Learning Together: Developing a Partnership Between Preservice Math Teacher Educators and a Local Elementary School

ABSTRACT This self‐study unpacks the development of a partnership between a math teacher educator and teachers at a local elementary school from the perspective of the math teacher educator. Over 3 years of iterations, the partnership has been designed to bridge the persistent gap between university coursework and field experiences; with the framing of joint work, it aims to create meaningful opportunities for preservice elementary teachers to experience teaching math through joyful, engaging activities while simultaneously supporting the partner classrooms' instructional goals. Partnership activities have included math‐focused pen pal letters, games, instructional videos, and family engagement opportunities. Through analysis of field notes and reflective memos, the study reveals that presence, perseverance, and flexibility are key for teacher educators looking to develop and sustain a mutually beneficial school‐university partnership. These findings are relevant for teacher education programs that want to support and strengthen math learning in preservice teacher preparation and the local community.