Dear Student...

I find myself sitting at my teaching desk right now and I don't know what to do with my time. I have been backed up on grading and for the first time in about 3 weeks I think I may actually be caught up on things here at school... now home is a whole nother story. ANYWAYS, it got me to thinking about why I have been so behind this year compared to others. I spent 3 years in my first district and the first year was kind of crazy, but by the second and third, I had everything on lock. I was learning a foreign language on the side those years and still managed to coach, lead FCA, and sponsor NJHS. Where did I find all the time? I was not nearly as busy then as I am now. I miss trying to learn a language. I took Spanish and German while I was in high school. Spanish did not stick... a little of the German did. My second year of teaching, I started planning a trip to Germany and started trying to re-learn the language before I got there. Well, I bought Rosetta Stone and got through the first level super easy and was bored and stopped. I knew enough to get me through the trip but decided while I was there that I wanted to be fluent so I started taking lessons every Saturday at the German School of Dallas. I loved my teacher and did 3 semesters but had issues catching on like the other students because I didn't have as much time to practice as some of them. I wish I had... I feel like I've lost all the progress I made. I find myself wanting to make more time for this now and don't know how. In 2016 I will be returning to Germany and want to be even better in my language abilities. I guess I better start now.

How have you acquired a second language at an older age? Any help would be greatly appreciated.