Preparing Math Teachers

PREPARING FUTURE MATH TEACHERS

East Tennessee State University math education major Tataya Johnson isn’t sure where she wants to eventually teach. She does want to be wherever “the biggest need is.”

“I want to help those who need it most because I was once the young girl from an inner city who did not have access to support systems that every child needs to be successful,” said Johnson.

Professors in ETSU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics are preparing students like Johnson to enter a workforce that desperately needs additional math instructors.

“With a major in math education, you are just about guaranteed a position once you pass all the requirements,” said Dr. Daryl L. Stephens, Associate Professor, Associate Chair, and the math education major advisor. “We get more inquiries from school systems seeking to hire someone than we have graduates.”

The ability to get a job is appealing. So is the potential to be a great influence.

“With a major in math education, you have an opportunity to influence countless youth on their way to becoming competent, well-rounded adults who are numerate as well as literate,” said Stephens, who taught math in public schools before joining ETSU. “With any luck, you can pass along an enthusiasm for the structure, beauty, and utility of mathematics to the next several generations, and help stamp out math anxiety and math phobia.” At ETSU, students who ultimately want to teach math have access to a range of resources and curricula. The courses offered by the department give a good perspective on the math foundation courses taught in schools. All students take part in an original research project, presenting it to their peers and professors. For students who opt for a secondary education minor, they get the chance to work with a veteran teacher in a public school for nearly an entire academic year, earning indepth, on-the-ground experience.

Though many Americans were likely aware of teacher shortages before the pandemic, COVID-19 has made an already difficult issue worse, the National Education Association reported.

Future teachers like Johnson want to help.

“I had amazing teachers in high school who took time out to make sure that I knew that they could see me and hear my cry,” she said. “They gave me the push needed to continue, and nothing would be more fulfilling for me than becoming that person for others.”

For additional information, contact Stephens at stephen@etsu. edu or (423) 439-6981.

O.J. Early is Marketing and Communications Specialist in ETSU’s Office of University Marketing and Communications. | Photo by Tanner Clements