 21st century skills while giving students more direct access to learning opportunities. As a colleague, Ms. Gardner is a team player, always willing to collaborate with fellow teachers, sharing ideas and seeking advice when necessary. Her student first attitude gave her great insight to the learning needs of her students and made her a great advocate for kids. If given the opportunity, Ms. Gardner will be an asset to your school because she works hard and is always willing to go above and beyond any task that is given to her. Please dont hesitate to call me at (480) 980-5673 if there are any further questions I can answer. Sincerely, Ms. Delia Flores 10th Grade English Inclusion Specialist