The Mathematics
Teacher Education Program

The Certification Programs for Secondary Education in Mathematics are integral components of the Department of Mathematics, in the College of Arts and Sciences. Our programs prepare students to become teachers of Secondary School Mathematics in grades 7-12. Undergraduate, graduate and five-year combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics Programs are available.

The undergraduate program, which requires a major in the Department of Mathematics or in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, is described further at: http://www.math.sunysb.edu/html/und_teacher_prep.shtml

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Mathematics Program allows certification at the graduate level for students who already have a baccalaureate degree. For more information about the MAT Program, please visit the following web page:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/spd/graduate/matmath

Both undergraduate and graduate programs feature courses in essential methods in pedagogy as well as extensive practical experience in a variety of educational settings in neighborhood schools. The real and varied classroom experiences that our students experience allow them to begin teaching confident that they can handle the immediate challenges. Our emphasis on mathematics, the use of technology, formal and informal assessments, and the use of manipulatives provides them with the necessary background for professional growth and development.

In both the undergraduate and graduate programs, students are exposed to constructivist and other learning theories and various pedagogical strategies, including cooperative learning techniques. They focus on developing approaches to problem solving that will help motivate their own students. They learn to work with graphing calculators and computers as mathematical tools and also as teaching tools, as aids to conjecture and discovery. They also gain experience working with inclusion students; this is an important part of their preparation for the future fieldwork. Above all, our program has a strong emphasis on learning mathematics, for present content as well as for future growth, and on developing an appreciation of the beauty of the subject and of its connections to art and science.

The Mathematics Secondary Education Certification Programs at Stony Brook are aligned with the national standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Students spend over 100 hours observing classes at the junior and senior high school levels. They then engage in an intensive program of micro-teaching where they aid two different teachers and teach several lessons. This is followed by the full-time student teaching practicum, which prepares them for all the aspects of teaching. The Stony Brook Mathematics Department strives to educate future teachers with strong backgrounds in mathematics. In Suffolk County our program has been widely recognized for its excellence, and for the thoroughness with which our students have been prepared for the classroom. Many of our students are hired in the local schools, often in the same districts where they have done their student teaching. A further link to the local school districts comes from our involvement in their Math Meets and Math Fairs. A multicultural approach to mathematics is part of the programs. It provides students with rich experiences and prepares them for a wide range of teaching opportunities.

For more information contact: