Sara Nelson

Anne Estapa, new assistant professor in mathematics education, works to create opportunities and experiences to prepare and keep teachers in the classroom. 

Estapa comes to the UI College of Education from Iowa State University, where she earned an Early Achievement in Outreach Award as an assistant professor. Prior to that, Estapa received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Master of Arts in Education from the University of Northern Iowa, and her doctorate from the University of Missouri. 

“I love the idea of Hawkeye Teachers,” says Estapa. “I’m excited to join a program that is preparing amazing teachers. I hope to support our pre-service teachers’ learning and catapult them into classrooms to do the good work of teaching.” 

Estapa seeks to help ease the phobia of mathematics that many pre-service teachers and their students experience. 

“Math itself is not scary, but how we teach it can be,” says Estapa. “I want to make sure my students feel confident to go teach math in ways that work for their students.” 

Estapa’s research focuses on pre-service teacher learning, examining how to best prepare teachers. She uses animations to understand how teachers conceptualize the practice of teaching. Estapa also utilizes innovative video methodologies, like video-recording glasses, to capture how teachers and students navigate the classroom, analyzing data through their eyes and looking at decisions they make. 

“The better we can prepare teachers, the better they will do in the classroom. Now more than ever, we need good teachers in the classroom, and we need them to stay,” says Estapa. “I strive to provide opportunities that bridge learning from the university into the elementary classroom to help position our students, and their future students, favorably.”