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The Legend and Lore of Mr. Tim Grandy
How do you capture the story of a legend? Facts, quotes, and anecdotes are simply not enough. Any alumna who has sat in Mr. Tim Grandy’s iconic classroom — which tells the story better than pen and paper ever could — will certainly understand. The number of students he has inspired, papers he has graded, and college pennants he has hung are countless. But as we look at the legacy he has carved into the fabric of DSHA, one number tells the tale: 214. It is the classroom and sanctuary he curated to be his own — a space created for his students to thrive — for nearly four decades.
214 was more than a classroom: it was a beacon of light at 7:00 p.m. on a weeknight as he poured over papers listening to Bob Dylan. It was a solace for students seeking academic or personal help. And it was a constant source of joy and enthusiasm, of genius and influence. In short, it was home.
So, how do you capture the story of a legend? As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Take a peek into the remarkable space of room 214 as we celebrate his passion for teaching, the lives he has changed, and the 38-year legend of the one-and-only Mr. Tim Grandy.
214 was more than a classroom: it was a beacon of light at 7:00 p.m. on a weeknight as he poured over papers listening to Bob Dylan. It was a solace for students seeking academic or personal help. And it was a constant source of joy and enthusiasm, of genius and influence. In short, it was home.
So, how do you capture the story of a legend? As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Take a peek into the remarkable space of room 214 as we celebrate his passion for teaching, the lives he has changed, and the 38-year legend of the one-and-only Mr. Tim Grandy.
1) Mr. Grandy's Sense of Humor: A strict enforcer of the uniform policy, Mr. Grandy urged students to alert him if they had chosen to break the rules.
2) The Famous College Pennants: An impossible statistic to capture?: the number of college recommendations written by Mr. Grandy over the years. He proudly displayed pennants of each college or university attended by his students. Each time a Dasher decided to attend a school unrepresented by his collection, it became a source of pride for her to bring a new pennant to room 214.
3) American Players Theatre Baseball Hat: Mr. Grandy reveled not only in literature, but also in its incarnation on stage. Over the years, he accompanied students to see the novels they had read brought to life at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI.
4) William and Emily: Two of Mr. Grandy’s favorite authors to teach were William Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. He was known to stand on desks and chairs to loudly proclaim the tragedies and comedies of Shakespeare, or triumphantly declare to the ceiling, "Emily Dickinson, if you can hear me, you are a genius!"
5) The Wooden Desk: There is no way to know the number of papers graded, or students assisted at this desk. What is certain, however, is that at this space, students developed a confident and capable sense of self — in their writing, in their voice, and in their general being.
6) The AP Goal: One of two appearances of the number “5” displayed, this framed number represents the goal of every student in AP English Literature: to receive a five out of five on the AP exam.
7) Change Starts with a Girl: Mr. Grandy was a stalwart campaigner for women’s rights, both inside and outside of DSHA. He made it a priority for his classroom lessons to focus on the works of female authors.
8) A Man of Immense Faith: Mr. Grandy displayed many reminders of his belief in God throughout 214. From his front-of-class vantage point, he had a constant view of a statue of Jesus, as well as a Rembrandt painting depicting the parable of the prodigal son.
9) Constant Encouragement and the Coveted "A": How many alumnae still have their Mr. Grandy binder of papers upon papers? Many handouts were displayed to help students improve as critical thinkers, readers, and writers. Receive a well-earned “A” from Mr. Grandy, and the
10) A Passion for Social Justice: Mr. Grandy challenged his students to rid themselves of their own inherent prejudices, and aspired every day to embrace the ideals of his own inspiration: Martin Luther King Jr. Many of the novels discussed in his class involved issues of race, class, and privilege, which he courageously and openly confronted.
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2) The Famous College Pennants: An impossible statistic to capture?: the number of college recommendations written by Mr. Grandy over the years. He proudly displayed pennants of each college or university attended by his students. Each time a Dasher decided to attend a school unrepresented by his collection, it became a source of pride for her to bring a new pennant to room 214.
3) American Players Theatre Baseball Hat: Mr. Grandy reveled not only in literature, but also in its incarnation on stage. Over the years, he accompanied students to see the novels they had read brought to life at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI.
4) William and Emily: Two of Mr. Grandy’s favorite authors to teach were William Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. He was known to stand on desks and chairs to loudly proclaim the tragedies and comedies of Shakespeare, or triumphantly declare to the ceiling, "Emily Dickinson, if you can hear me, you are a genius!"
5) The Wooden Desk: There is no way to know the number of papers graded, or students assisted at this desk. What is certain, however, is that at this space, students developed a confident and capable sense of self — in their writing, in their voice, and in their general being.
6) The AP Goal: One of two appearances of the number “5” displayed, this framed number represents the goal of every student in AP English Literature: to receive a five out of five on the AP exam.
7) Change Starts with a Girl: Mr. Grandy was a stalwart campaigner for women’s rights, both inside and outside of DSHA. He made it a priority for his classroom lessons to focus on the works of female authors.
8) A Man of Immense Faith: Mr. Grandy displayed many reminders of his belief in God throughout 214. From his front-of-class vantage point, he had a constant view of a statue of Jesus, as well as a Rembrandt painting depicting the parable of the prodigal son.
9) Constant Encouragement and the Coveted "A": How many alumnae still have their Mr. Grandy binder of papers upon papers? Many handouts were displayed to help students improve as critical thinkers, readers, and writers. Receive a well-earned “A” from Mr. Grandy, and the
paper may have earned a spot on the 214 wall to serve as an example to others.
10) A Passion for Social Justice: Mr. Grandy challenged his students to rid themselves of their own inherent prejudices, and aspired every day to embrace the ideals of his own inspiration: Martin Luther King Jr. Many of the novels discussed in his class involved issues of race, class, and privilege, which he courageously and openly confronted.
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Mr. Grandy's Sense of Humor
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The Famous College Pennants
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APT Hat, William and Emily, the Wooden Desk, and the AP Goal
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Change Starts with a Girl and A Man of Immense Faith
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Constant Encouragement and A Passion for Social Justice
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At the end of each year, Mr. Grandy would take his graduating seniors up to the roof of DSHA to release balloons as he encouraged them to move bravely toward their futures with their "eyes fixed on the prizes yet to be won."
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