MONTCLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MONTCLAIR HIGH SCHOOL

100 CHESTNUT STREET ~ MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY 07042
WWW.MONTCLAIR.K12.NJ.US

JUDITH WEISS, ED.D.

Interim Principal
April 1, 2009

To whom it may concern,

I have known Mr. Benjamin Brown since September, and he has been my student teacher since February 2009. Mr.
Brown has come to student teaching with a seemingly endless number of interesting ideas that are engaging our
students and impressing my colleagues. His lesson plans are thorough, pay close attention to the appropriate Core
Curriculum Content Standards, and take into consideration students' varying frames of reference. Please allow me to
share some specific examples of Mr. Brown’s solid pedagogical foundation and effective teaching strategies.

For one lesson regarding The Odyssey, Mr. Brown created a writing activity that asked students to think of a journey
they have been on or time they have spent away from home, and then to reflect upon how this personally affected
them. With assistance from Writers' Room coaches, who are trained writing professionals who volunteers, all
students were able to compose a freewrite that accomplished this goal. Then Mr. Brown seamlessly tied their ideas
back to the journey that the main character of The Odyssey is experiencing. Overall, I note that Mr. Brown’s ability
to have students make meaningful connections between the text, themselves, and the world at large is keen.

Mr. Brown's use of technology exceeds my expectations as his cooperating teacher. Using a camcorder and relevant
software, which he purchased himself, he has found extremely exciting ways to convey material and engage students
in activities that illustrate their understanding of the text. For instance, Mr. Brown recently shared with students a
documentary of sorts that he created regarding the first eight books (or chapters) of The Odyssey. This video helped
to provide students necessary context and was an extremely creative way to convey this information. It served the
purpose of prompting students to make useful connections and ask pertinent questions about the text.

The students are extremely receptive to Mr. Brown’s teaching style, which is unsurprising. He spends a great deal of
time and effort devising lessons that will both engage and challenge students each day. I see that though Mr. Brown
has a great sense of humor, he knows where to draw the line and how to be firm with students. During lessons, I
have seen him speak with students who were off-task, and he does so in a way that is firm and respectful. I believe
that Mr. Brown’s positive rapport with students is helping him to develop strong classroom management strategies.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with and impressed by the work that Mr. Brown is doing in our World Literature
classroom. Any school district that hires him will be extremely fortunate to have such a committed educator as a part
of their faculty. If you would like to discuss Mr. Brown’s professional potential any further, please contact me. My
e-mail is evoltman@montclair.k12.nj.us and my home phone number is 973-233-9333.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Voltman, Ph.D.