Tutor Q&A: Emily Arens, Elementary School Tutor and Math Tutor

This week we chatted with Emily Arens who tutors in math, reading and language arts. Emily has been a teacher for 19 years and specializes in middle school math, gifted math, pre-algebra, and algebra.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I have been teaching for 19 years.  All of my experiences have been in the middle school grades.  I currently teach math, but have also taught reading and language arts.  My Bachelors degree is in Education with a minor in math.  In addition to that degree, I also have my Masters degree as well as an endorsement to teach ESL.  I come from a big family and always knew that education was the right path for me.  In fact, I recently ran into a friend that I haven’t seen in 25 years and he asked me what I did for a living, then said, “Wait, let me guess, you are a teacher, right?”  I guess I have always had it in me.

Why did you want to become a teacher/tutor?

My favorite part of teaching is working with students.  They are my greatest source of joy.  Seeing a child’s eyes light up and hearing them say, “I get it!” is like Christmas morning to me every time.  I am proud to say that I educate students, and I am always humbled by their tenacity when solving problems and creative minds when finding solutions.

Tell us about a positive experience that you’ve had with a student.

I had been tutoring a particular student for a few months and he was struggling with math.  As we worked during each session, I continued to let him know how proud I was of his efforts and the growth he was making.  One day, as I came to tutor him he was practically bouncing out of  his chair, “I asked him what was going on?”  He showed me his latest test that had a 100% on it and a very nice bit of feedback from his teacher.  He turned to me and said, “Thank you for believing in me and showing me that I can do it!”

What’s the best part about being a tutor/teacher?

The best part of being a tutor is providing a positive educational experience for a student.  I love getting to know my students and showing them that school can be fun and you can find success in it.  I like to think of myself as their own personal cheerleader!

Who was your favorite teacher growing up and why?

When I was in fourth grade, I met the most amazing, inspiring person that changed my life forever!  She had a smile on her face from the very first day and it never left.  I tried harder that year more than any other because I wanted to do it for her.  She was a positive, motivating teacher who let you know that she will always be on your side!

What’s your favorite educational quote?

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” –  William Butler Yeats

Why do you like working for iAchieve Learning?

I like working for iAchieve, because it gives me the opportunity to work individually with kids and their families.  Tutoring gives me the chance to help kids see that school can be a positive place where they can be successful.  I love working with families to build a bridge that connects school and home.