Callanan Middle School

3010 Center Street

Des Moines, IA 50312-3722
(515) 242-8101

Dawn Stahly, Principal

Josh Griffith, Vice Principal
Ryan Daugherty, School Improvement Leader

Fax (515) 242-8103

Becky Pool, Counselor

Sone Lovan, Nurse
Wendy Hopwood, Office Manager

Brandy 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
Mission Statement
Callanan Middle School is a diverse learning community committed to providing
a meaningful, challenging curriculum in a caring, respectful environment.

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
Mission Statement
Callanan Middle School is a diverse learning community committed to providing
a meaningful, challenging curriculum in a caring, respectful environment.

have at the middle school level. She will be a tremendous asset to

any school.
Jennifer Davis
Supervising Teacher
Callanan Middle School

Mission Statement
Callanan Middle School is a diverse learning community committed to providing
a meaningful, challenging curriculum in a caring, respectful environment.