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Our Goal: Improving Student Learning in Mathematics by
Enhancing the Mathematics Content Knowledge of Teachers
A review of course outcomes for the Maryland Community College Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees resulted in a deep dive into the mathematics coursework which should be part of this preparation, not only at the community colleges but in all teacher preparation programs in Maryland. This resource site is an outcome of that work.
The guiding philosophy is summarized in this introduction from Chapter Four, Elementary Teachers, in the Mathematical Education of Teachers II:
A major advance in teacher education is the realization that teachers should study the mathematics they teach in depth, and from the perspective of a teacher. There is widespread agreement among mathematics education researchers and mathematicians that it is not enough for teachers to rely on their past experiences as learners of mathematics. It is also not enough for teachers just to study mathematics that is more advanced than the mathematics they will teach. Importantly, mathematics courses and professional development for elementary teachers should not only aim to remedy weaknesses in mathematical knowledge, but also help teachers develop a deeper and more comprehensive view and understanding of the mathematics they will or already do teach.
Thus, before beginning to teach, an elementary teacher should study in depth, and from a teacher’s perspective, the vast majority of K–5 mathematics, its connections to prekindergarten mathematics, and its connections to grades 6–8 mathematics.
[Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (2012). The Mathematical Education of Teachers II. Providence RI and Washington DC: American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Association of America, 23.]
What is Content Knowledge for Teaching?
By “mathematical knowledge for teaching,” we mean the mathematical knowledge needed to carry out the work of teaching mathematics. Important to note here is that our definition begins with teaching, not teachers. It is concerned with the tasks involved in teaching and the mathematical demands of these tasks. Because teaching involves showing students how to solve problems, answering students’ questions, and checking students’ work, it demands an understanding of the content of the school curriculum. Beyond these obvious tasks, we seek to identify other aspects of the work and to analyze what these reveal about the content demands of teaching.
[Ball, D. L., Thames, M. H., & Phelps, G. (2008). Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special? Journal of Teacher Education, 59(5), 389–407.)
How to Use this Website
Download the full set of outcomes and indicators approved for the mathematics content area in the Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees in Maryland for Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education pathways.
Select the Content Resources tab above to look at specific guidance for the units which may appear in any of the coursework for K-6 educator preparation in mathematics, including a section for Mathematical Practices and a collection of MORE Resources including virtual manipulatives, lesson plans, and more!
Note that these outcomes are labelled in Common Core notation using the abbreviations below:
Mathematical Practices (MP)
Basic Procedural Fluency (PF)
Number and Operations in Base Ten (N)
Number and Operations--Fractions (NF)
Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Operations (OP)
Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Algebraic Thinking (AT)
Measurement and Data /Measurement (M)
Measurement and Data: Data (D)
Geometry (G)
See what some institutions in Maryland are doing in terms of course design under Sample Courses.
Read About Us to learn more about the origins of this work, and the people involved.
Join our "Virtual Community of Practice" using the contact form below!
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Many resources on this site are available for no additional cost to members of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
If you are not already a member, it is time to join!!
The Association of Maryland Mathematics Teacher Educators is an affiliate organization of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) --
Find out more about our work to support Math Teacher Education in Maryland!
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