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 →
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.
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.
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!
