I hope participants leave with practical tools they can use right away—specifically a Navigation Tool, a mastery-based rubric, and ideas for using AI to design discovery tasks. My goal is to give a clear, realistic picture of what full BTC implementation can look like in daily classroom practice
High School Math Teacher, Franklin Community School Corporation
I am a high school math teacher at Franklin Community High School and the creator of BTC in Motion. Since observing Peter Liljedahl teach in Hawaii in 2023, I have been implementing Building Thinking Classrooms strategies to create more collaborative, student-centered math experiences... Read More →
Building Thinking Classrooms is powerful, but it is also inherently messy. When teachers are actively facilitating a BTC lesson, it is impossible to simultaneously observe the full range of student thinking, teacher moves, and flow of the task. Peer observation provides the perspective needed to refine practice, reveal blind spots, and elevate the quality of student thinking across classrooms.Participants in this session will:Experience BTC from multiple perspectives: as students, teachers, and observersLearn and practice a clear, non-evaluative feedback protocol aligned with BTC practicesRecognize key teacher moves (questioning, autonomy, hints, extensions, consolidation) that are best developed through observationAnalyze a real classroom video to surface strengths and growth areas in BTC implementationPlan how to bring peer observation back to their site to strengthen collective practice
Participants will be able to describe the characteristics of an effective whole-class discussion and consolidation of learning (synthesis) during a Building Thinking Classrooms lesson (inquiry-based lesson).
Participants will walk away with practical, ready-to-implement routines that help students reflect on their mathematical identity and thinking throughout the year. They will learn how structures like “Math History Timelines,”by MidSchoolMath’s Gladys Grahm, student self-assessment, reflection sprints after BTC tasks, and 1:1 learning conversations can deepen student ownership and strengthen the final BTC practices around responsibility, perseverance, and “Where to next?”Teachers will leave with concrete examples, templates, and prompts they can use immediately to help students notice their growth, name their strategies, and understand themselves better as mathematical thinkers. The session emphasizes identity and agency first, with data and assessment serving as one optional lens for reflection.
Teachers will walk away with how and when to use direct instruction in a BTC lesson. How to prepare for and teach into misconceptions, when to intervene, and when to let students productively struggle. They will come back with three different ways to use direct instruction in a BTC lesson.Teachers will experience how to blend direct instruction in BTC while promoting equitable access to thinking, using VNPS and randomized groupings. They'll also explore how to respond to student misconceptions in real time. Teachers experience the cognitive struggle their students feel.Random grouping and VNPS show how BTC promotes equity.Misconceptions give a realistic view of responsive teaching.Participants can see all three types of direct instruction in action.
This session will explore how to integrate McGraw Hill's Reveal Math curriculum with Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) strategies for 6-12 learners. Participants will experience a modeled lesson and leave with a lesson plan template to help implement these approaches in their own classrooms, enhancing engagement and problem-solving for middle and high school students.
High School Math Teacher, Franklin Community School Corporation
I am a high school math teacher at Franklin Community High School and the creator of BTC in Motion. Since observing Peter Liljedahl teach in Hawaii in 2023, I have been implementing Building Thinking Classrooms strategies to create more collaborative, student-centered math experiences... Read More →
Participants will be empowered to use BTC practices for tier 1 instruction whether they are answering to a standardized test, have state standards they must adhere to, or an HQIM they are required to use. Participants will have an actionable next step in their BTC journey, whether they have not yet started or have already implemented several toolkits. Participants will have a sense of the experience as a student and teacher during BTC tasks.
During my first year of implementation, I faced a serious case of teacher burn out! Luckily, I am not a quitter. Through careful reflection, I was able to outline key steps in implementation that would help me move forward in building my thinking classroom. I hope that participants will be able to take back to their classrooms, school sites, and school districts sustainable practices and a personal implementation plan that moves the work forward in a positive way. Specifically, I will highlight the following: starting small, trusting the process, setting goals, and finding/building your support community.
Participants will leave this session with a clearer understanding of how student-facing rubrics and self-evaluation practices. Participants will leave this session with a clearer understanding of how student-facing rubrics and self-evaluation practices can be made meaningful and manageable. This presentation will share actionable strategies for these important, but underutilized elements of the BTC pedagogical approach. We’ll explore why this practice is so often left behind, the friction that prevents students from using rubrics effectively, and how to structure both the rubrics and the routines that support them. Participants will analyze examples of real rubrics from my geometry classroom: what worked, what didn’t, and how they evolved. They’ll consider the difference between rubrics for student self-evaluation and those used by teachers, and reflect on how to assess not just what we test, but what we truly value.We’ll also discuss strategies for helping students shift from passive receivers of feedback to active participants in their learning, with self-evaluation as a formative, forward-looking practice, not just a ritual before a test. Participants will leave with ideas, strategies, and the opportunity to revise or design their own rubric in collaboration with peers.
This session will explore how to integrate McGraw Hill's Reveal Math curriculum with Building Thinking Classrooms strategies for K-5 learners. Participants will experience a modeled lesson and leave with a lesson plan template to help implement these approaches in their own classrooms, enhancing engagement and problem-solving for young students.
Assistant Principal, Franklin Community School Corporation
I believe that presenting is the best way to confirm your own understanding and learn from others who are passionate about education. Driven by my motto, "Collaboration makes the world go round!", I am passionate about grading and redefining smart by moving away from compliance and... Read More →
This session connects SEL and BTC practices through practical routines, student-friendly rubrics, and immediately usable strategies that support academic, social, and emotional growth. Learn how to build classrooms where students think deeply, collaborate effectively, and persevere through challenges.
Math Teacher 6-8, Robert Louis Stevenson/Saint Helena Unified
With over 25 years in education, I believe that strong relationships are at the heart of meaningful learning. I am passionate about helping educators create classrooms where students feel connected, valued, and empowered to think deeply. While strengthening mathematical thinking is... Read More →
Tuesday June 30, 2026 10:30am - 11:25am EDT Shubert Theatre - Cabaret247 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
What happens when you layer two highly effective but different learning modalities? In this workshop, participants will learn how one district paired the digital Amplify Desmos Math curriculum with the effective practices from Building Thinking Classrooms to promote high engagement, deep thinking, and independence in students. Next, participants will try an interactive online lesson for themselves and use their experience to discuss how technology can enhance or hinder the 14 Practices. Participants will learn about a two-question framework for deciding when and how to use interactive online platforms with BTC and apply the framework to decide how to facilitate sample lessons. Finally, the presenters will share some practical considerations they use when coaching teachers seeking to adapt Amplify Desmos Activities to the BTC practices.
Empowering all students as mathematical thinkers requires intentional classroom structures that foster belonging, curiosity, and ownership. In this session, we share how we are advancing equitable access to mathematics through the combined power of Building Thinking Classrooms practices (Liljedahl) and the Engagement Continuum (Berry). Together we will explore strategies and routines you can use in your classroom to strengthen community, disrupt inequitable participation patterns, spark ownership, and cultivate thriving thinking in the classroom! Join us to hear how we turned insights into action!
How can I adapt a task that will work with my favorite BTC strategies? Join us to discover how to successfully turn an activity from your existing curriculum into a BTC thinking task! Leave with experiences that will help you adapt divergent thinking rich tasks as well as convergent thin-slicing tasks.
Hi there! Jackie Murawska is a Math Success Manager at Innovamat Education in Chicago. She earned her EdD in Curriculum Leadership, Cognate in Mathematics, from Northern Illinois University. She is an author, speaker, and a past president of the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics... Read More →
