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January HS Teacher Feature—-Mr.Denlinger
Photo Credit: Don Crawford
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Written by Caley Donovan
Our teacher featured for the month of January didn’t decide to become a teacher “until later in life.” Mr. Denlinger, a high school English teacher is definitely not your average teacher. He went to Geneva College and Millersville University for Spanish, business administration, and clinical psychology. He worked as a therapist, and as director of a language school before becoming a teacher. When asked why he came back to classrooms, he said “I think that teachers can make a lot of difference for kids as they grow up.”
Mr. Denlinger has taught at Carrick, Allderdice, and Obama, teaching Spanish and English which were, unsurprisingly, his favorite subjects (along with World Cultures) when he went to high school in Lancaster County. He advises students considering becoming teachers “to find a subject that they really love and to make sure that their personality really fits it. It’s not for everybody.”
On a whim, we asked him why education is important. His face became very serious, and he said “I think in the US we don’t fully realize the impact it can have, we take it for granted. In other countries it’s such a prized commodity and it can change people’s lives.”
What, we asked Mr. Denlinger, who obviously enjoys teaching a great deal, is the very best part of teaching? He started to consider. Just then, a group of students start a friendly rap battle in the middle of the cafeteria. He smiled.
“It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s different every day, it’s energizing.” That’s the best part he said, laughing a little as he watches the students. The mix of fun and seriousness that he emulates is evident in his advice: “Study hard, manage your time, and have fun.”
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