Eileen D. Arendt

I’m excited to have joined the WTMA staff as a tutor in the Fall of 2023 and to now have an opportunity to move into teaching with WTMA. I recently retired from 33 years as a High School Mathematics teacher in New Jersey where I have lived my entire life. I have taught a wide range of courses from Pre-Algebra through AP Calculus over my tenure as a public school teacher and also served as Head Teacher for the last 8 or so years of my career.

I earned my Bachelor’s degree from Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) and also have about 40 graduate level math credits. I’m a member of the AMTNJ (Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey) and NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics). I was named Teacher of the Year twice during my teaching career and also authored a test prep book for a past state test in New Jersey. I have presented numerous in-service sessions to my peers and presented once at an AMTNJ conference.

I absolutely love math and seeing my students’ reactions when they get a concept, can confidently explain something or can see where it is useful. I enjoy math puzzles and games and like to incorporate many different tools in my classroom. I enjoy the challenge of explaining concepts in different ways if students need further clarity.

In my classes, I encourage students to share different ways to approach a problem and invite all to participate and share their ideas. I love the challenge of drawing out of them what they need to utilize from their “math toolbox” by asking probing questions to guide them. When needed, I offer a visual to help understand what a problem is asking and color code diagrams or make flowcharts with the students to “map out” where our math should take us. Together, we work at deepening their problem-solving skills.

I enjoy reading, doing crafts, drawing, completing math puzzles and word puzzles, being outdoors as well as spending time with my family and friends. I have a small family that I am very close with and also have a pet bird – a cockatiel named Petunia.