Six College of Education and Health Professions math teacher candidates recently attended the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Spring 2025 conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

The event, held at the Kansas City Convention Center in early February, provided an opportunity for these future teachers to engage in conversation and practice the latest trends in mathematics education.

The conference, themed "Championship Playbook: Empowering Our Students to Experience the World Through a Mathematical Lens," consisted of lectures, interactive sessions and vendors from all areas of math education. Over the course of three days, attendees participated in collaborative sessions and explored an extensive exhibit hall showcasing top-of-the-line educational resources and technologies.

The U of A students, who are currently interning in math classrooms at area K-12 schools, found the conference to be an eye-opening experience that will greatly contribute to their future careers.

"I never knew there were so many resources for me as a developing professional, so I will definitely take advantage of everything I was given at the conference," student Matthew Petty said. "The atmosphere was great, too, because everyone was talking about teaching mathematics."

Some of the highlights for the students included sessions on strategies for engagement in the classroom, using Texas Instruments calculators for mathematical exploration and sessions utilizing "Building Thinking Classrooms" strategies. With hundreds of different sessions for teachers and future teachers, each attendee tailored the conference to their own learning goals.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics hosts conferences to provide its members with resources and networking opportunities. For U of A students in attendance, this year's conference meant gaining valuable teaching skills they can use throughout their teaching careers.

"There is no better way to become the best teacher you can be than learning from successful and experienced teachers from around the nation," Petty said. "This conference exceeded my expectations and was very interactive with great resources and networking opportunities."

Erin House, Rebecca Martinez, Cassidy Stout, Matthew Patterson, Petty, Brooks Mulloy and their professor, Kim McComas, represented the U of A NCTM student affiliate at this semester's conference.

"We had an amazing time, and the students truly were young professionals eager to learn from experienced math teachers and engage in the math education community," McComas said.

The knowledge and strategies gained from the NCTM conference are expected to have a lasting impact on the students' teaching practices as they continue in their careers. McComas said the students left the conference with new perspectives and tools to enhance their mathematical teaching skills in the classroom. With continuing education about the latest knowledge and resources at conferences like NCTM, these teacher candidates can be better prepared to inspire the next generation of mathematical thinkers.