Faculty Profile: Dr. Ron Preston
Name: Ron Preston
Title: Associate Professor of Mathematics Education and Graduate Program Director (for four master’s degrees and two certificates)
Department: Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Education
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Colleges attended and degrees received: Oakland City University – BS in Education (Chemistry and Mathematics), University of Southern Indiana – MS in Education (Secondary Mathematics), Indiana University – PhD in Curriculum & Instruction (Mathematics Education with a Cognate in Mathematics)
Years working at ECU: 31
What do you love about ECU?
The people – faculty, staff, and students. I chose to come to ECU over other offers because of the strength of the mathematics education faculty. Although there is now an entirely different set of mathematics education colleagues, they are just as strong and supportive as the group 31 years ago. But it has also been a privilege to work with so many wonderful students and staff as well.
What are your research interests?
Teacher and student use of mathematical modeling, the teacher change process, and the development of mathematical communication through notation, graphs, tables, figures, etc.
What is your favorite course that you have taught or currently teach?
Mathematical Modeling – I have had the opportunity to teach four different versions of the class – for elementary or secondary teachers and at the undergraduate or graduate level.
What do you enjoy most about working with students?
The most enjoyable moments are when I see them succeed, particularly when those students had to overcome adversity. But on a day-to-day basis, it is challenging students to move from being able to do to understanding why and then helping them get there by providing tasks or contexts that are rich environments for developing understanding. This focus has led to a couple of my mantras: “mathematics can be understood” and “mathematics is a tough task-master if you try to memorize your way through it.”
What drew you to secondary education?
I wanted to be a mathematics teacher from my 4th-grade year on. By the time I went to college, I wanted to be a high school teacher of mathematics and chemistry. I really enjoyed the high school-age student and the level of mathematics they could pursue. While teaching high school, I had the opportunity to teach some college mathematics classes and it was there that I learned I also enjoyed working with college students, particularly those planning to be teachers.
What accomplishment are you most proud of professionally?
Work on the North Carolina Middle Math Project. It was an NSF-funded project that I helped secure, and it allowed me to do many things about which I am passionate. University mathematics educators – including me – from across North Carolina developed graduate courses for middle grades mathematics teachers, using research on the teaching and learning of mathematics at that level. I got to shepherd those classes through the curriculum approval process here at ECU and they are still an important part of our graduate program. Then I was privileged to teach these classes to teachers across North Carolina, using a number of delivery methods (traveling to sites and teaching via two-way TV) to make the content accessible and to build a community of scholars. Finally, there were 25 of those teachers who completed an MAEd in Mathematics Education at ECU as part of a cohort funded by the grant and grant overhead dollars. And I was able to see many of those graduates move on to leadership positions in their schools and across the state.
What advice would you give to aspiring educators?
Find joy in the preparation of an engaging lesson. Let your passion for both students and subject matter show in your teaching. Take an interest in your students and learn about who they are inside and outside of class.
Outside of work, what are your favorite hobbies or interests?
I am very active in my church, where I get to exercise my passion for teaching among other responsibilities. I get great joy from helping others and church and Gideon work both allow me an outlet to do that. On the hobby side, I enjoy walking and hiking. Carol (my wife) and I enjoy traveling to State and National Parks. It is always a very good day when I can hike to a waterfall!