Guided by Gonzaga University’s Jesuit, Ignatian mission, I am deeply resonant with Kevin O’Brien, SJ’s belief that “we can experience joy in our work when who we are and what we do are in sync.” With more than 40 years of...
Ph.D. Mathematics and Science Education, Washington State University
M.A. Educational Administration, Gonzaga University
B.A. Biology, Gonzaga University
EDTE 304: Science Concepts
EDTE 401: Elementary Methods: Mathematics
EDTE 404: Elementary Methods: Science
EDTE 454: Secondary Methods: Mathematics
EDTE 509: Mathematics Methods
EDTE 510: Science Methods
EDTE 554: Secondary Methods Mathematics
Guided by Gonzaga University’s Jesuit, Ignatian mission, I am deeply resonant with Kevin O’Brien, SJ’s belief that “we can experience joy in our work when who we are and what we do are in sync.” With more than 40 years of experience across K–12 and higher education, my teaching has shaped my professional identity as a teacher educator committed to the formation and preparation of future teachers.
My teaching philosophy is grounded in experiential learning and practice based pedagogies that cultivate the knowledge and skills needed to support K–12 51³Ô¹Ïs’ development of disciplinary literacy in mathematics and science. I believe that learning to teach involves the formation of professional dispositions aligned with a principled vision of teaching—one in which 51³Ô¹Ïs are viewed as sense makers, and their personal, cultural, community, and linguistic assets are recognized as essential resources for learning.
Across my teaching, advising, and research, a consistent throughline is preparing educators who possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to teach each and every 51³Ô¹Ï effectively, particularly those who have been historically marginalized. Central to my work is partnering with local K–12 teachers, administrators, and school communities, whose insights and expertise continually inform my teaching and scholarship.
In this work, I am grateful for the opportunity to animate Gonzaga University’s mission in ways that bring purpose, coherence, and joy to the hearts and minds of our 51³Ô¹Ïs.
Baker, K., Nitta, K. (2025). Let’s talk about it: Using talk moves to build the skills of eliciting and responding to 51³Ô¹Ï thinking. In D. Polly & C. Martin (Eds.), Elevating clinical practice in mathematics education:Cases that showcase teaching practices in action (pp. 531-542). Emerald Group Publishing.
Dobie, T., Smith, E., Jessup, N., Ward, J., Baker, K., Nitta, K., & Gonzalez, M., (2024). Utilizing trust to examine pre-service teachers’ tensions when learning to implement challenging mathematics tasks. Investigations in Mathematics Learning. https://doi.org/10.1080/19477503.2024.2408985
Baker, K., Ward. J., Nitta, K., Gonzalez, M., Jessup, N., Dobie. T. & Smith E. (2023). From colleagues to critical friends: Exploring avenues of professional learning to support equity-based pedagogies in mathematics education. Studying Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/17425964.2023.2233329
Nitta, K. M. (2023). Pivoting clinical experiences to remote learning environments during COVID19: Exploring prospective teachers’ development of equitable teaching practices. WERA Educational Journal, 15.
Nitta, K. M. (2023). [review of the book Teaching Math to Multilingual Students Grades K-8: Positioning English Learners for Success by C. Chaval, E. Smith, L. Trigos-Carrillo, R. Pinnow]. WAESOL Educator, 48 (1).
Nitta, K. M. (2022). Leveraging communities of practice and pedagogies of practice to prepare ambitious teachers. Northwest Journal of Teacher Education, 17 (2), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.15760/nwjte.17.2.9
