Building Thinking Classrooms Conference 2026: Full Schedule

arrow_back View All Dates

9:35am EDT

Building Better Behaviors: Conversation and Collaboration on Classroom Management Strategies

Monday June 29, 2026 9:35am - 10:30am EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 301

Participants will take away classroom management strategies through collaboration and discussion with other participants. Participants will have a chance to share their needs in regard to classroom management and will be able to share what has worked in their classrooms. There will be an emphasis on the power of evaluating behaviors using rubrics.

Speakers

Makenzie Yutzy

4th Grade Teacher, South Western City School District

Monday June 29, 2026 9:35am - 10:30am EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 301 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching

Grade Level or Subject Area 3-5; 6-8

9:35am EDT

Techniques for Thin-Slicing Building Thinking Classroom Tasks

Monday June 29, 2026 9:35am - 11:45am EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 302

We will explore three techniques for thin-slicing, which the teachers at our school have dubbed: sliced complexity, sliced chunks, and sliced scaffolds. Participants will come away with an understanding of how and why to use each each technique, and how to blend them in order to build their toolkit for thin-sliced Building Thinking Classroom tasks that are accessible, engaging, and sequenced to lead students from the familiar to the new while fostering autonomy.

Speakers

Joe Grogan

Math Teacher, Academy for Careers in Television and Film

Shaziya Agron-Ali

Math Teacher, Academy for Careers in Television and Film

PhD

Gerald Tabaosares

Math Teacher, NYC Dept of Education

Monday June 29, 2026 9:35am - 11:45am EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 302 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching, Medium

Grade Level or Subject Area K-2; 3-5; 6-8; Algebra; Geometry; Trigonometry; Statistics; Calculus; Instructional Coaches

9:35am EDT

The Proof Is in the Practice: Geometry as the Ultimate Thinking Classroom

Monday June 29, 2026 9:35am - 11:45am EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 405

I hope participants will leave with a renewed vision of what geometry and proof can be in a Thinking Classroom. They will see how BTC routines can support not just content understanding, but also meta-cognitive thinking, logical reasoning, and epistemic awareness.Participants will walk away with:A concrete progression for scaffolding proof through BTC practicesIdeas for embedding informal argumentation starting from the first day of classA rationale for teaching formal logic as a bridge to deductive proofAn understanding of how Euclidean geometry supports epistemological developmentAnd an open invitation to connect with me and others in this work, to share ideas, materials, and continue growing a community of educators committed to reimagining geometry through the principles of BTC

Speakers

Jillian M. Cavanna

Leah M. Frazee

Jason T. Shea

Monday June 29, 2026 9:35am - 11:45am EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 405 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching, Medium

Grade Level or Subject Area Geometry

10:50am EDT

Consolidating Thick Slices: Making Rich Problems Stick

Monday June 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:45am EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 240

This session highlights the often overlooked power of consolidation: the final minutes where students make sense of their strategies, connect ideas from rich problems, and formalize their learning. Participants will see classroom examples, learn practical consolidation routines, and walk away with strategies that help students retain and apply their thinking long after the task is over.

Speakers

Robin Kubasiak

Implementation Support Specialist, CPM Educational Program

Robin is currently an Implementation Support Specialist at CPM Educational Program. Robin has taught mathematics at both middle school and high school levels for 25 years. She has a passion for mathematics education and continues to innovate her teaching with research based routines... Read More →

Monday June 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:45am EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 240 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching, Medium

Grade Level or Subject Area 6-8; Algebra; Geometry; Instructional Coaches; Building Leaders

10:50am EDT

Crafting Consolidation and Closure in a Secondary Thinking Classroom

Monday June 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:45am EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 326

By the end of this session, participants will:Have experienced a secondary thinking classroom, with a focus on what it looks, sounds and feels like for student thinking to be elevated. (~20 minutes)Engage in thoughtful conversations about selecting and sequencing student work to move toward a clear learning outcome. (~10 minutes)Develop an intentional approach for asking "just right questions" to consolidate student thinking. (~10 minutes)Developed some facility to think metacognitively about the role of consolidation and closure in supporting student understanding. (~10 minutes.)Create a personalized action plan to implement consolidation and closure strategies in their own classrooms. (~10 minutes)Gain strategies for inviting, encouraging, and supporting collaborative group work strategies in secondary classrooms. (throughout)

Speakers

Elizabeth Kielty

Facilitator & Research Analyst, All Learners Network

As a facilitator with All Learners Network, I am passionate about helping educators implement effective, evidence-based instructional strategies that foster conceptual understanding and empower students to become confident, independent learners. With over 13 years of experience in... Read More →

Monday June 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:45am EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 326 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching, Medium

Grade Level or Subject Area 6-8; Algebra; Instructional Coaches

10:50am EDT

Problem Solving with Noyce Fellows: Curricular Thin Slice on Pythagorean Theorem

Monday June 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:45am EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 209

Join in for a jungle adventure to support the application of the Pythagorean theorem to word problems. Great for introductory geometry. Accessible to all teachers.

