Building Thinking Classrooms 2025 Annual Conference: Full Schedule

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TBA

Think and Tinker Tank

Monday June 30, 2025 TBA

TBD

2025 Conference Presenters

Laura Tomas

Monday June 30, 2025 TBA
TBD

7:00am PDT

Registration and Information Booth - Open at 7:00am

Monday June 30, 2025 7:00am - 4:00pm PDT

1st Floor Grand Ballroom Prefunction

Monday June 30, 2025 7:00am - 4:00pm PDT
1st Floor Grand Ballroom Prefunction

7:30am PDT

Welcome and Opening Keynote - From the Margins to the Center: Meeting the Needs of Marginalized Learners with ICUCARE & BTC

Monday June 30, 2025 7:30am - 8:30am PDT

Grand Ballroom

Keynote: From the Margins to the Center: Meeting the Needs of Marginalized Learners with ICUCARE & BTC
What happens when we center the brilliance of students who have been historically marginalized in mathematics? Through the lens of the ICUCARE® and BTC Frameworks, Dr. Pamela Seda illustrates how culturally relevant teaching practices, high cognitive demand, and student agency can work in harmony to dismantle long-standing inequities in math education. This keynote kicks off a series focused on practical strategies that center equity in a Thinking Classroom.

2025 Conference Presenters

Pamela Seda

Founder & CEO, Seda Educational Consulting

As the CEO of Seda Educational Consulting, Dr. Pamela Seda helps leaders support teachers in meeting the needs of marginalized math learners, so students are empowered to do the hard work of learning. She is the creator of the ICUCARE® Equity Framework and the math card game called... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 7:30am - 8:30am PDT
Grand Ballroom

Connections to Equity and Access, General

8:30am PDT

Morning Food and Beverage

Monday June 30, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am PDT

Networking

8:45am PDT

Affinity Groups + BTC Partners

Monday June 30, 2025 8:45am - 9:30am PDT

TBD

Monday June 30, 2025 8:45am - 9:30am PDT
TBD

Networking, General

9:45am PDT

Lakeside Chat with Peter Liljedahl

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

Peter Liljedahl; Lakeside Chat -

2025 Conference Presenters

Peter Liljedahl

BTC Author and Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Dr. Peter Liljedahl (he/him) is widely recognized for his pioneering work on "Building Thinking Classrooms," a set of practices that has significantly enhanced mathematics education globally. As a former math teacher and current professor of mathematics education, Peter brings a wealth... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

9:45am PDT

Terrace Talk - Team Focused Assessments

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Bellevue I

“Students are spending so much of their class time learning in groups that individual tests may be beginning to feel disingenuous” (Liljedahl, 2021 p.253). Join us for an in-depth exploration of team assessment strategies and what they mean for your teaching practice and your students. Gain a new outlook and walk away with strategies you can use in your classroom to make team assessments work for your students.

2025 Conference Presenters

Victoria Holt

CPM Classroom Teacher Specialist, Teays Valley LSD

Teays Valley’s rural setting serves about 4,420 students with 21% being students with disabilities and 38% economically disadvantaged. Its focus on supporting a diverse range of learners, provides a unique opportunity to implement equitable and inclusive practices like those emphasized... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Bellevue I

Assessment Practices, Secondary

9:45am PDT

The Art of the Launch: How to Elevate the Quality of Mathematics Tasks

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Seattle

The way a task is launched can significantly influence its effectiveness. Even the most thoughtfully crafted tasks can struggle to engage student thinking if not introduced mindfully. In this session, we’ll explore how to strike the delicate balance of giving students just enough information to understand and engage with the task while withholding just enough to encourage curiosity, problem-solving, and–most importantly–thinking. Through hands-on practice, participants will leave with actionable strategies to launch a task and a fresh perspective on what it feels like to be given tasks from their students’ point of view.

2025 Conference Presenters

Lauren Sawyer

Curriculum+Evaluation Coordinator, Math Circles of Chicago / Middle School Mathematics Teacher,, Bennett Day School

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Seattle

BTC - Launch Practices, General

9:45am PDT

Just a Phase You're Going Through.

