Sunday, May 25, 2008

The Rumor is Out: Moving to Lakeville

Well, I am sure you have all forgotten about this here blog (except Adrian - he is tapping his foot and waiting for a post :-). But, here is the story (lame as it is). We are moving.

After 5 years at Lehigh Carbon and 12 years teaching at the college level, I am turning in my grade book in exchange for a new life at a boarding school.

Why?

Well, here is the thing. I wasn't actually looking for a job. I would have been content retiring from LCCC. I love the students, and I love the diversity. Even the annoying grumpy people are slightly entertaining, and I would have loved to drive them nuts for another 35 years. But, when a SL friend named Lozvare sent me the job description, I was entirely intrigued.

Perhaps it is my love of boarding school stories (A Separate Peace, Peace Breaks Out) and their collegiate counters (Cherry Ames, Superior Women) or movies like Dead Poets Society that have always inspired a love for boarding schools. Maybe it is my love of New England (and Connecticut). Or, maybe it is my respect for the accomplishments of The Hotchkiss School or the spunk of its founder, Maria Hotchkiss, that prompted me to apply. Most likely, it was a combination of all these and a desire to raise my boys in a place where they can be safe, well educated, and creative.

I applied late for the position, as I found out about it at the end of its call. But, the position for an Educational Communications and Technology Facilitator was right up my alley. While I will certainly miss grading 200 papers a week and marking giant red Xs over comma splices, I was captivated by the potential of a position working with faculty to transform their use of technology in the classroom. I felt that my own experience as a professor using the technology would be a great match for what they were looking for in this new position. I also like the idea of living on campus, coaching a sport (diving), and being an active part of the community.

Even though I accepted the position early this year, we only told a few people, as I had a semester to finish out here. But, now that the semester has closed, it is now official: we are moving to Lakeville, CT on August 1. We will be dorm parents to first and second-year boys, and I will be coaching the diving team. The boys will be going to a wonderful elementary school (Salisbury Central), and Dave will either open a hobby/ebay shop, or work at a local cardiology office.

Moving is bittersweet. We have dear friends here (Liz, Terri, Colleen, and Gene), and family, too. But, it is only 3 hours away, and the benefits are tremendous. Above is a picture of where we will be living. Below is a little movie we made for our friends and family:

2 comments:

Jean-Claude Bradley said...

This is very well deserved - go blow them away!

Unknown said...

Congratulations, my dear. I hope we will continue to share in your lessons learned and see you around SL.