Ryan Flessner

Ryan Flessner is a Professor of Teacher Education. He holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Butler University, a M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Teacher Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ryan has taught grades 2-8 in Indianapolis, New York City, and Madison, Wisconsin. His primary teaching and research interests include elementary mathematics, teacher education, practitioner inquiry, and issues of equity, diversity, and social justice. He provides professional development for P-12 teachers across the state and Midwest. 

Dr. Flessner has co-edited four books: Equity through Action Research, Agency in Teacher Education, The Power of Clinical Preparation in Teacher Education: Embedding Teacher Preparation within P-12 School Contexts, and Case Studies of Clinical Preparation in Teacher Education: An Examination of Three Teacher Preparation Partnerships. 

Articles written or co-written by Dr. Flessner have appeared in journals such as Action in Teacher Education, Action Research Journal, Educational Action Research, Indiana Mathematics Teacher, Science & Children, Science Education International, Teachers College Record, Teaching Education, The Educational Forum, and The New Educator. 

Chapters Ryan has authored or co-authored have appeared in Teacher Education and the Struggle for Social Justice; The Routledge International Handbook of Critical Education; Critical Education: Major Themes in Education; A Year of Inquiry: A Collection for Elementary Educators; Practitioner Research in Teacher Education: Theory and Best Practices; Exemplary Science for Building Interest in STEM Careers; Sociology of Education; Breaking the Mold of Classroom Management: What Educators Should Know and Do to Enable Student Success; SAGE Handbook of Research in Teacher Education; (Participatory) Action Research: Principles, Approaches and Applications; Building Upon Inspirations and Aspirations with Hope, Courage, and Strength: Teacher Educators' Commitment to Today's Teachers and Tomorrow's Leaders; Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education; and Project-Based Learning in Elementary Classrooms: Making Mathematics Come Alive. 

Ryan also worked with the Indiana Department of Education, the Partnership for Inquiry Learning, and Courtney Flessner to create 54 videos to assist K-8 teachers better understand the developmental progressions related to state standards as well as sound instructional and assessment practices at each grade level. The videos can be accessed here: https://partnershipforinquirylearning.org/standards/