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Bellevue II

In this out-of-this-world, engaging, and interactive session we will explore the phases of the moon through the lens of a thinking classroom! This workshop is designed to foster curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking as we investigate the moon’s motion and presentations. This workshop is perfect for educators across grade levels who are interested in making science more engaging, interactive, and thought-provoking rather than simply a body of knowledge. Whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school, you’ll walk away with fresh ideas and renewed excitement for teaching science. Don’t miss this chance to launch your teaching practices to new heights — you’ll be over the moon with ideas!

2025 Conference Presenters

Jerrold Wiebe

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Jerrold Wiebe (he/him) is dedicated to making mathematics, mathematical thinking, and problem-solving accessible to all. With four decades of teaching and consulting experience across early, middle, and senior years mathematics in Canada and internationally, as well as experience... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Bellevue II

BTC in Other Content Areas, General

9:45am PDT

Word Study Tasks in the Thinking Classroom

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom I

Would you like to elevate word study with the joy of discovery and the active collaboration of BTC? Word inquiry routines weave together phonics, spelling, and vocabulary in powerful ways, using any interesting word from everyday life or academic terms. These engaging word inquiries are collaborative and accessible for multilingual learners and students with learning disabilities. Walk away with quick, low-prep BTC word study tasks you can use right away in whole-class or small-group settings.

2025 Conference Presenters

Diann Christensen

Elementary Math Specialist, Mesa Public Schools, Arizona

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

BTC in Other Content Areas, K - 12

9:45am PDT

Meet the BTC Partners - Book Signing with Dr. Pamela Seda

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Grand Prefunction Area

Grand Pre-function Area - Book Signing with Dr. Pamela Seda

2025 Conference Presenters

Pamela Seda

Founder & CEO, Seda Educational Consulting

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Grand Prefunction Area

BTC Partners and Sponsors, General

9:45am PDT

One Size Fits EACH: Unit Planning and Lesson Planning for Thinking

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Rainier

Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) has revolutionized the way we engage students in deep mathematical thinking. But how do we align BTC practices with district-adopted curriculum resources? Too often, we default to a “one-size-fits-all” approach when what we really need is “one-size-fits-each.” In this session, we will guide participants through practical strategies for adapting unit and lesson plans that honor both the structure of a district curriculum and the core principles of BTC. Whether you're navigating pacing guides, mandated resources, or diverse student needs, you'll gain insights into lesson planning that fosters thinking, flexibility, and student-centered learning. Walk away with tools to transform any curriculum into a dynamic, thinking-centered experience for all learners.

2025 Conference Presenters

Chase Orton

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Chase Orton (he/him) is an enthusiastic Building Thinking Classroom (BTC) facilitator whose work nourishes his passion for creating classrooms that are productive, engaging, and humanizing for both students and teachers. For the last eight years, Chase has deliberately implemented... Read More →

Kim Rimbey

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Dr. Kimberly Rimbey (she/her), is a lifelong teacher, leader, and learner, whose heart’s work centers on equipping teachers and fostering a continuous love for teaching and learning. As an active member of the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) professional development team, Kim’s... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Rainier

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, General

9:45am PDT

Making Moves to Reach all Learners: A Game Plan

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Baker

When implementing site-based/division-wide initiatives have you ever questioned how your current practice fits with new information and asked, “but what about...?” We will reflect on the “moves” we researched, observed, and tried through the lens of Building Thinking Classrooms that helped answer the “what about . . .” questions through a modeled lesson. We will collaboratively discuss prioritizing pedagogy while planning by using a task to reach and engage all learners to transform your practice.

