Introduction

Many elementary teachers enter the teaching profession with mathematical wounds, which we define as limiting views individuals may have about themselves as mathematical beings, as well as what it means to do, learn, and/or teach mathematics (Brown et al., 2025; Skultety et al., 2023). Teachers’ mathematical wounds are important to consider because they can shape teachers’ daily instructional choices, including their selection of high-cognitive demand mathematics tasks, ability to notice and respond to student thinking, and readiness to foster discursive communities that privilege mathematical sensemaking. Given the ways that teachers’ mathematical wounds can influence teaching and learning, it is imperative to consider who, within school systems, is positioned to support teachers’ mathematical healing.

Mathematics coaches and specialists (MCSs) are positioned as instructional leaders with the goal of supporting teaching and learning by providing professional development to teachers (Baker et al., 2021). Because of their close proximity to teachers’ practice and ability to form authentic, trusting relationships with teachers (Bengo, 2016), MCSs are well positioned to notice and respond to teachers’ mathematical wounds to support healing. Yet, many MCSs enter their roles without explicit preparation for noticing or supporting teachers’ mathematical healing. That is, MCS preparation programs at institutions of higher education as well as ongoing professional development for MCSs largely prioritize developing coaches’ content, pedagogical, and leadership knowledge (Baker, 2022; Haver et al., 2017), leaving the identity work of teaching, especially mathematical, largely unaddressed. We argue that mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) and other facilitators of MCSs’ ongoing professional learning play a critical role in this work. In settings that include, but are not limited to, institutions of higher education and school districts, these facilitators can prepare MCSs to recognize and respond to their teachers’ mathematical wounds. 

In this article, we draw upon prior research that conceptualizes mathematical wounds (Brown et al., 2025; Skultety et al., 2023) and translate that research into insights for MTEs and others who support MCSs’ ongoing learning. Our goal is to offer concrete suggestions to support MCSs to address teachers’ mathematical wounds in ways that can shape how they engage with mathematics and, in turn, influence their instructional practice and the implicit beliefs they carry into their teaching.

What Mathematics Teacher Educators Can Do

Supporting teachers to heal from mathematical wounds requires deliberate preparation and ongoing learning opportunities for MCSs. This section details specific ways MTEs can help MCSs to learn to notice and respond to teachers’ mathematical wounds to promote healing.

Support MCSs to Notice Teachers’ Mathematical Wounds

Healing cannot occur without recognition; hence, noticing is the first step. Current models of MCS training tend to prioritize supporting MCSs to notice teachers’ pedagogical moves, student thinking and engagement, and alignment between teachers’ instruction and content standards (Baker, 2022; Haver et al., 2017). Such training might be less designed to support MCSs to notice teachers’ previous mathematical wounds, which can surface in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Mathematical wounds might surface in obvious ways, such as negative self-talk (“I’m not good at math”), canceling mathematics-focused coaching sessions, and expressing a preference for other disciplinary content areas. However, such wounds can also show up in much subtler ways for teachers, including appearing to be defensive when receiving feedback about their mathematics instruction; displaying passive participation in mathematics-focused professional development; and emphasizing rules, procedures, steps, and the “correct way” during mathematics instruction.

There are myriad ways MTEs can support MCSs to notice teachers’ mathematical wounds. First and foremost, MTEs must explicitly name mathematical wounds as objects of professional MCS noticing, and normalize having MCSs notice teachers’ mathematical wounds without moving towards immediate fixing. MCSs can achieve this in a number of ways. MTEs might support MCSs to analyze transcripts of coaching conversations with teachers to look for discursive cues that might signal mathematical wounds. Additionally, MTEs could use vignettes or case studies with associated reflection prompts to support MCSs to explore how teachers’ mathematical wounds might shape their pedagogical decision-making as well as responses to mathematics-focused professional development and/or coaching. Just as students’ mathematical thinking has become a central object of professional noticing for classroom teachers (Sherin et al., 2011), teachers’ mathematical wounds should also be an explicit object of professional noticing for MCSs. 

