1004 Montrose Ave SE Roanoke, VA 24013 540.853.6040 Fax:540.853.6027

January 21, 2016 To Whom This May Concern, The purpose of this letter is to recommend Michael David Gilmore for a teaching position in your school division. I am fortunate to have Mr. Gilmore as a teacher in my building. I have found him to be a consistently professional, well-organized, and hard-working teacher. As a 6th grade teacher in an urban school, his experiences have enabled him to see things from a different perspective as he was required to implement a variety of instructional practices. Some of these included: differentiating instruction for students with disabilities, building vocabulary for English language learners, and enriching students with advanced knowledge and skills. Mr. Gilmore routinely goes beyond what is expected of him and has performed exceptionally well as a young teacher. In working with students, he is exceptional at seeing past the surface and understanding the challenges that come with working with students from different social backgrounds. Many of our students view him as a favorite teacher and as a trusted adult they could come to if there was a problem. In addition to being able to work well with students, Mr. Gilmore has shown remarkable resilience in working through challenges. It has been my pleasure to watch him grow as an educator. I would recommend Mr. Gilmore without hesitation to any school fortunate enough to have an open position for him. He works well with people, he is intelligent and organized, he has inner strength, and he is reliable and trustworthy. Sincerely, Mr. Christian Kish

Christian Kish ckish@rcps.info

Stonewall Jackson Middle School

Principal