Hello, my name is Chrystal Dean. I am joined by my colleagues, Ashley Whitehead and Wendy Lewis, to discuss how we support undergraduate learning through an authentic practicum experience. Our poster describes an elementary education mathematics clinic designed to prepare preservice teachers to teach mathematics.
Research indicates that preservice teachers often enter the field feeling underprepared and anxious about teaching mathematics, particularly to students with disabilities and those who struggle with the subject.
The mathematics clinic’s objective is to provide preservice teachers with authentic practice in mathematics instruction through evidence-based experiences.
The typical math clinic structure includes 10-15 minutes of math games and review, 35-40 minutes of planned hands-on activities aligned with diagnostic assessments, and 5-10 minutes for review, games, and cleanup.
The mathematics clinic began as a pilot in Fall 2023, with ten special education teachers serving five kindergarten through 3rd-grade students. Since the pilot, we have expanded from one mathematics clinic to four clinics. The poster outlines the changes we made for the expansion and the lessons we learned during the process.
Moving forward, the clinic aims to serve 1st-5th graders in our current mathematics clinics, start a middle-grades mathematics clinic in the Fall 2025, and initiate conversations about a secondary clinic at a local high school.