2025 Conference Presenters

Bethany Lightfield

Math Coach, Prince William County, VA

Kylie Samko

Math Coach, Prince William County VA

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Baker

Classroom Reflection, General

9:45am PDT

Co-Teaching Geometry for Emergent Multilingual

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

West Seattle

This session explores strategies for co-teaching a geometry class for emergent multilingual students, focusing on fostering critical thinking and equitable access to content and language. Participants will learn how to design engaging, thought-provoking tasks that promote deep thinking, transitioning from non-curricular to curriculum-based tasks. The session emphasizes the power of collaborative learning through random grouping, ensuring active participation and breaking down social barriers. Additionally, it introduces the use of vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPSs) to transform the classroom into an interactive space, encouraging risk-taking and sustained engagement in mathematics for all students.

2025 Conference Presenters

Tricia Ferrari

Teacher PreK-12, Washoe County School District

North Valleys High School is part of the Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada. We serve a diverse student population, including a growing number of emergent multilingual students, many of whom are newcomers to the United States. The school is home to a dedicated newcomer... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
West Seattle

Connections to Equity and Access, Secondary

9:45am PDT

Starting Strong: Building Inclusive Thinking Classrooms Together

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Adams

This session aligns with the Connections to Equity and Access strand by offering strategies to create inclusive thinking classrooms for IEP-eligible and neurodivergent students. It will demonstrate how the "Math Image Assignment" bridges home and school, fostering belonging and valuing diverse student experiences. The session highlights how personal connections and inclusive task design provide access for students with varying needs, such as speech, sensory, or cognitive differences. It will also explore how tasks with "no wrong answers" promote student autonomy, encourage multiple entry points, and ensure all voices contribute to learning, fostering creative thinking through multiple pathways to solutions.

2025 Conference Presenters

Brian Durocher

Elementary School Teacher,, West Hartford, CT

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Adams

Connections to Equity and Access, K - 12

9:45am PDT

Numbers Aren't Always What They Seem - Launch To Close For K-12

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom II

What does a Building Thinking Classrooms lesson look like start to finish? In this workshop, you will experience a thinking task from the perspective of a student and unpack the teaching moves used to unlock student thinking and understanding. We will be exploring a task that is rooted in Indigenous language and ways of knowing to deepen our own understanding of numbers. Whether you're new to Building Thinking Classrooms or have been fully implementing for some time, there will be something for you in this session.

2025 Conference Presenters

Kyle Webb

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Kyle Webb (he/him) is a dedicated Mathematics Learning Consultant based in Regina, Saskatchewan with a passion for transforming mathematics education. Never satisfied with the status quo, he continuously seeks to improve educational practices, explore innovation, and connect with... Read More →

Michelle McCarron

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Michelle McCarron (she/her) works as a Mathematics Consultant in Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education (CCRCE) in Nova Scotia as well as a member of the Canadian Building Thinking Classroom (BTC) Team who centers her work around creating equitable and inclusive learning... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

Connections to Indigenous Education, General

11:00am PDT

Beyond the Test: Assessment and Grading in the Thinking Classroom

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Seattle

A brief overview of why the BTC assessment model is important, how you can use it to differentiate for students with accommodations and extend it for advanced students. We will do a deep dive in creating the navigation instrument with our own curriculum, what to look for, and how to implement it at various grade levels. Ideas for frequent formative assessment will be provided.

2025 Conference Presenters

Wendy Moss-Doong

Teacher, South Summit School District

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Seattle

Assessment Practices, Secondary

11:00am PDT

3..2..1..Launch

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #7

In this session, participants will participate in several task/lesson launches. We will discuss the importance of story, authenticity, and information at the beginning of a task. Participants will discuss the qualities of a great task/lesson launch and then will prepare launches for next Fall.

2025 Conference Presenters

Jared Sliger

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Jared Sliger (he/him) is a 32-year veteran educator with an emphasis in middle school mathematics. Jared has been an official Building Thinking Classrooms team member and facilitator since 2022, leading training for teachers and leaders across the K-12 spectrum, both in districts... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #7

BTC - Launch Practices, General

11:00am PDT

Picture This: Using Picture Books and Photographs to Ignite Literacy in the Thinking Classroom

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

West Seattle

Let’s use picture books with characters and settings from Central America, the Middle East, India, Africa and multi-ethnic America to explore literacy concepts in the Thinking Classroom! How can we incorporate photographs to help students make connections between their world and the greater world around them? Let’s explore some activities and strategies together!

