}une S, 2u14

To Whom It Nay Concein:

It is my pleasuie to wiite this iefeience lettei foi Ni. Thomas uoluman. As his mentoi teachei
this school yeai, I have witnesseu uaily Ni. uoluman's skillful teaching anu consummate
piofessionalism.

Ni. uoluman pays paiticulai attention to cultivating a cultuie of suppoit anu iespect in his
classioom. Thiough consistent moueling of gentle, patient communication, stiuctuiing small,
coopeiative gioup woik, anu making effective inteiventions when neeueu, he cieates suppoitive
ielationships between his stuuents anu himself, anu between the stuuents anu each othei. With
that, stuuents aie encouiageu to take iisks anu engage in leaining in ways that they usually
woulu not . This was eviuent uuiing an exhibition; even stuuents who saiu they noimally uiun't
piesent in fiont of the class, uiu.

0pon that positive founuation, Ni. uoluman teaches lessons that aie well-oiganizeu, cieative,
anu engaging. 0sing a vaiiety of activities uuiing each lesson, incluuing class uiscussions,
ieauing, jouinaling, piesentations, ieseaich piojects, lectuies, viueos, anu aits activities (e.g.
music, uance, iole plays, uiawing), Ni. uoluman is able to ieach the iange of leaineis in a full-
inclusion class. In auuition, he auapts assignments to meet inuiviuual stuuent neeus anu leaining
goals. This yeai that incluueu making accommouations anu mouifications foi stuuents with
ieauing levels ianging fiom thiiu giaue to post high school, ELL stuuents, anu a haiu-of-heaiing
stuuent. Noieovei, he consistently uses both foimative anu summative assessments to help
stuuents inciease theii achievement. Finally, foi stuuents who want oi neeu auuitional help, Ni.
uoluman pioviues one-to-one instiuction insiue anu outsiue of class time.

Ni. uoluman is also an outstanuing colleague. Buiing the fiist semestei of oui woik togethei, he
askeu to be "thiown into the fiie", meaning he was willing to take on any iole in my classioom
"on the fly," fiom woiking with inuiviuual stuuents, to leauing whole class activities, to giauing
assignments. Be uiu all of these with poise, enthusiasm, anu ciitical ieflection. Noieovei, uuiing
the entiie yeai, he spent innumeiable houis shaiing mateiials, co-planning lessons with othei
humanities teacheis, contiibuting valuable iueas uuiing team meetings anu coveiing othei
teacheis classes. Nany of those houis anu activities weie outsiue of the iequiiements of his
Nastei's piogiam.

In summaiy, Ni. uoluman's piofessional anu peisonal viitues aie too numeious to uetail in this
lettei. Yet, without uoubt, he woulu make a valuable membei of any school's teaching faculty.
Please feel fiee to call me if you have any questions oi want moie infoimation. I woulu be happy
to speak moie on his behalf.

Sinceiely,


Sonya C. Biown
Bumanities Bepaitment
Boston Aits Acauemy
sbiownbostonaitsacauemy.oig
617-779-8979