Building Thinking Classrooms is not a one-size-fits-all approach. This teaching strategy is highly effective, but what does it look like for a school district to shift the mindsets of principals and teachers, along with changing classroom instructional practices, to build thinking classrooms? This presentation details how an Urban/Suburban school district implemented Building Thinking Classrooms in Kindergarten-12th Grade.Participants will:Explore how a school district strategically shifted the mindsets of principals and teachers to support the implementation of Building Thinking Classrooms. Examine how the Math Block Framework provides a structured approach to organizing instructional time, fostering student thinking, and aligning with Competency-Based Educational Approaches, including the 5 Mathematical Practices, BTC structures, and a focus on addressing math trauma and identity.Identify the leadership moves, professional learning structures, and coaching supports that moved instruction from traditional, teacher-centered approaches to student-driven, thinking-rich mathematics classrooms.Leave with strategies and insights to strengthen a district’s capacity to create classrooms where every student is positioned as a capable and confident mathematical thinker.Reflect on their current implementation of BTC or other math initiatives and plan next steps to build teacher buy-in, nurture student agency in mathematics, and close opportunity gaps.