2025 Conference Presenters

Heidi Sabnani

Math Coach, Sabnani Educational Consulting

Heidi Sabnani is always surprised that she works in math education. She developed math anxiety as a young student and spent much of her school life and early career avoiding math. After teaching English in the United States and Guatemala, and earning her MA in World Literature, she... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
West Seattle

BTC in Other Content Areas, General

11:00am PDT

Teaching Data Science with the BTC Toolkits

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Baker

In today’s data-rich landscape, the ability to interpret and apply data is essential for students. This interactive session will explore data science standard connections while using the BTC practices. Participants will engage with real-world examples of how students can work with data and discuss strategies for supporting teachers in making data-informed decisions that lead to better outcomes for all learners.

2025 Conference Presenters

Andy Boyd

WA Math Regional Coordinator, North Central Education Service District

Pre-Conference: Building Thinking Classrooms 101Price: $125.00Registration - https://www.pdenroller.org/psesd/catalog/175011 This introductory pre-conference session is designed for newcomers to Building Thinking Classrooms. Participants of the main Building Thinking Classrooms Conference who are unfamiliar with the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) framework are highly encouraged to participate in this p... Read More →

Cari Haug

Regional Science Coordinator, North Central Education Service District

I am the Regional Science Coordinator for North Central Educational Service District serving K-12 science educators. I have a passion for science, science education, and the outdoors. My career path has been steeped in these passions. I taught middle school science and math after... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Baker

BTC in Other Content Areas, K - 12

11:00am PDT

Terrace Talk - Playing with Structure then Naming it: Verbing Mathematics in a Building Thinking Classroom Framework

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Bellevue I

How can we focus on the verbing of mathematics during the Launch, Body and Closing of a math lesson? Lets look at how we can craft hands-on experiences with the use of linear, set and area models within the building thinking classroom framework. We will chat about how we can center on change and motion while we play with structure and then name it in a Thinking Classroom.

2025 Conference Presenters

Kirk Keating

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Kirk Keating (he/him) is a middle school mathematics teacher in Truro, Nova Scotia who is implementing practices from the Building Thinking Classroom framework and seeing the positive impact these practices have on student learning and well being on a daily basis. Kirk had the opportunity... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Bellevue I

Classroom Reflection, General

11:00am PDT

How do I know what I know? Consolidating and Mapping Learning

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #8

In this session, we will explore strategies for consolidating understanding and helping students know where they are in their learning journey using a digital math tool. You will have a chance to engage in mathematics, see how your solution strategies are connected to others’ and to the underlying mathematics, and think about how this can help you navigate your learning trajectory.

2025 Conference Presenters

Leslie Nielsen

Director of Learning & Teaching, Magma Math

Magma Math is a math platform designed to support teachers to make more informed instructional decisions in the classroom and create opportunities for deeper student-driven discourse and collaboration.

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #8

Closing & Individual Knowledge Practices, K - 12

11:00am PDT

Let's Give Them Something to Talk About: Facilitating Meaningful Mathematical Discourse

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom II

To facilitate mathematics learning for all, students must have opportunities to talk with, respond to, and question one another to create a classroom community centered on discourse. To support the mathematics learning of all students, effective teachers establish an environment where students regularly engage in productive mathematics discourse. Join me for this session to engage in rich math tasks to model the use of BTC Collective Knowledge Practices and the eight effective math teaching practices to facilitate productive discourse, foster student autonomy, and promote problem solving, reasoning, and critical thinking skills in a student-centered classroom.

