March 13, 2015

To whom it may concern,

As a friend and co-worker I experienced mixed feelings when Sarah King asked me to write
her a letter of recommendation. We have been colleagues for 5 years and the idea of her leaving
coupled with asking me to write this letter, allowed me the opportunity to reflect on our time together.
In the years since Sarah joined Cross Timbers Middle School, I felt quite confident that her 7 th
graders would be prepared for the following year. As an 8 th grade teacher with a challenging STAAR
test in April I was never concerned with the knowledge these new 8 th graders brought with them.
Sarah and I collaborated to find the optimum way for her to incorporate the most critical 8 th grade
TEKS into her 7th grade lesson plans. It became quite evident that she did this exceptionally well
because my 8th grade students were incredibly prepared for the rigor of 8 th grade US History. This
allowed me to increase their depth and complexity.
Sarah is very adept in creating positive relationships with her students. In fact this is one of
her strongest attributes. Her encouraging attitude toward all of her students results in engaging
learning experiences in her classes. As we all know, students who trust and believe in their teacher
will work their hardest for him/her. This is what Sarahs classes exhibit.
We professionally worked well together. I have been teaching for almost 20 years and Sarah
about 5. We brought the seasoned teacher and youthful exuberance together to create lessons that
were able to combine the necessary facts with innovative ways to present them. We made a good
team. I have found Sarah to be an energetic and sincere teacher whose students benefitted from
these qualities.
The faculty of CTMS also believed in Sarah. This was evident when she was nominated and
voted in as Teacher of the Year in 2014. As her resume states she moved on to receive the District
Teacher of the Year. These exemplary awards define her role in our school and district as one of
highest regard.
Our community has also benefitted from Sarah King. Her role as Student Council sponsor
allowed students to assist in Military Appreciation Night at a local Chick Fil A. Their visibility
demonstrated Sarahs commitment to exposing students to real world experiences. Under her
leadership this same Student Council collected items and money to be able to mail 42 boxes to
troops in Afghanistan. Many of those boxes were sent to remote areas that receive mail about every
2 weeks or so. That was a special event for those men and women.
As I reflect over my relationship with Sarah I can honestly say that it was more than a
professional connection. We enjoyed each others company on and off the job. Social opportunities
allowed us to talk about our lives and families, as well as likes and dislikes. Even though we are of
different generations we truly complemented each other and found it easy to offer advice, love and
loyalty. We shared laughter and tears.
I highly recommend Sarah King. She will be a definite asset to your school, district and
community. Sarah is a person of high moral character, which is a quality that she uses extremely well
as a role model in the classroom.
Allow me to end with one of Sarahs quotes from her portfolio:
My classroom is first and foremost a safe, structured place where students understand they can
express their thoughts and feelings in a meaningful way. My job is to encourage students to succeed
in an ever-changing world. I teach my subject with purpose and passion. My philosophy and goal of
teaching is to not only create students who succeed, but students who love to learn and discover new
perspectives.
If you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact me via
phone or email.
Sincerely,
Patricia Brolan
817-371-7824
pat.brolan@gcisd.net