Oddo says goodbye to Greeley, begins next adventure in Taiwan
July 20, 2012
by Adriana Miano
After 26 years as one of Greeley’s most popular faculty members, science teacher Bob Oddo is preparing to begin the next chapter of his life—a chapter that will take place on the other side of the world.
At the beginning of August, Oddo will be relocating to Taiwan, where he will spend the next two years teaching IB Biology and 8th grade science at the Kaohsiung American School.
“I’ve always had this itch to teach internationally,” said Oddo, who spent a year teaching in Poland on a Fulbright Scholarship in 2000.
After sending his resume to five different schools around the globe, Oddo settled on Taiwan after coordinating a SKYPE interview with the superintendant.
Though Oddo has never spent a significant amount of time in Taiwan, it is the lack of familiarity that makes the upcoming move so appealing to him.
“I think the newness of everything is really kind of exciting,” he said. “For years I’ve been teaching seniors that are all excited about going off to college. It’s kind of the same thing for me now. I’m going off to something completely new.”
In preparation for the move, Oddo has been familiarizing himself with his new lesson plans, mastering Moodle (an alternative program to Blackboard), and brushing up on his Chinese, though his classes will be taught in English.
While at the Kaohsiung American School, Oddo would like to become involved with the school’s soccer team, and perhaps help the students to found an environmental awareness club like Greeley’s STOP. However, he is uncertain of what exactly his new life in Taiwan will look like.
“I would imagine the first few months I’ll be settling in and adjusting to the new culture, the language, figuring out where to buy things,” Oddo said. “I’ve always lived in suburbs or in the country, so living in a city is going to be an adjustment.”
Oddo says he has always viewed life as a big adventure, and in the past had never imagined that he would spend over two decades in one place.
“If you were to ask me when I first started teaching if I would be anywhere for 26 years, I wouldn’t have thought so,” he said. “But Greeley has been so good.”
Though he will be living on another continent, Oddo is confident that his time at Greeley will have an influence on his career in Taiwan.
“Pretty much everything I’ve learned about teaching, I’ve learned at Greeley,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot from the administrators, the teachers, and also the students that I’ve worked with over the years. And I think all of those things I’ve learned will become useful in Taiwan.”
Adriana Miano, a 2009 Greeley graduate, is a rising senior at Elon University, where she writes for The Pendulum, Elon University’s Student News Organization.
Good luck Bob! I have a daughter who is a neuroscientist at Emory and another who is an environmental lawyer because of Bob Oddo.He is one of a kind!
Good luck Mr. Oddo!
When people refer to the Chappaqua Central School System as one of the finest in New York State (if not the country), it is people like Bob Oddo that have helped make this reputation. An unusualy highly skilled educator who always puts the students first.I have run into Bob countless times on the fields at the high school, and he has never failed to ask how my kids were doing….and my four children never had Bob as a teacher. This says volumes about him as a person.Bob you will be missed greatly, best of luck in your new “adventure”.
Good travels Coach! You are one of a kind - they’re lucky to have you over there. Come back in time for my girls when they reach Greeley - we were planning on being your first 2 generation family! 
