Henrico's Top Teachers – Suzanne O’Connor

As a first-grade teacher at Tuckahoe Elementary School, Suzy O’Connor knows first-hand that every child learns in different ways.

But that knowledge didn’t develop in her at school – it grew at home.

O’Connor and her husband, John (a sportswriter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch), are parents of six boys – five of whom they adopted. Her sons, now 17 to 30 in age, presented a number of different challenges when they were younger. One was gifted, but another had ADHD. One had academic needs. Another was the only student at his school who couldn’t read by the end of kindergarten. The adoptive children came from difficult backgrounds.

“With all of their differences, I had to learn how to teach them differently at home so that they could succeed at school,” O’Connor said, “so I know in the classroom that there are so many children who need so many different things.”

O’Connor’s teaching career grew from her role as a mom. She was working as a jack-of-all-trades at Maybeury Elementary, her children’s school at the time – serving as a remediator, providing extra help to kids who needed it and extra enrichment for those who needed that, and working in the cafeteria, among other duties.

“I was doing everything but driving the bus,” she said.

Playful but serious encouragement from her husband – and from then-Maybeury principal Robin Exton – convinced her to take the next step in her career 14 years ago.

“[Robin] was just like, ‘Will you just go get your teacher’s license?’” O’Connor recalled with a laugh. “John finally said, ‘Why don’t you go teach, and then you can have 20 new humans every year.’”

She’s been at Tuckahoe ever since and can’t imagine herself anywhere else. Neither can the families of students past and present.

“There is not enough space to brag about Mrs. O’Connor,” one parent wrote in a nomination letter. “My daughter has dyslexia. Mrs. O'Connor always worked tirelessly with her and taught her to read. She spent countless hours of her own time away from school to find resources to help my daughter. She had no less than five students that year who had learning disabilities – and helped every one to learn to read!”

First grade presents the range of student challenges – and successes – that keeps O’Connor engaged and excited about her work year after year.

“They come in and they’re babies,” she said.”There are so many levels – kids who don’t know how to do anything, and kids who are advanced. I have had kids that you’re just like, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going to happen to this child, how is he going to make it in the world?’ And then [months later], you literally go around the school saying, ‘Listen to this child read!’ because you’re so proud of his work.’”

O’Connor uses different lesson plans each year because she recognizes that each class is different. The approach also helps keep things fresh for her, and it seems to be working.

“Every year she is highly sought after by parents requesting her as the teacher they want their child to learn with,” the parent nominator wrote. “You will not find a more compassionate, loving, intelligent teacher. She finds a way to adapt to every child’s needs.

“Every time I see her I give her a big tearful hug. She has made such an impact on our daughter’s life that we can never repay!”