After over 20 years at Townsend Harris High School, Timothy Connor has retired after serving as a dean, a girls track coach, a math teacher, and a computer science teacher. 

Across all these roles, Mr. Connor, who began teaching at Sarah J. Hale High School in 1986, said that he has been guided by two mottos: “Essayons,” a French phrase for “Let us try,” that he learned from his time with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as IBM’s motto, “Think.”

Over time, however, he developed his own motto.

“My mantra for years has been ‘Knowledge over numbers,’” he said. “If you truly have the knowledge, you shouldn’t have to worry about the number.”

That focus led to many years of memorable days at THHS.

 “I will miss the unpredictability, the energy, and the never-ending teaching moments that make each day at Townsend special,” he said. “I will miss nothing about coming into school each day. However, if I could pick and choose the days I came in, I might never have retired.”

Students shared thoughts on Mr. Connor’s impact. In particular, his track athletes praised his work as a coach.

“The team is him,” rising senior and track athlete Leslie Linzan said of Mr. Connor’s commitment to the school’s track program. “He is part of the team and the team is part of him.”

“He taught me that progress isn’t linear,” said rising senior and track athlete Fiona Loy Chan. 

Rising senior and track athlete Deanna Maleki recalled a time he offered encouragement when she was unhappy with her performance at the 2026 PSAL City Championship. “As an athlete, he’s definitely taught me that performance in a sport isn’t everything,” she said. “It’s consistency and showing up for those around you, which I’ve been trying to do.”

When asked why he kept teaching and coaching, Mr. Connor said, “In reality, coaching kept me teaching. I got to see kids in a different light,” recalling his journey helping students see value in education both within the classroom and on the track.

Throughout parts of his career, Mr. Connor said that track helped him be more effective all around as an educator. “I wasn’t always working [at THHS], and may not have been working with people that really valued education all that much,” he said. “So what I was trying to teach wasn’t all that important to them. But what I was trying to do on the court with them was very important for them and I think I was good at getting them to see the importance of both.”

Within a traditional classroom setting, rising senior Adam Aptowitz, who has been Mr. Connor’s student for two years, said that “Mr. Connor is very knowledgeable and very helpful.” Adam has been a programmer for years and said when people get stuck, Mr. Connor “[will] always help you get through it.”

Students also shared thoughts about his work as a dean at THHS.

“My first day at Townsend was his first day as a dean. I didn’t know anyone at school at all, and I was playing [a game] on my phone to help take away the anxiety of being in a new place,” said class of 2026 alumnus Jacob Kim. “Mr. Connor walked up to me and talked to me about the game. He showed me his high score and it gave me something to relate to.”

His work impacted his colleagues as well. Math Teacher and tennis coach Stephen Mazza, who has been a colleague of Mr. Connor for over 20 years, recounted his time being an assistant cross country coach alongside Mr. Connor. “I always listened to what he was telling his team, just in case I ever had a team of my own,” he said. “He’s a big part of the reason why I ended up coaching tennis.”

Math teacher Alice Brea said, “He was one of the first teachers I was introduced to when I first started working at Townsend Harris five years ago. When I was getting accustomed to the school, he was always there to offer advice and a joke.”

Dr. Mazza also praised his work with computer science at THHS. “He’s brought the whole computer science program back to Townsend Harris,” he said. “It was here, it died off, and then he was the one that reinstated it.”

“I will miss his cheerful smile and outgoing personality,” said Ms. Brea. “Without him in the school, it will definitely be an adjustment. But he deserves this retirement after years of being a teacher.”

“In my 22 or so years at Townsend, there have been a plethora of magical moments,” Mr. Connor said. He described memories of athletes winning borough, city, state, and national accolades; stories of van rides and competitions; and conversations with students whom he’s gotten to see grow through the years.

For Mr. Connor, these next few years do not yet have a concrete plan. “My wife, Lisa, and I plan to do what we want, when we want, and enjoy the freedom that comes with it,” he said. 

However, he will continue coaching track next year. He said, “I feel I have a special group of juniors on the team, and I want to finish the journey with them.”