While high school students often complain about their workloads, many have little awareness of everything their teachers manage outside the classroom. River Dell math teacher Mrs. Walter has been working toward her master’s degree (which she has recently completed), all while teaching at River Dell—living the life of both a student and a teacher at the same time.
“Sometimes I feel overwhelmed just from school, so I can’t even imagine having to teach a class while also going to school myself,” said sophomore Ryan Posluszny.
While some students find calculus challenging, it was in that very class that Mrs. Walter realized she wanted to become a teacher.
“My calculus teacher was able to take such challenging math concepts and simplify them for us to understand. I thought that was the most magical thing ever, and I wanted to do that myself,” she recalled. “In retrospect, I had always taken great pleasure in helping my younger sister with her math homework, and I loved to play teacher with a mini chalkboard as a kid.”
Walter began teaching during the 2019–20 school year at River Dell—an eventful time for schools across the globe.
“It was all wild,” Walter recalled. “I was just trying to get my feet on the ground with teaching, and then this unprecedented event just took over.”
Despite everything happening at the time, she found support from her fellow math teachers at River Dell. “My coworkers texted me every day: ‘How are you doing?’ ‘Do you need help setting things up?’ I even had a coworker dropping off quizzes at my house because I had COVID. Since then, we’ve collaborated on everything.”
Mrs. Walter also reflected on her time playing basketball at Old Tappan High School, where she started as a forward before transitioning to a guard. For her, basketball and teaching have always been connected beyond the court.
“I relate sports to math and math to sports all the time,” she said. “Math is a skill—it’s not about memorization, it’s about practice.”
She even structures her classroom to reflect that philosophy, arranging students in groups so they can work closely together.
“We are a team here. I want us to help each other out, collaborate, and work together.”
“She teaches in a very interesting way—and I mean that in the best way,” said former student, sophomore Kyle Ning.
“Mrs. Walter goes above and beyond compared to most teachers,” added sophomore KJay Hwang. “She really cares about her students and always helps them. She also tries to accommodate what a student needs, and she is very supportive.”
Hwang’s comments were echoed by former student Anna Gandolfo, who said, “Mrs. Walter was always very nice and encouraging. Whenever you did poorly or needed help, she would encourage you and tell you to come for extra help.”
Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Walter shared some of her favorite music artists, including Frank Sinatra, the Dave Matthews Band, Harry Styles, and Miley Cyrus.
“I think this one may cause some controversy,” she said, “but Doechii. I think she’s so talented, and I really like her.”
After some additional encouragement from fellow math teacher Ms. Simonovich, she also admitted she enjoys the music of pop artist Taylor Swift.
So whether on the court or in the classroom, Mrs. Walter is someone students can always count on—helping with math and serving as a positive influence in their lives.