Step into a lively problem-solving space where conference attendees can collaborate on engaging math tasks facilitated by experienced Noyce Math Teacher Leader Fellows. Participants will tackle rich problems, and experience the creativity, challenge, and joy that come from doing mathematics together. This session will be interactive with room for Q & A.

Speakers

Kari Baransky

Grade 8 Math Teacher, NOYCE Fellow, Meriden, NOYCE

I am a grade 8 math teacher at the middle school level in Meriden, CT. I have been in the education field for over twenty years. I have had the pleasure of teaching elementary school and middle school. I have taught grades 2, 6, 7, and 8. I am the Math Subject Area Specialist at my... Read More →

Marta Soto-Johnson

Math Teacher, Meriden Public Schools/Noyce

Monday June 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:45am EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 209 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching

10:50am EDT

Problem Solving with Noyce Fellows: Thin slice on permutations for secondary

Monday June 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:45am EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 206

Join in on the Animal Arrangements task. Great for secondary students, accessible to all teachers.

Step into a lively problem-solving space where conference attendees can collaborate on engaging math tasks facilitated by experienced Noyce Math Teacher Leader Fellows. Participants will tackle rich problems, and experience the creativity, challenge, and joy that come from doing mathematics together.

This session will be interactive with room for Q & A.

Speakers

Jackie Rankin

Teacher, Wethersfield Public Schools

Megan Staples

Professor, NOYCE

Thin Slice on Permutations Secondary pdf

Copy of BTC Random Groups Cards (24) (1) pdf

Monday June 29, 2026 10:50am - 11:45am EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 206 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching

Grade Level or Subject Area All attendees

1:20pm EDT

Equitable Engagement: How BTC strengthens learning in the IB MYP

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 326

I hope participants will walk away with an understanding of how they can take a lesson that meets all IB-MYP requirements and seamlessly incorporate BTC techniques.

Speakers

Samantha Sewpersaud

Teacher, CIS 303/NYC DOE

Danielle Sargent

Teacher, CIS 303

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 326 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching, Medium

Grade Level or Subject Area 6-8; Instructional Coaches; Building Leaders; Other!

1:20pm EDT

From Thinking to Learning: Consolidation in the Thinking Classroom

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Auditorium 115

My students are thinking. They're engaged. They're solving problems. But how do I ensure they leave with the learning I intended? In this session, I take a close look at consolidation and its role in transforming thinking into learning. Participants will learn how effective consolidation can not only make learning visible but also help steer it toward the intended learning goals of the lesson.

Speakers

Peter Liljedahl

Author, Building Thinking Classrooms

Peter Liljedahl is a former math teacher and current professor of Mathematics Education known for his significant contributions to the field of mathematics education, particularly in the development of "Building Thinking Classrooms." With a passion for fostering deep mathematical... Read More →

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Auditorium 115 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching

1:20pm EDT

Problem Solving with Noyce Fellows: Probability with the Last Banana

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 209

Problem solve with sample spaces, joint probability, and mathematical reasoning in this statistical task appropriate for grades 7–12.

Step into a lively problem-solving space where conference attendees can collaborate on engaging math tasks facilitated by experienced Noyce Math Teacher Leader Fellows. Participants will tackle rich problems, and experience the creativity, challenge, and joy that come from doing mathematics together. This session will be interactive with room for Q & A.

Speakers

Leigh Lessard

Mathematics Teacher and UConn MTL Noyce Fellow, Pathways Academy of Technology & Design, Hartford Public Schools, Hartford, CT

Shawn McClory

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 209 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching

Grade Level or Subject Area 7-12

1:20pm EDT

Problem Solving with Noyce Fellows: Traffic Jam Curricular-Supporting Task

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 206

Problem-solve with systems of equations in this thin slice activity to reason about linear constraints. Accessible to all teachers.

Step into a lively problem-solving space where conference attendees can collaborate on engaging math tasks facilitated by experienced Noyce Math Teacher Leader Fellows. Participants will tackle rich problems, and experience the creativity, challenge, and joy that come from doing mathematics together. This session will be interactive with room for Q & A.

Speakers

Cleo Alberts

PhD Student, Curriculum and Instruction, Secondary Math Ed, University of Connecticut Neag School of Education

In-training mathematics teacher educator (Ph.D.) at the University of Connecticut for secondary mathematics. Program Manager for the UConn Noyce Math Teacher Leaders (MTL). Former mechanical engineer, as well as Hartford Public Schools and CTECS teacher in Connecticut. Happy to be... Read More →

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 206 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching

1:20pm EDT

Ready, Set, Launch!