Prepare MCSs to Respond to Teachers’ Mathematical Wounds

Noticing is necessary but insufficient. Beyond noticing, MTEs need to support MCSs to respond skillfully to teachers’ mathematical wounds. Again, traditional preparation programs in higher education and ongoing professional development efforts likely support MCSs to suggest particular pedagogical strategies or approaches, and/or ask critical questions to push teacher thinking; however, such preparation likely does not equip MCSs with appropriate tools to support teachers’ own identity development as doers, thinkers, learners, and teachers of mathematics.

There is much MTEs can do to support MCSs to respond to teachers’ mathematical wounds. For one, during coursework or professional development, MTEs can use rehearsals (Horn, 2010) with MCSs to develop an initial response to a teacher when a mathematical wound surfaces (a) obviously, and then (b) subtly. The MTE could invite multiple rehearsals of the same moment to promote multiple interpretations. Furthermore, MTEs can utilize case studies illustrating teacher resistance to mathematics and/or mathematics-focused professional development and support MCSs to understand resistance as a self-protective defense mechanism. Last, because mathematical healing requires time, MTEs should remind MCSs that teachers might need to, for example, take a break in between coaching cycles or let the same problem of practice guide their work over multiple coaching activities.

Engage MCSs in Experiences that Heal Their Own Mathematical Wounds

MCSs’ own mathematical identities influence how they show up for and support teachers. If they have not engaged in self-reflection or the self-awareness to consider their mathematical wounds as a student, this will undoubtedly limit how they can help teachers. Traditional preparation programs and professional development offerings focus on preparing MCSs to facilitate professional development for teachers in service of enhancing student understanding; however, MCSs may not typically be invited to engage with their own mathematical histories. 

It is important for MTEs to give MCSs ongoing opportunities to reflect on their own mathematical journeys and interrogate their own mathematical wounds. This can be accomplished in several different ways. During coursework or professional development, MTEs can ask MCSs to complete a mathematics autobiography in which they identify how their past experiences learning mathematics in pk-12 or even higher education settings shape their approach to coaching mathematics teachers. Additionally, MTEs can engage MCSs in high-cognitive demand mathematics tasks (Stein & Smith, 1998) and use these as opportunities to not only deepen MCSs’ mathematics content knowledge, but also reflect on their own emotional responses while engaged in productive struggle. Last, MTEs might consider asking MCSs to bring in particular coaching artifacts, such as feedback notes to teachers and professional development plans, and analyze them through the lens of their own mathematical wounds. This may be helpful in supporting MCSs to identify where and how their own mathematical wounds surface during coaching interactions with teachers. 

Conclusion

Attending to teachers’ mathematical wounds is a necessary yet invisible dimension of MCSs’ work supporting teaching and learning. MTEs can support this work by providing MCSs with ongoing opportunities through coursework and professional development to not only notice and respond to teachers’ mathematical wounds, but also reflect upon their own wounds and how they might show up in their coaching practice. By centering healing within MCS coursework, preparation, and professional development, MTEs can support MCSs to create coaching spaces that invite teachers to feel safe while taking risks, which can ultimately humanize mathematics education for all constituents.

References

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Baker, C., Saclarides, E. S., Harbour, K. E., Hjalmarson, M., & Livers, S. (2021). Trends in mathematics specialist literature: Analyzing research spanning four decades. School Science and Mathematics. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12507

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Brown, K., Bajwa, N. P., Gerardo, J. M., Saclarides, E. S., Skultety, L., & Poetzel, A. (2025). Drawing the wound: A self-study of visual modeling and continued becoming an elementary mathematics teacher educator. Journal for Theoretical & Marginal Mathematics Education, 4(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17991526

Haver, W. E., Trinter, C. P., & Inge, V. L. (2017). The Virginia mathematics specialist initiative: Collaborative effort among all components of the VA mathematics community. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 46, 289-302.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2016.12.003

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Sherin, M., Jacobs, V., & Philipp, R. (2011). Mathematics teacher noticing: Seeing through teachers' eyes (p. 280). Taylor & Francis.

Skultety, L., Saclarides, E. S., Bajwa, N., Brown-Tess, K., Poetzel, A., & Gerardo, J. (2023). Making sense of elementary preservice teachers’ mathematical wounds: A proposed framework for practice. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 18(2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/13170

Stein, M. K., & Smith, M. S. (1998). Mathematical tasks as a framework for reflection: From research to practice. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 3(4), 268-275. https://doi.org/10.5951/MTMS.3.5.0344