Building Thinking Classrooms Conference 2026

We hope participants leave our session with a clear understanding of how intentional community-building practices can strengthen student agency throughout the year—not just during the first week. Participants will experience a BTC task designed to cultivate belonging and autonomy, see examples of routines and teacher moves that sustain productive collaboration, and reflect on how these strategies connect to BTC Practice #8. Ultimately, we hope educators walk away with practical structures and a renewed belief that agency develops when students feel safe, valued, and trusted to think. Our goal is for every participant to envision how these ideas can be adapted to their own context so that all students see themselves as capable mathematical thinkers.