Exton, Pennsylvania - CFS, The School at Church Farm has gone through a change that has altered afternoon and nightly routines for faculty members and students alike. Starting in the 2011-2012 academic school year, the on-duty faculty member will now spend their time in a cottage, in which Director of Students John Kistler assigned them to over the summer.

                  Ms. Stephanie Heerschap, a teacher whose regular on-duty accommodations will be changing, said, “Her original feeling was that this was going to be different.” Previously some of the on-duty teachers, like Mr. Andrew Louden felt that while on duty after dinner he basically disappeared, because he spent most of night in his room while a majority of the students stayed in their rooms across the street for the night

                  With the new system, there is at least one academic teacher on-duty on the cottage-side in the evening. Louden, a current history teacher and a past cottage faculty, he explained how he felt that the new structure has and will continue to provide enhanced “availability.” He continued to say how having teachers available in the students’ living environment changes the on-duty relationship.

                  Louden felt that having a teacher on-duty in their classroom, the previous structure of the OD system might not have been as efficient because the students would have to travel to the teacher’s room. This isn’t necessarily bad, but their potential travel might discourage one’s plan to get help from a teacher. But now that teachers are in the cottage, it is more convenient for them to be accessed.

                  For a 7-year Church Farm teacher, Mrs. Heather Clary, being in the cottage gives her a chance to feel like she is “actually working at boarding school.“ At most boarding schools, the teachers not only teach but also have responsibilities for cottage duties, but at Church Farm it hasn’t been that way, since she’s been here.

Before this year the OD was supposed to walk through the cottages during study halls, but most faculty will tell you that this did not always happen because some faculty looked at OD time to work on lesson plans.

                  “It’s easier to mentor students in the cottage than in the classroom,” said Clary, ”With teachers in the cottage, the teachers see the students in a different light than in the classroom, and vice versa.” Academic teachers were excited to be able to bond with the students in a less tense environment than usual, which helps with creating a more casual connection with the students.

                  While in the cottage, for a second go around, Louden enjoys the post study hall conversations, with the students. Louden came to Church Farm in the 2007-2008 academic school year as a cottage faculty. Since then he has established himself as a history teacher, the Varsity Baseball Head Coach, the faculty director of the Student Congress, and as a faculty member of the Ethical Literacy Team.

                  Louden has been involved, on some level, with the three main aspects of students’ Church Farm life: academics, sports, and cottage-life and has always made it a point to connect with the students.

Louden feels that being back in the cottage, while teaching, gives him a chance to better understand the students’ life and provide them with more support, which is a plus in Louden’s eyes with the new structure.

ODs in the cottage also help the cottage faculty. After speaking to an 8-year cottage faculty, Mr. Bob Price, felt that with a teacher in the cottage, “it’s like having an assistant.”

For years Price felt that a majority of the teachers were not knowledgeable enough about how things operated in the cottage, but now they have the opportunity to learn. For now, it gives the teachers a chance to understand cottage operations without having to completely move in, but be more integrated in nightly functions at the cottage.

                  ODs in the cottage are also important for the two new married couples living on campus in Pew and Catherwood, respectively, the Hohns and the Garcias. The hybrid position was created for these cottages. They are on-duty one weeknight throughout the whole year, then one Sunday a month. The Hybrids are Mrs. Diahann Hughes (Tuesday) Mr. Omar Otero (Thursday), and Heerschap (Monday).

Heerschap who is new to cottages this year said, “Being in the cottages is different, but different in a good way.” Heerschap explained that her experience thus far in the cottages has been better than initially expected.

Heerschap feels that being able to connect with students in a more “relaxed environment” is helpful for both her and the students. Heerschap is assigned to Catherwood; she is now able to work with the students she is teaching this year. She is now in an optimal position to provide extra help the students she teaches.

                  Otero is making his return to the cottages at CFS, after almost ten years. Being an experienced cottage faculty he is, “Excited to be going back to cottages.”

Otero chose to become a hybrid because he is able to spend more time with his family; he doesn’t have to show up to check-in in the morning (which affects his morning routine with his family), and he is able to use the time to tutor struggling math students during evening study hall.

                  All of the hybrids are on duty from 6:45-11 on the weeknights. While in the cottage, the hybrids duties are exactly the same as the regular cottage faculty. They are responsible for: starting, ending, and monitoring study hall, chores on chore nights, lights out, and all of the other nightly cottage duties.

“The main difference when the hybrid is on duty than when the cottage faculty is on-duty is that they don’t sleep in the cottages. “ says Otero.

                  Hohn, the regular cottage faculty in Pew, who lives with his wife, finds the Hybrid program very convenient, especially when trying to find time to spend with his wife.  Hohn was one of the committee members deciding on what to do for this year. Hohn was introduced to the “Hybrid” program while at the Hill School, and found it so effective he advocated for it here at Church Farm.

Hohn feels that having the hybrids and the regular ODs in the cottage helps in the overall development of the students academically and socially. “It is a more cost effective system because it’s the same person with more roles and responsibilities,” Said Hohn.

Price has been one of the cottage faculty to add responsibilities by becoming involved with Student Support Services, mainly transportation, which used to be another position.

If each cottage had one cottage faculty in combination with a hybrid or an OD, it reduces the need for so many cottage faculty on the school’s staff.

Some people feel that this system may be getting rid of the cottage faculty position, however Price feels that this system is “not getting rid of, rather changing the dynamic of faculty in the cottage. This is putting people that are more invested in the overall mission of the school, to be with the students during non-academic hours.”

Hohn, who has been at Church Farm since the 2009-2010 academic school year, has never been out of the cottage. Since coming here as a cottage faculty he has picked up more roles, teaching 10^th grade English, and becoming a coach for the Varsity Baseball team, and becoming an active member in various committees.

Hohn has a fond memory of when one of his honor students, Marcus Pereira ’14, came to him for help while he was on-duty in the cottage. When Pereira was leaving Hohn, he told him that he was happy that he was in the cottage because he was immediately able to help him when he needed help, and he didn’t have to wait. These are the moments that make Hohn feel that living in the cottage is worthwhile.

We are in the pilot year for the new OD structure. The plans for the future, according to Assistant Director of Students Mr. Chuck Watterson, are to have more cottage faculty like the Hohns and Garcias.  A cottage faculty that has more responsibilities than just their cottage would be the goal. Other administrative options are to have separate houses on campus, or build livable quarters onto the cottages already built, for teachers to live in.