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 302

The goals of my session are for participants to be able to:Analyze the essential elements that make for a successful task launch.Implement strategies to build immediate student excitement and curiosity, fostering a desire to engage in productive struggle.Adapt existing lesson launches using simple, accessible adjustments to maximize cognitive activation and minimize instructional front-loading.

Speakers

Elana Reiser

Volunteer, St. Joseph's University

BTC2026CT pdf

Monday June 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:15pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 302 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching, Mild

Grade Level or Subject Area K-2; 3-5; 6-8; Algebra; Geometry; Trigonometry; Statistics; Calculus

2:35pm EDT

Making IM Work in a Thinking Classroom: Using Illustrative Mathematics Through the BTC Lens

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 330

Participants will leave with:A clear understanding that IM already provides rich thinking tasks suited for BTC implementation.Strategies to thin slice IM activities to maintain flow and cognitive engagement.Practical ideas for using VNPS and random groups while staying true to the IM lesson structure.Confidence that BTC and IM complement each other—enhancing reasoning, collaboration, and student ownership.

Speakers

Becky Wood

Teacher, Lake Zurich CUSD 95

Ashley Buchman

Assistant Principal, Lake Zurich School District, Middle School North

The IM Thinking Blueprint pptx

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 330 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching, Mild

Grade Level or Subject Area 3-5; 6-8; Algebra

2:35pm EDT

My Math, My Story: Amplifying Confidence, Identity, and Belonging in the Elementary Thinking Classroom

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 301

How students see themselves in math shapes not only what they learn, but how they engage, persevere, and grow. As Liesl McConchie notes, “A student’s emotional relationship with math is foundational to their cognitive relationship with math.” In this session, participants will explore practical strategies to help students author their own math stories—stories of confidence, competence, and belonging. Through hands-on examples and reflective activities, teachers will leave equipped to create classroom experiences that nurture positive mathematical identities, strengthen student agency, and make every learner feel seen, valued, and capable beyond what the thinking classroom already provides.

Speakers

Tammy McMorrow

teacher, Cynthia Mann Elementary, Boise School District

Tammy McMorrow has been teaching first grade for 32 years in Kuna, Idaho. In 2022 she began building a thinking classroom inspired by the work of Peter Liljedahl and was quickly won over by its magic and messiness. Determined to start a movement, she created a Facebook page for K-2... Read More →

My Math My Story pdf

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 301 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching, Medium

Grade Level or Subject Area K-2; 3-5

2:35pm EDT

Problem Solving with Noyce Fellows: Curricular Thinking Task using Volume

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 206

Join in to problem-solve a curricular thinking task involving the volume of a cone.

Step into a lively problem-solving space where conference attendees can collaborate on engaging math tasks facilitated by experienced Noyce Math Teacher Leader Fellows. Participants will tackle rich problems, and experience the creativity, challenge, and joy that come from doing mathematics together. This session will be interactive with room for Q & A.

Speakers

Jenn Downes

Math Teacher, Manchester High School / Manchester, CT

Jessica Jane

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 206 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching

2:35pm EDT

Problem Solving with Noyce Fellows: Multiplying like Rabbits

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 209

Join in a fun problem solving session with a curricular thinking task that models rabbit populations to explore geometric sequences and exponential growth. Grades 7 - 12. Accessible to all teachers.

Step into a lively problem-solving space where conference attendees can collaborate on engaging math tasks facilitated by experienced Noyce Math Teacher Leader Fellows. Participants will tackle rich problems, and experience the creativity, challenge, and joy that come from doing mathematics together. This session will be interactive with room for Q & A.

Speakers

Shane Donahue

Mathematics Teacher, Putnam Public Schools

Courtney Sobanski

Mathematics Teacher/ Secondary Curriculum Leader, Thompson Public Schools

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Ballet Studio 209 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching

Grade Level or Subject Area 7-12

2:35pm EDT

Using BTC when Students have Unfinished Learning: Situating Mathematics in Contexts Worth Exploring

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT

Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 329

There are two main objectives. 1) Participants will explore tasks that utilize tangible contexts - a scaffold to help students make sense of abstract mathematical procedures. 2) Participants will identify next-steps in their own practice to improve the rich tasks and thin slices that they utilize in their classrooms in an effort to create access for more students.

Speakers

Brandon Pelter

Teacher, Bridgeport Public Schools

Pelter Situating Mathematics in Contexts Worth Exploring BTCC 2026 pdf

Monday June 29, 2026 2:35pm - 3:30pm EDT
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School - Room 329 177 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Teaching, Medium

Grade Level or Subject Area Algebra

9:35am EDT

9:35am EDT

9:35am EDT

10:50am EDT

10:50am EDT

10:50am EDT

10:50am EDT

1:20pm EDT

1:20pm EDT

1:20pm EDT

1:20pm EDT

1:20pm EDT

2:35pm EDT

2:35pm EDT

2:35pm EDT

2:35pm EDT

2:35pm EDT

Get help with the event