Teacher Educators

Improving early math learning requires teachers to know the content, understand children’s thinking, engage in pedagogical practices that support learning, and see themselves as capable math teachers. Currently, most preservice teachers do not have access to robust course offerings in early childhood math and there are few faculty members at the college level who have sufficient expertise in early math teaching and learning to teach the needed courses. Inservice professional development opportunities are also few and far between, in part because not enough experts in early math teaching are available to teach them. The DREME TE project created a set of professional development modules designed to prepare prospective and practicing early childhood teachers to create math learning opportunities for young children that are intentional, developmentally appropriate, engaging, and playful.