WHAT'S GOING ON NOW:

Outstanding Public Elementary School Teacher-Alan Tung

A Lifelong Learners
Tung is a teacher who enjoys being a student himself

You’re never too old to learn new things. At least, that’s the thinking of Alan Tung, a 4th and 5th grade teacher at P.S. 3 in the West Village. Tung, 56, has been teaching at P.S. 3 for 21 years, and in each one he makes an effort to try new things or learn new skills to share with his students. Several years ago he took a sabbatical to study art and music, and when he returned he was eager to share his newfound knowledge with his students.

“Alan is grounded in his own knowledge and the foundations of teaching, while always working to learn new things,” said Principal Lisa Siegman.

This year is no different, as Tung has set himself to learning the musical accompaniment for a play his students have written about global warming. Theatrical productions, along with music and art, are a constant theme in Tung’s classroom and help his students enjoy learning—a particular challenge in a world where test scores and getting into the best middle school can take over a child’s life.

“I think it’s important that we help young people grow in all different ways,” Tung said.

This can be hard in a classroom full of 30 students, but Tung says that a more holistic approach allows him to fit more into each day. At P.S. 3, two grade levels are placed into each classroom and the learning environment is designed to give teachers more freedom in their teaching style.

“Alan’s creating kids who can look beyond the norm of a typical elementary school classroom and be comfortable being exposed to new things and ways of thinking,” said Susan Kramer, the parent of two children who have enjoyed Tung’s teaching. “His energy and creativity create the perfect atmosphere for a young child to learn in—and more importantly, want to learn in.”

Some may call it progressive, but it’s a style for which Tung is aptly suited. A graduate of Cornell University, Tung was on campus in the late 1960s when students took over the student union. While it didn’t lead Tung to revolt, it did help him question his chosen field of study. Over the next few years he experimented with different subjects until he found inspiration in a local classroom. He fell in love with the kids and enrolled at Bank Street College of Education.

Bank Street at the time was known for inventing Sesame Street, and the progressive nature of the place appealed to Tung. He then took a job at an after-school program on the Lower East Side. In a neighborhood of Puerto Rican and Chinese students who seldom got along, Tung fostered friendship by placing kids of both ethnicities on the same sports teams.

He has continued to use sports as an equalizer at P.S. 3 and credits sports and art with inspiring shy children. It’s this desire to help students to find their own confidence and inner creativity that keeps Tung working hard everyday. And it’s a role he clearly relishes. “It’s our privilege,” Tung said, “to train the next bunch of leaders for our country and the world.”

— Dakin Campbell