Sailing towards the end of year 21 in a teaching career

My job as a high-school teacher remains a high-end, challenging and rewarding one. Despite the political turmoil that has surrounded North Carolina public education the past few years - school boards shenanigans, Obama-derangement syndrome, anti-government Republicans who want to take part in government - and getting electing because of aforementioned medical condition - all these things have made the typical NC teacher disgruntled, angry, demoralized and often searching for an alternative way of life.

My gig at my school is a primo one. My students are all respectful, with supportive families, and they all seem genuinely interested in taking German. When reflecting on my efficacy as a teacher I do tend to be hard on myself, but the fact that I still keep getting marvelous students streaming into my solo German program is testimony enough that I am doing something right. My colleague at the middle schools keep German alive with her zany middle school approach, highly effective, and I take her students on in a more intensive way, I believe, quicker with the material, higher expectations. Success at maintaining this level of rigor throughout a 180 day school year varies considerably, but that is the way life works, ebbs, and flows, and peaks and valleys. In the end, though, I always earn considerable satisfaction in knowing that I brought some great students to a high-level of discourse.

This year has been a great year: 2nd place overall at German Day, a student being awarded the Philip Watts Scholarship, another student being awarded a three-week sojourn in Germany because high National German Exam test scores. Six out of eigh AP German students will be taking the AP German Exam. German Club maintained consistent attendance, because of a collective effort to keep it that way; we have great officers and steady membership. Now the possibility of finally getting t-shirts for the club would do a lot to forwarding the Club mission at our school. An altogether good year.

Things missing: shall I revive the National German Honor Society for next year? That would be current German 3 and 4 students (non-seniors, of course). It's decided: I WILL. Their service hours would be tutoring struggling German students and maintaining my classroom, etc.

Speaking of my classroom, it appears that I will have a couch in my room on Monday. How that's going work is open to varied scenarios. Most good.