where in the world: Kodaikanal

If ever there was a parallel universe to Woodstock, it is without a doubt Kodaikanal International School. St. Olaf has been sending student teachers to both schools for 30 odd years. Given the option of either, I said "I don't care" and they said "you like camping" and I was sent to Woodstock. I've always been intrigued at the thought of what if I had gone to Kodai.

Kodai is different from Woodstock in that the school is at the dead center of the town. It is in a hill station, but the campus is almost completely flat. Dorms and staff housing are sprinkled around town. A lot of staff have cars. It is appealing to think about stopping for a coffee on the way to work every morning, but I expect the novelty wears off quickly. I prefer walking up a footpath through gorgeous scenery every morning.

Sachi and Jesse rejoined our travel group. Sachi graduated from Kodai, so gave us the student perspective and showed us all of her favorite spots. The rest of our time was mostly spent at the school. It proved to be really good professional development for all of us. We visited classes, met teachers, and got a lot of ideas for collaborations. Our visit really helped me to get back into the mindset of school, which was exactly what I needed.

Our visit was great. I can definitely see the appeal of working at Kodai, but am thankful to be currently working at Woodstock.