Local math teacher goes to the head of the class

A Bay Ridge teacher plus hard work equals excellence.

Eleanor Terry, a mathematics teacher at the High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology, has been awarded the prestigious Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics.

The fifth annual award, created by the Fund for the City of New York and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, was presented during a ceremony held in the Great Hall at Cooper Union. The seven winners each received $5,000 and each school received $2,500 to strengthen their respective science and mathematics programs.

Terry was informed that she had won nearly two months ago, but almost didn’t receive the good news due to a lapse in technology. “The email that announced I had won went to my spam folder,” she recalled.

Fortunately, school Principal Philip Weinberg did get the news, and informed and congratulated her. “It was great to hear the good news,” said Terry.

The math teacher was nominated for the award by former student teacher Sonia Tharathattel, who now teaches in Bronx Latin. “Anyone can nominate you. Then they interview co-workers and students in person,” Terry explained. Terry was then chosen to win the award by an independent panel of scientists, mathematicians, and educators.

Terry has been a teacher for eight years. She received her Master’s Degree in math from Pace University and is currently attending Hunter College to receive her administrative license.

For Terry, teaching requires building the confidence of students who may struggle with the subject. “Math students, at times, don’t feel very good. So a lot of it is about unpacking anxiety around that. If it didn’t go well before, it’s a new opportunity to learn,” Terry explained. “Statistics can relate to the world. It’s more about personalizing than problem-solving methods.”

Taking risks and trying new ways to get a student’s interest also play a paramount role in Terry’s curriculum. She applies those methods by assigning projects that go beyond basic problem-solving questions.

On Election Day, when school was closed, Terry’s students volunteered to work by heading to polling sites all over the borough to conduct surveys as well as collect data regarding who people were voting for.

“It’s been inspiring,” Terry said. “It was not a day of school and they still volunteered to do it. You never know how poised and outgoing they are. But they were going up to strangers, conducting surveys. Seeing them do math in action was great.”

Around 10 of Terry’s students, as well as her role model, her mom, showed up to the award ceremony in Manhattan. “My mother is career teacher,” said Terry. “Seeing her in the audience was a special moment. It’s rare for teachers to have attention like that. It was nice for her to see. She taught me that education was the most important thing you can give someone. For her to see me receive that was pretty cool.”

Despite the recent accolades, Terry still has goals she’d like to accomplish. “I would like to be involved in school leadership,” she said, adding, “I would aspire to lead a math department.”