Noticing and Wondering: A Language Structure to Support Mentoring Conversations

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-56
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Roller
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Structure ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Educative Mentoring

Teachers and mathematics teacher education scholars have identified field experiences and quality mentoring as influential components of math teacher preparation and development. Yet, quality mentoring is a complex and demanding practice. Providing educative feedback to novices, particularly that which encourages reflection versus evaluation, can be challenging work for mentors. To study the potential of an intervention for providing professional development for mentors, I worked with pairs of mentors and prospective teachers (PSTs) offering Smith's (2009) noticing and wondering language as a way of structuring mentoring conversations that maintain both descriptive and interpretive analytic stances. Analysis of before and after conversations provided evidence of how mentor-PST pairs adopted noticing and wondering language, and in particular illuminated the ways in which the language structure might support interpretive mentoring conversations for studying teaching. The results suggest that mathematics teacher educators may want to consider what makes wondering challenging work and how to best support wondering in educative mentoring conversations.

When Mathematics Teacher Educators Come Under Attack

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-74
Author(s):  
Rochelle Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The One ◽  
Historical Moment

We are in an interesting historical moment in mathematics teacher education. On the one and, there is greater realization within our field of the connections between systems of power and mathematics (O'Neil, 2016). We are starting to acknowledge how mathematics education can be viewed as dehumanizing for both students and teachers as well as what might constitute rehumanizing practices (Gutiérrez, in press). Our professional organizations are calling for teachers to move beyond simplistic notions of equity to understand these power dimensions and challenge the system on behalf of (and in community with) Black,1 Indigenous,2 and Latinx3 students in particular

Commentary: Should Mathematics Teacher Education Be Politically Neutral?

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew D. Felton-Koestler ◽  
Courtney Koestler
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
The Face

Many current and prospective teachers, policy makers, and members of the public view mathematics as neutral and objective, and they expect mathematics teaching and teacher education to be neutral as well. But what would it mean to think of mathematics teacher education as politically neutral? Below we consider some questions that we see as highlighting why mathematics teacher education cannot be neutral. We are not the first to raise these issues, but we appreciate the opportunity to discuss and reflect on them among a community of mathematics teacher educators. Although these questions have always been relevant, we see their importance growing in the face of the increased mathematization of our world and a highly polarized political landscape with a seemingly increased public acceptance of oppressive discourse and actions (Potok, 2017).

scholarly journals Comparing the Mathematical Practices Pre-Service Teachers and Mathematics Teacher Educators Identified as Relevant to Problems and Tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 954-971
Author(s):  
Scott A. Courtney ◽  
Joanne Caniglia
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematical Practice ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Habits Of Mind ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Mathematical Practices ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
And Mathematics

In the U.S., state adopted or developed college- and career-ready mathematics standards, including the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, not only impact districts, students, and their teachers, but also university teacher preparation programs. In order to attain and sustain Common Core’s vision of developing mathematically competent citizens, teacher preparation programs must support pre-service teachers’ development of practical conceptions of the Standards for Mathematical Practice. In this article, we examine the mathematical practices middle grades pre-service teachers (grades 4-9 licensure) and mathematics teacher educators identified as playing a role in attempts to make sense of and work toward solutions to mathematics problems. In addition, we compare the mathematical practices indicated both within and across pre-service teachers and mathematics teacher educators. Results identify pre-service teachers’ potential difficulties operationalizing six specific mathematical habits of mind. Finally, we describe how such comparisons can guide the design of future teacher education and professional learning by describing a process for identifying problems and tasks with the greatest potential to support pre-service teachers’ development of practical conceptions of mathematics or other content-specific habits of mind.

Promoting Active Learning in Mathematics Teacher Education

2017 ◽  
pp. 269-284
Author(s):  
Rukiye Didem Taylan
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Pedagogical Content

Teacher educators have a responsibility to help prospective teachers in their professional growth. It is important that teacher educators not only teach prospective teachers about benefits of active learning in student learning, but that they also prepare future teachers in using pedagogical methods aligned with active learning principles. This manuscript provides examples of how mathematics teacher educators can promote prospective teachers' active learning and professional growth by bringing together the Flipped Classroom method with video content on teaching and learning as well as workplace learning opportunities in a pedagogy course. The professional learning of prospective teachers is framed according to the components of the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Park & Olive, 2008; Shulman, 1986). Implications for future trends in teacher education are provided.

Use of Video Analysis to Support Prospective K-8 Teachers' Noticing of Equitable Practices

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Roth McDuffie ◽  
Mary Q. Foote ◽  
Corey Drake ◽  
Erin Turner ◽  
Julia Aguirre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Video Analysis ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators

Mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) designed and studied a video analysis activity intended to support prospective teachers (PSTs) in learning to notice equitable instructional practices. PSTs from 4 sites (N = 73) engaged in the activity 4 to 5 times during the semester, using a set of 4 “lenses” to analyze teaching and learning as shown in videos. In an earlier analysis of this activity, we found that PSTs increased their depth and expanded their foci in noticing equitable instructional practices (Roth McDuf_ e et al., 2013). In this analysis, we shift the focus to our work as MTEs: We examine our decisions and moves in facilitating the video analysis activity with a focus on equity, and we discuss implications for other MTEs.

Editorial: Tools as a Catalyst for Practitioners' Thinking

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-7 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Practicing Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Support Students

The word tool has many different meanings. The definition perhaps most relevant to mathematics teacher education is “something (as an instrument or apparatus) used in performing an operation or necessary in the practice of a vocation or profession” (http://www.merriam-webster.com). Mathematics teacher educators use a variety of tools in both conducting research and supporting the preparation and professional development of teachers. In research, we use tools (e.g., observation protocols, assessment instruments, surveys) to collect data that will inform the question that is under investigation in a particular study or set of related studies. In designing and conducting professional education experiences for preservice and practicing teachers, we use tools to provide a scaffold for teacher learning–a structure that allows them to do something that would otherwise be challenging or even impossible to do (e.g., a guide for analyzing instructional tasks, a protocol for lesson planning, formative assessment lessons). Tools can also be used to communicate a standard or shared understanding of practice across the community of mathematics teacher educators, particularly practices that have been shown to support students' learning. According the National Academy of Education(1999, p. 35),

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document