Weston Awards: Meet Edgemont First Grade Teacher Judith Grodner

This is the latest in our series spotlighting the winners of the 2025 Judy Weston Awards for Inspired Teaching. Follow along each week to learn more about the impact these educators are making in the Montclair Public Schools.

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If there’s one word that sums up how parents feel about having Judith Grodner for their child’s first grade teacher at Edgemont Montessori School it’s this: Lucky. 

“We feel like the absolute luckiest,” one parent nominator wrote. 

“Edgemont is really lucky to have such a seasoned, kind educator,” wrote another. 

These parents feel fortunate for so many reasons.

Several cited the “Cultural Connections,” which Ms. Grodner holds on Thursdays so that families have a chance to come in and share something about their culture or their family. 

“We have such incredible diversity at Edgemont, and it is so wonderful for our children to be able to appreciate each others' cultures and make connections to the outside world,” one parent said. Another wrote about how meaningful it was for their daughter to share her Native American heritage with classmates. 

Ms. Grodner was also praised for being a champion for students with different learning abilities, seeing the potential in every student, going above and beyond to ensure students feel valued, and letting kids express themselves in a way where they will be accepted.

One parent wrote: “What stands out above all else is the grace and dignity she has afforded my daughter and our family surrounding the nature of my daughter’s Autism diagnosis and her participation in a general education classroom. [Ms. Grodner] is clearly informed about the appropriate language choices and thoughtful consideration required to create a safe and respectful environment for Autistic students, which is so meaningful to our family…. She has made my daughter and our family feel special and valued in a way other teachers have been unable. In short, she just ‘gets it.’” 

For celebrating diversity and creating a vibrant, inclusive, and supportive classroom, the Montclair community recognizes Ms. Grodner as an inspired teacher. Congratulations.