As part of our celebration of the inaugural ASW Wall of Honour - an initiative designed to build school legacy and recognize individuals who have left an indelible mark on our communitywe are proud to spotlight beloved retiring teacher, coach, and mentor, Mr. Alan James. Having shaped young minds at ASW for twelve years, Mr. James departs for his next chapter in the United States, leaving behind a legacy carved deeply into our classrooms, sports fields, and campus culture. Here, in his own thoughtful words, are his reflections on a remarkable journey.

Surprised by Honor

Receiving a spot on the Wall of Honour right before my departure fr5om ASW was a moment dominated by pure surprise. I knew I was receiving some kind of recognition that day - Jason Cuthbert (Athletics Director) had given me a farewell gift as a departing coach - and then the Wall of Honour Award was presented to Jim Matter and Julia Owerko. I assumed they were the main purpose of the gathering. Then came a third honoree . . . I am deeply honored to be remembered on the wall amidst the other two honorees. I was involved in many things at ASW and knew people appreciated my work, but I didn’t realize my contributions were viewed as particularly noteworthy.

When I look back at my twelve years in Warsaw, I will always remember the constant motion of the place. So many people - teachers, staff, administration, and students—were constantly creating. Students were always involved in something that showed on the walls, on the sports fields, in assemblies, and especially on the stage. Such vibrant creativity always had the administrative, staff, and teacherly support it needed to flourish.

Lessons from the Podium and the Classroom

I was deeply appreciative of the perceptive nature of this year's senior class (Class of 2026). I rarely teach many seniors - ranging from 12 to 20 in any given year - and I never mentioned to anyone that I wanted to be the speaker at the graduation ceremony. But I was hoping to be chosen, much like I was back in 2017 when my youngest son graduated. Somehow, the seniors twice had the collective wisdom to know that those two years were especially meaningful to me.

"My message was quite different in 2017 and 2026. In 2017, I spoke to my son as a synecdoche for the entire class, sharing characteristics of 'good enough' fatherhood... In 2026, I wanted to talk about next steps. Like the seniors, I was stepping into something new, unknowable, exciting, and without the support structure that had been in place for decades."

Students are enormously entertaining, especially if you ask them to be. Every time my seniors or 8th graders did a historical simulation that reached the core principles of a topic with a twist of humor, I was thrilled. Guest speakers also generated some of our most impactful classroom moments. Having someone who lived through Rwanda in 1994 or the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 share their story invariably made students sit up and take note.

I originally chose teaching because I felt most energized in college and grad school when drilling Russian language structures as a TA or grading papers. That path eventually brought me to Warsaw in 2011, when former Head of School Tony Gerlitz hired me to teach English, social studies, and service learning after my 11 years in Hong Kong.

Defining Milestones

Throughout my career, several milestone experiences transformed the way I view education and the world:

• Keynote Address: Speaking at graduation to the classes of 2017 and 2026.
• Global Service: Taking students to Mongolia to work with children living in Ulaanbaatar’s underground heating system, and taking students in Hong Kong to Guangdong Province to serve orphans.
• Historical Witness: Bringing Carl Wilkens—the American who remained in Rwanda in 1994—to speak with students in person and over Zoom.
• Field Journeys & Community Support: History trips to Berlin, sabbatical trips to Kosovo and Rwanda that informed my curriculum, and participating in Poland’s Make-a-Wish tour with ASW students.
• Athletics: Coaching girls tennis in Hong Kong and boys softball in Poland.

Character Beyond the Classroom

Service learning and coaching have always been central to my work. While some students had a passion for service that predated any trip I led, I loved watching them take hold of the school’s opportunities and run with them. I remember a Polish-American student named Witek who worked with local children at a downtown świetlica. He deliberately improved his Polish, art, and music skills to serve those children better, single-handedly keeping the program alive for years.

On the sports field, coaching softball alongside Mike Nieman taught me a philosophy I pass on to every student-athlete: focus on repeating the skills most critical to success, and directly address the personal and interpersonal anxieties that competition naturally brings out.

Looking Back and Stepping Forward

There is so much I will miss about life in Poland: reliable public transportation and biking to work every day, biking journeys across Poland guided by mentor Paweł Ptak, engaging with colleagues from around the world and daily conversations with the cleaning staff or TBL basketball camaraderie, traveling around Europe, and learning Polish.

As I transition back to the United States, I am still finding my footing amid home improvement projects and new activities. My goal for retirement is to find a healthy balance between outdoorsy pursuits, service, and continuous learning—ask me in a year how it's going!

My Final Message to Students

"Try new things. Even one year of speech and debate, joining the basketball C-team, or taking guitar lessons can build the foundation of a lifetime. It’s much harder to try new things as an adult when 'adulting' gets in the way."