Congratulations to Dr. Josh Markle, recipient of the 2025 Faculty of Education Undergraduate Teaching Award!

It is with great excitement that we announce Dr. Josh Markle as the recipient of this year's Faculty of Education Undergraduate Teaching Award celebrating his unique ability to transform how pre-service teachers relate to and teach mathematics. Dr. Markle's teaching is driven by two main goals: supporting students to participate meaningfully in mathematical discourse and enabling them to flourish as confident, capable educators. His practice is characterized by a powerful blend of K-12 experience, advanced mathematics education research, and a deep commitment to equity and socio-emotional learning.

A defining theme of Dr. Markle's teaching is his focus on addressing the systemic barriers that make students feel they are "not math people." He uses socio-cultural theories to frame mathematics as a discourse, ensuring all students gain access to the terminology and narratives required to participate. His consistent focus on creating a safe, supportive class climate is critical to this goal. Students overwhelmingly attest to this impact: "I’ve been at the university for four years now and most classes are silent... This class was very different. I’ve learnt so much because of the participation in this class and that is 1000% because of how professor Markle runs his classroom. It felt safe, it felt supportive, and it was engaging." Another noted his profound influence: "He changed my view of myself and my ability to do math for the better and my confidence has greatly improved."

Dr. Markle excels at designing assignments that bridge theoretical rigor and practical classroom application. His assignment inviting students into a "discerning partnership with a resource" (like JUMP Math) using variation theory is a concrete example of this innovation. He leverages his research program to provide high-level mentorship, collaborating with 11 former undergraduate students on professional articles and supervising projects through three Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Student Research Awards since July 2022.

Students appreciate the real-world utility: "I would often take what I learned from this course and instantly put it into practice with young children. The content was delivered in an instructional process that provided real world application and techniques I could immediately implement." Another student highlighted his exceptional teaching skill: "You have a great way of taking complex ideas and making them simple and manageable."

Dr. Markle views listening as the most critical act of teaching, which informs his responsive instructional and assessment practices. He structures his courses to include rich whole-class discussions and uses journaling to focus on the affective aspects of doing mathematics, promoting mindfulness for future teachers. This commitment to student thinking is deeply felt: "Assignments in this class aren't just for grades - I feel like you genuinely want us to do well, and only use our assignments to evaluate our understanding, not for them to be 'perfect'." 

Dr. Josh Markle's dedication to supporting confident, capable, and flourishing mathematics teachers truly elevates the standard of undergraduate teaching in our Faculty.