Margo J. Dahlstrom has worked with young children and their teachers for 30 years as a teacher, consultant, and adviser. She has taught multiple age levels in preschool through third grade during a rich and diverse career spanning two Native American reservations, Title I supported programs, and districts that enjoy privilege. Ms. Dahlstrom is a clinical instructor and site coordinator in the early childhood special education program in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and a member of the Barrett Honors faculty supporting students in extended research and applied projects. She sustains a role in education as an instructor, coordinator, and clinical experience supervisor in the teacher preparation program at the professional development site. Ms. Dahlstrom's instructional strategies are known for her student-centered approach with emphasis on active participation and inquiry. She received a Flynn Foundation Educator Award for unique classroom techniques and memorable classroom experiences. She has served nationally as an instructor and consultant for student-centered, inquiry-based mathematics instruction. Her area of research and academic interest encompasses the efficacy and implementation of problem-based instruction, the impact of economic opportunity on education and the evolution of teacher practice in response to a changing society.
Ms. Dahlstrom is a faculty advisory board member of the W.F. Kellogg Foundation-iTeachAz community embeddedness project and the site coordinator for the pilot site for the grant, Balsz Elementary School District. She serves as the liaison between teacher candidates, Balsz district administrators, and university principal investigators. The goal of the grant is to embed teacher candidates in the community to develop partnerships between classrooms and parents. She works with the Kellogg team to design opportunities and experiences in home visits and community engagement that will leverage parental familiarity and academic support for all students in the district.