Often, students don’t think of their teachers as residents of the Sudbury community. Although the majority of Lincoln-Sudbury teachers and faculty don’t live in Sudbury, some have been residents of Sudbury for decades.

“This was all intentional on my part,” comments Mr. Skelly, an English teacher and 17-year Sudbury resident. He is talking about how he changed aspects of his life to teach in Sudbury. As a former head of marketing communications at Berklee College of Music, Mr. Skelly states in our interview that he “Changed my career to be here.” After suggesting some similarities between the Sudbury community and the Westwood community in which he grew up, Mr. Skelly adds, “I liked the idea of teaching and living in a small town.” 

Mrs. Weisse, a 19-year Sudbury resident and English teacher here at LS agrees. “I had an instant community,” she remarks as she reflects on moving to Sudbury in 2003. Mr. Skelly adds, “It’s a safe environment where people look out for each other.”

When asking both teachers about what it’s like seeing students outside of school, they have almost identical responses. Skelly explains, “I like seeing my students around town. It’s nice feeling a part of the community.”  Weisse shares a similar sentiment: “I like it – I like seeing my students in the supermarket and I appreciate being in the community. I’ve never felt the downsides of when people tell you that you’ll see parents and they’ll ask you about their kids, I’ve never felt that; it’s only been nice.”

Do teachers’ personalities change depending on if they are inside or outside of school? Here’s what Mrs. Weisse has to say; “I’m probably a little sterner. And a little more easy-going outside of school.” Mr. Skelly’s response was similar; “No, I don’t think I am a different person inside or outside of school. I might turn up the volume a little bit on some parts of my personality in the classroom, but otherwise I am the same.”

Graham Skelly, Mr. Skelly’s son and a 9th grader at LS, adds, “he is really the same person in different situations. He is always funny and likes to make jokes. He likes music.”

A friend of Graham’s and fellow 9th grader at LS, Evan Labagnara, adds, “When in school his personality doesn’t change but his ‘intent’ does.”