Articles submitted for TCM departments go to department editors rather
than through the blind review process. Editors work directly with authors
in preparing final drafts of the article. See recent issues of the journal
to learn about the format of different departments. Submit manuscripts by
accessing http://tcm.msubmit.net, unless
directed otherwise in the department descriptions below. For further information,
contact the journal editor:
Beth Skipper
NCTM Journal Editor
1906 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191-9988
(703) 620-9840 ext. 2204
bskipper@nctm.org
Readers' Exchange
This section consists of letters sent to the Editorial Panel. Letters contain
reactions to published articles, notable anecdotes from the classroom, or
general comments about mathematics education or TCM. If a letter refers
to an article, the author of the article is sent a copy and encouraged to
send a copy of his or her response to TCM for publication. Letters
and rejoinders are limited to 250 words and are edited for style and content.
Letters should be mailed to the Reston office, or e-mailed to tcm@nctm.org.
From the Classroom
The focus of this department is on a teaching problem encountered and reflectively
addressed by the teacher. The teacher shares a concise description of the
challenge, actions undertaken to address the issue, and a balanced reflection
upon the outcome of action. Articles should include rich examples of classroom
talk, work samples, or other artifacts of classroom life whenever possible.
Manuscripts focus on ideas from the classroom such as, tips for new teachers,
brief summaries of classroom-tested teaching ideas or techniques, purposeful
mathematics games used by teachers, summaries of interactions with students,
strategies for communicating with and getting support from parents, and teacher
reflections on their own professional development. This department is also
a forum for teachers to write about topics not traditionally included in
the journal such as classroom management or grading tips. The editor actively
pursues submissions by classroom teachers and mentors them in preparing the
material for publication. Submit manuscripts by accessing http://tcm.msubmit.net.
Early Childhood Corner
The intent of this department is to provide educators with information and
ideas relevant to the development of appropriate mathematics for children
in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. It addresses the early childhood teacher's
need to support young children's emerging mathematics understanding in a
context that conforms to current knowledge about the ways young children
learn mathematics. Submit manuscripts by accessing http://tcm.msubmit.net.
In My Opinion
This is an opinion column about a topic of interest to TCM readers.
Manuscripts should be limited to approximately four double-spaced pages.
Photographs of the authors usually appear with the articles. This department
is most effective as a provocative, forceful statement that will arouse the
interest of TCM readers and cause them to think about an issue or
consider a specific viewpoint about some aspect of mathematics teaching.
Authors should be aware that readers are encouraged to submit reactions to
these editorials for later consideration in "Readers' Exchange." Submit
manuscripts by accessing http://tcm.msubmit.net.
Investigations
Exploratory, open-ended problem solving tasks that may take several periods
to complete are presented by the Investigations department. The activities
should be classroom-tested, ready for immediate use in the classroom, and
should contain extensions that the student or teacher might consider. An
Investigations manuscript should include a description of the tasks and one
or two reproducible pages for student use.
The description of the task should include goals, material needed, some
structural guidelines and rich questions, critical points in the activity,
anticipated responses, and possible extensions. The description should tie
in to the content of the reproducible page. Submit manuscripts by accessing http://tcm.msubmit.net.
Supporting Teacher Learning
This department serves as a resource for teacher educators in their day-to-day
work with prospective and practicing teachers. The intended audience of this
department is teacher educators. The articles in this department should address
issues related to pre-K–6 mathematics teacher education and professional
development, including, but not limited to: 1) college/university course-related
issues; 2) mathematics content issues; 3) pedagogical issues; 4) practicum-related
issues; 5) creation/implementations/evaluation of professional development
programs in school settings; and 6) policy issues. Submit manuscripts by
accessing http://tcm.msubmit.net.
Math by the Month
A collection of short activities focused on a monthly theme, Math by the
Month presents classroom-tested activities that are intended to have an inquiry
or problem-solving orientation. A manuscript should include at least four
activities each for grades K-2, 3-4, and 5-6. Submit problems to be considered
for publication directly to the Department Editor. See a recent issue of
the journal for names and addresses.
Problem Solvers
Each month, elementary teachers are asked to try a given problem in their
own classrooms and send solutions, strategies, reflections, misconceptions,
and so on, to the department editor within approximately six weeks of publication.
With each month's problem, the editor solicits specific information from
teachers. Submit problems and/or solutions directly to the Department Editor.
See a recent issue of the journal for names and addresses. Selected teacher
submissions will be published in later issues of TCM and acknowledged
by name, grade level, and school.
Research, Reflection, Practice
This department presents brief (six to eight typed, double-spaced pages)
but thorough summaries of research, with references to allow teachers to
read full reports if they wish. In addition to a summary of the research
and its implications for classroom practice, the article should include relevant
student work or examples of student dialog (either from the research study
or classroom activities stemming from the research). The article should conclude
with ideas for action research that classroom teachers may wish to explore.
Submit manuscripts by accessing http://tcm.msubmit.net.
