Mr. Tim is a beloved fixture at 94th Street. His official role is Assistant Teacher and Specialist for the preschool classes, but those titles don't begin to capture the magic he brings to the community. With a background in Theater and Art, he brings a dramatic flair to each situation, which allows him to connect with whomever he's speaking on a deep level. 

“It’s so powerful to have passionate, creative, artistic people around children. Because that gives them an idea: ‘Oh, this is how people can live a life.’”
—Mr. Tim

Children love Mr. Tim because, though he's a 6'1” towering figure, he is always able to meet children on their level. His ability to connect doesn't end there; he's also adept at supporting teachers with their needs (he interrupted the interview for this article to help a busy teacher find her lunch!) and connecting with parents as well.

Before joining Dwight, Mr. Tim — Tim Elliott — tried his hand at becoming an actor. He also spent over a decade working at Trader Joe's, where he led the educational tours for our preschoolers. It was there that he met Lyndsay Alden, a Dwight 3s Teacher on a trip with her class for their Communities unit. 

“He just had this dynamic, personable energy that felt so connected,” she recalls. “The kids couldn’t stop laughing. I’d never seen such engagement, and he had never met these children before.” What struck Ms. Lyndsay even more was Mr. Tim’s ability to tailor his approach with care, quickly gauging his audience and approaching them in a way that would ensure the deepest connection. “His script wasn’t memorized. He was just living in the moment.”

Ms. Lyndsay encouraged Mr. Tim to apply to Dwight.

Now, over seven years later, Mr. Tim has worn nearly every hat imaginable: working with 2s, 3s, and pre-K; leading After-School and Early Morning programs; and facilitating Summer Camp specials such as art and movement. 

His current role sees him in every 94th Street preschool classroom each week as Library Teacher (or “Storyteller,” as he calls it), and using his fine art skills as he visits classrooms as an Art Teacher. Outside of Dwight he has his own workshop for paper art.

Mr. Tim says, “I think that one of the coolest things I've been able to do with the kids is create art with them and to model civility and kindness and compassion.”

Whether he’s crafting art or performing storytime with silly voices, his approach is immersive and alive. And he’s got the kiddos’ full attention: they lock into his storytelling time, which includes music and dance, and he leaves quite the impression. When Ms. Lyndsay asked her students what they thought of Mr. Tim, she barely had time to record their answers because they came out so fast! Just a few responses of note:

“I love story time with him.”

“I love when he puts on songs.”

“His stories make me feel good.”

“Dancing with Mr. Tim makes me happy.”

And on and on…

Whether he’s telling stories, visiting art classrooms, or sharing a warm hello with community members each morning, Mr. Tim shines in his ability to build relationships with students, colleagues, and parents alike. His knack for a personalized approach is key in helping little kids who are dealing with big emotions.

“It’s nice to be known as the go-to,” Mr. Tim says. “If a kid is upset, they’ll say, ‘Where’s Mr. Tim?’” And Mr. Tim is there to help.

From supporting students emotionally to diffusing tensions with humor, Mr. Tim “reads the room” better than most. “He’s able to come in as a fresh face in the moment to diffuse a situation,” says Ms. Lyndsay “Sometimes the kids just need that. And he's able to come in and be like, ‘Hey, let's change the scenery. Do you want to be my helper and come help me return these books to the library?’”

Sometimes it’s a change of scenery, and other times, it’s a word of encouragement or a silly face. Even when it’s not always fun and games, and he has to lay down boundaries, Mr. Tim does so with an emotional intuition and grounded kindness which have become his trademark. 

For Colleen Brown, Associate Head of Early Childhood, this intuition is what sets him apart. “He develops really strong relationships with everyone in the community,” she says. “He knows everybody's name, not only the students and faculty members, but the parents, the caregivers. He goes the extra mile in greeting everyone in the morning, literally asking who they are and who they're with and what their role is there, and taking the time to get to know them.”

As Mr. Tim himself says, “It's about creating the relationship and feeling like there's a connection there that's to be honored above just the simple, ‘This is a child at my school.’”

With his radiant energy, humor, and care, Mr. Tim creates a nurturing environment for our littlest learners. In any role and every classroom, he ignites joy, trust, and transformation — one story, one child, one conversation at a time.