“Mathematics reveals hidden patterns that help us understand the world around us. Now much more than Arithmetic and Geometry, Mathematics today is a diverse discipline that deals with data, measurements, and observations from science; with inference, deduction, and proof; and with mathematical models of natural phenomena, of human behavior, and of social systems. As a practical matter, Mathematics is a science of pattern and order. Its domain is not molecules or cells, but numbers, chance, form, algorithms, and change. As a science of abstract objects, Mathematics relies on logic rather than on observation as its standard of truth, yet employs observation, simulation, and even experimentation as means of discovering truth.” From: Everybody Counts: A Report to the Nation on the Future of Mathematics Education (c) 1989 National Academy of Sciences. Teaching Mathematics is a challenge, a responsibility, and an opportunity. Learning to teach Mathematics occurs through a variety of means: the study of a wide variety of Mathematics, pedagogical preparation within a mathematical context, formal clinical preparation in education, an extended internship, and continual experiences as a student, learner, and problem solver in Mathematics. There is a growing demand for elementary teachers with a strong background in Mathematics, but there is an even greater need for quality Mathematics teachers—elementary teachers who care about both students and Mathematics, elementary teachers who have a broad and deep understanding of Mathematics, and elementary teachers who are thoroughly professional. The responsibilities are great, but the rewards are even greater. As a prospective elementary teacher specializing in Mathematics you need to focus on expanding your personal understanding of Mathematics and capitalizing on opportunities to work with pre-college students — as a tutor, as a classroom assistant, as a practicum student, and as a novice teacher in your internship.