Postscript

If we have learned nothing else from reading these touching and authentic untold stories, we have learned that great teachers are great caring human beings who have multiple abilities and talents and also have a passion for teaching, mathematics, and are dedicated to their profession and helping their students. We owe it to the future generations of students to provide teacher preparation programs that nurture and support preservice teachers so that they too can develop into the types of educators whose stories are just as inspirational as the stories in this book.

The teacher-authors all persevered through multiple challenges partly by relying on what they learned in their undergraduate teacher preparation program, as well as on the network of people who went through the program with them. At no point did any of these teachers feel alone or at a complete loss for how to think about the difficult times they faced, and, they all faced difficult times. Becoming a great teacher who can weather treacherous storms is no different from building a great building that can weather treacherous storms. Great teachers need to have a firm foundation of a teacher preparation program that not only focuses on instructional practice, but that also provides a network of people with whom they develop a close relationship and can call on at all times. They need a teacher preparation program that has instructors who are available and understanding of them as they will be available and understanding of their own students. They need a teacher preparation program that places them in teaching and leadership positions, long before they enter the classroom as professionals. They need a teacher preparation program that will help them utilize their unique talents in ways that will enhance their teaching and be advantageous to their students. They need a program that directly exposes them to the professional teaching organizations so that they can participate in these organizations once they do become professionals. Such a teacher preparation program cannot occur within a summer stint or a few short semesters. Recruiting students directly from high school and working with them in a concentrated, coherent manner for four years is what creates the strong bonds and depth of understanding of teaching and learning that the authors of these chapters have demonstrated. As it is often said, teaching is a noble profession. The preparation of teachers must be ever more thoughtful if it is to prepare teachers worthy of such a distinguished role in society.