Aaron Kelly East High School 815 E. 13th Street Des Moines, IA 50316 515/242-7788 aaron.kelly@dmschools.

org To Whom It May Concern: I currently work with Brant Parriott as his cooperating teacher here at East High in the subject of United States and ancient history. I have taught social studies in the Des Moines school district for twelve years. Brant has proven thus far to be a dedicated teacher committed to providing the highest possible quality of instruction to his students. He is an incredibly hard worker and highly self-motivated. Brant has demonstrated an advanced level of competency for a beginning teacher in many areas. His lesson plans are well thought out and extremely engaging. His lessons reflect a high degree of content knowledge, which he thoughtfully translates to engaging activities and experiences for his students. Brant is highly creative in teaching United States history and uses high interest strategies like games and group activities to make history come alive for his students. He uses strategies that challenge students to think and engage at a higher level such as comparing original documents, debating exercises, and written essays. He is excellent at adapting his curriculum to meet the needs of his students including students with learning disabilities. He has a knack for making the curriculum relevant for his students and he regularly uses current issues to make connections from the past to the present. Brant is very relational with his students and presents his lessons with a lot of passion and energy. He has already earned the respect and admiration of his students. He is calm and comfortable in front of a classroom and his management of the classroom is fantastic. Brant works with his students and gives them individual attention as much as possible. He makes meaningful verbal and written feedback on student work. In conclusion, from what I have seen, Brant is an incredibly qualified and gifted educator who would make a wonderful addition to any secondary school. He has earned my respect and highest recommendation and I know he will earn yours as well. Sincerely,

Aaron Kelly U.S. History/Ancient History cooperating teacher

!