[Signed hard-copy on Sayre School letterhead.]
October 11, 2000
To Whom It May Concern,
As Matt Kaun’s principal for five years at the American Community School in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, I feel well qualified to provide this recommendation. Matt first came to ACS as a middle school teacher for the 1994-95 school year. He taught 7th grade math, pre-Algebra, and Algebra I that year as well as the next. Matt came to ACS as a fairly inexperienced teacher. As is normal for very bright, energetic, and capable teachers, Matt’s learning curve was steep, and he became a better teacher as each month passed. He made adjustments in his teaching style to accommodate the middle school mentality, and it wasn’t long until his “Math Zone” was the place to hang out for cool middle schoolers.
However, when a position became available in the high school to teach Algebra I and II and Geometry, Matt was eager to give this a try. He enjoyed a very positive relationship with the head of the math department who became his mentor. While Matt learned many things from Mr. Kranz, he still kept his own special ways of doing things which were often modifications of things that he had found to be particularly effective at the middle school level. In my evaluation remarks to Matt at the end of his first year in the high school, I said the following, “How fortunate for the High School that you were eager and willing to move from the Middle School into a High School math position. Any program is only as good as its teachers, and the strength of our math program is an indication of not only your level of expertise, but your positive attitude and genuine concern for students. It is that genuineness that in the end creates the strongest atmosphere for learning. Your concern is evident not only to me, but also to your students. A wise teachers once said to me, ‘A student doesn’t care what you know until they know that you care.’ Your willingness to work with students before school, during lunch, and after school, as well as in class, tells students that you care.”
Matt’s daily quizzes and his willingness to work with students who were “not getting it” throughout the day as well as after school are factors that make him such an excellent teacher. There was never any doubt that Matt had the success of his students foremost in his approach as he presented lessons and followed through with additional help.
Outside the classroom when we could keep matt from bicycling 20 or 30 miles a day, he did an excellent job as the Junior Varsity Academic Games sponsor. He did this for all the years he worked with me, and he had many very successful teams. Matt also assisted with the forensics program as the school developed this opportunity for interested students. Matt’s willingness to assist in the forensics program is very telling of his enthusiasm and eagerness to help. He had little knowledge of forensics, but he was eager to see that our students had this opportunity, so he volunteered to assume responsibility for a portion of the program.
In summary, I have had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Kaun develop into a superior teacher. If given the opportunity, I would hire Matt more quickly than any other math teacher with whom I have ever worked. He will contribute the combination of high academic standards and enthusiasm to any faculty and math department. I can recommend Matt Kaun without any reservations.
Sincerely,
John W. Hackworth
High School Principal, American Community School of Abu Dhabi
=> LINK TO TOP OF THIS PAGE
=> LINK TO TOP OF PREVIOUS PAGE
