Mr. Daniel Carolin

Teacher of Japanese Language and English
Kennedy High School
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

More than anything else, Dan Carolin’s career in Japanese teaching has been driven by building cross-cultural relationships between American and Japanese high school students. 

As a classroom teacher, Dan endeavors to provide a plethora of experiences for his students to interact with Japanese culture. For over a decade he has coordinated opportunities for his students to connect with Japan through sister-school exchange programs that go both ways, by inviting Japanese speakers to the U.S., and by planning field trips to experience cultural events in the region. His impact on students cannot be overstated. Dan consistently has students who continue their studies of Japanese language and culture in college. 

Dan started his professional career teaching English at a high school in upstate New York. Looking for new experiences, he decided to spend a few years living in a completely unfamiliar culture. He spent his first year in Japan as a teacher with the JET Program in Ina City in Nagano-ken followed by two years in Chiba-ken. In the early days of his tenure with the JET Program, he began studying Japanese for basic survival skills. The more he studied, the more he wanted to learn, and he spent many hours of his free time studying both independently and in private lessons. 

He returned to New York and began work on an M.A. in English with an eye toward continuing to a Ph.D. and a career in higher education. Over time he reconsidered his options. Realizing that he was in a unique position to be able to foster relationships between Japanese and American teens, he began to explore opportunities to teach Japanese at the high school level. He taught Japanese for two years near Albany, N.Y. and for a year in Indianapolis before returning to Japan to teach English in Yokohama. While there, he began work on an M.A. in Advanced Japanese Studies through the University of Sheffield and obtained his degree in 2006.

Shortly after arriving at Kennedy in 2004, Dan began to look for opportunities for his students as well as their families and other faculty and staff at the school to connect with Japanese high school students. In the summer of 2007, he accompanied his first group of students to their new sister school in Chiba. The relationship continues to thrive. This is by far Dan’s favorite part of the job. He gets a great deal of enjoyment from watching the students' new relationships flourish into lifelong bonds that lead to a deep interest in new friends and their culture. Teachers from both schools have also made new friends, gained a deeper interest in learning about each other's cultures, and have widened their perspective regarding foreign cultures. In addition to the sister school school exchange, Dan has participated in other exchange programs that have brought both students and teachers from Japan to be part of the Kennedy community. 

A visitor to Dan's classroom would encounter a highly engaged, positive student body. His lessons are fresh, vigorous (there is always physical activity happening), and fun. His students are always quick to talk about what they are learning with excitement in their voices. Dan is one of those teachers that really contributes to the positive climate of a school. He strives to foster a sense of belonging in the class.His class is the favorite part of the school day, and even their four years of high school, for many of Dan’s students. 

In addition to teaching, Dan has held various local and national level leadership positions. Starting in 2008, he was invited to be a reader for the Japanese AP Exam. In 2010 he was invited to be a member of the College Board’s Development Committee for the exam, and a year later he was appointed as co-chair of the committee. In the same year he became a Question Leader for the reading section and has held that position every year since.  As co-chair of the committee, he participated in and presented at a number of regional and national conferences, including ACTFL and the AP Annual Conference, advocating for Japanese and introducing effective pedagogical strategies. In 2020 Dan was recruited to serve as the Japanese Lead Teacher for the College Board’s new AP Daily Program.  He currently serves on the Development Committee for the SAT II Japanese exam. Additionally, he has mentored practicum and student teachers pursuing a career in Japanese education. These opportunities have brought him into contact with many Japanese education professionals nationwide and have helped him grow as a teacher. 

One of Dan’s most enduring efforts is the memorial scholarship he helped establish after losing a former student to suicide. The young man participated in the exchange program, and Dan worked with his family to find the best way to honor his brief life. The Andrew Seiler Memorial Scholarship helps an under-resourced student be able to go on the school trip. Now every other year eligible students are granted money to help them make this life-changing trip. All of the money Dan receives from the Elgin Heinz Award will be donated to the scholarship fund.