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30 Individual Connections

Third-grade teacher at P.S. 40 finds time for each student in large class

By Annie Lubin

At 8:20 am, Linda Adler walks into her 3rd-grade classroom in P.S. 40 and begins her favorite part of the day.

With her soothing voice, enthusiastic demeanor and engaging persona, it seems like everything about Adler, 32, screams teacher of the year. For Adler, teaching was not her first career choice, but after more than six years, she now says with resounding confidence that teaching is the only career she ever wants.

“The best part of the job, for me, is seeing that “aha moment.” The light bulb clicks, and they make a connection or figure something new out… The first time I saw that aha moment I said, ‘Oh wow, this is for me,’” said Adler, who, with 30 students, proudly added, “I see that at least 30 times a day.”

Adler’s long path towards teaching began at the Bronx High School of Science, where she became interested in horticulture, and later studied plant sciences at Cornell University. New York Botanical Gardens, where she taught children about plants and gardening. Upon graduation, she worked at the Conservatory at the New York Botanical Gardens. She enjoyed the work but grew bored.

“It was mostly just me and the plants,” she said. Adler took a research position at Cornell University studying soil nematodes (worms), but once again grew bored from the limited human interaction the job entailed.

She realized that what she loved most about working at the Botanical Gardens was her time spent engaging with children.

So Adler enrolled at Bank Street for her masters in education.

“I feel like you need to understand my background to understand my teaching style,” said Adler.

And for Adler, that teaching style is a mix of passion, curiosity, engagement and genuine interest in the subject matter.

“A good teacher is someone who finds a way to connect to every student in the class,” Adler said. “Some kids are discouraged by school and you have to find a way to reach them. You learn about their interests and their strengths and you use this to make a connection with them. You find out that a student who struggles in school loves SpongeBob and you use that to help them.”

The parents who nominated Adler for the Blackboard Award said she indeed has the ability to connect to each student, which is sometimes rare in the tumultuousness that comes from teaching children of such a young age, but even rarer when those children are part of a class that is made up of 30 students.

Parents say Adler challenges and encourages students, giving them the confidence to excel in areas where they once had trouble. Their parents are startled that their children actually look forward to going to school.

“You can walk into Linda’s room anytime and students are always engaged and loving learning,” said Susan Felder, principal of P.S. 40.

But for the school’s principal, it’s something more.

“Third graders are at the age when they are passionate about learning. Linda is passionate about teaching,” said Felder. “From the beginning she had the intuition and initiative that all good teachers must have.”

Although parents and administrators across the board would love for it to be possible, the traits that make a great teacher cannot be broken down to an exact science. But when a parent can say of a teacher, “If [my son] could have a teacher like Linda Adler (or better yet, Linda Adler herself!) every year throughout his education, I could want for nothing more,” then you know you’ve got the right equation.

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Linda Adler
P.S. 40
319 E. 19th St.