2025 Conference Presenters

Latrenda Knighten

President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

President/Retired Mathematics Supervisor/Author

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, General

11:00am PDT

Peeling Back the Layers of Thin-Slicing for K-5

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #1

Thin-Sliced lessons are the meat and potatoes of getting through a lot of curricular objectives. But where can we find them? In this session aimed at early and middle grades, we’ll design a sequence of tasks from scratch to take students from where they are to where you want them to go. Along the way, we’ll also create associated meaningful notes. Come join us as we hone our thin-slicing skills.

2025 Conference Presenters

Pierre Tranchemontagne

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Pierre Tranchemontagne (he/him), an educator for over 15 years, is currently a grade 7 and 8 mathematics and science classroom teacher at Carrefour Jeunesse in Rockland, Ontario. He is working on the problem of building a Thinking Classroom within the context of his students, school... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #1

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, General

11:00am PDT

The Underrated Nuances of BTC: Small Moves, Big Gains

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom I

Enhancing BTC practice isn’t just about better tasks or whiteboards—it’s about the subtle moves that truly make a difference. From fostering deeper student connections to micro-moves that maximize BTC success, this session unpacks the underrated nuances that lead to sustainable implementation and equitable access to learning. Learn from over a decade of BTC experience and gain practical strategies to refine your daily practice, whether you’re troubleshooting challenges or fine-tuning your approach.

2025 Conference Presenters

Judy Larsen

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Dr. Judy Larsen (she/her) is a dedicated educator committed to improving teaching and learning practices through Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC). Her passion for BTC began in 2011 during her graduate studies, during which she completed her Master of Science in Secondary Mathematics... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, General

11:00am PDT

Empowering Student Rights through Hinge Points: A Framework for Inclusive, Student-Centered Math

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Bellevue II

Participants will explore the concept of "Student Rights" as a framework for structuring learning environments in mathematics classrooms. They will apply these rights specifically to hinge points—key moments in the lesson where students demonstrate partial understanding or new insights that can benefit all students with purposeful observation and discussion. These hinge points provide a unique opportunity for teachers to support student thinking and keep the lesson moving in a productive, engaging direction.

2025 Conference Presenters

Carly Epstein

Director of Facilitators, All Learners Network - Burlington, Vermont

As the Director of Facilitators at All Learners Network I have opportunities to work throughout school systems to support equity and inclusion for all students through teacher and system change practices.

Elizabeth Kielty

Facilitator/Professional Consultant, 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 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Bellevue II

Connections to Equity and Access, Systems Leadership

11:00am PDT

Integrating Equity in Education: Accessible Strategies for Diverse Thinking Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Rainier

This workshop explores practical strategies for cultivating equity in thinking classrooms, focusing on creating inclusive environments that cater to a diverse student population, including emergent multilingual students, students with disabilities, and those from various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. The session will address approaches to modify classroom setups, teaching methodologies, and curriculum designs to ensure all students feel valued and are equipped to thrive academically.

2025 Conference Presenters

Marla Hunter [Hooper]

Education & Professional Development Specialist |, Live. Love. Teach!, LLC

Marla Hunter [Hooper] is the founder and president of two companies: Live.Love.Teach!, LLC, a global education consulting firm, and Live. Love. Swim!, LLC a global/mobile swim company that focuses on diversity in aquatics. She has worked with many global organizations, and presented... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Rainier

Connections to Equity and Access, General

11:00am PDT

Lakeside Chat with Pamela Seda - Brilliant by Design: Centering Culture and Cognition in Math Tasks

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

How do we design math tasks that honor who students are and push them to think deeply? In this asession, we’ll explore what it means to create culturally relevant tasks that also promote high cognitive demand in a Thinking Classroom. Grounded in the ICUCARE® Equity Framework, this session will offer strategies for designing tasks that affirm identity, activate prior knowledge, and engage all students as capable mathematical thinkers. Come ready to rethink what rigor looks like—and who it’s for.

2025 Conference Presenters

Pamela Seda

Founder & CEO, Seda Educational Consulting

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

Connections to Equity and Access, K - 12

11:00am PDT

Meeting the needs of IEPs: CRRP in the Mathematics Classroom

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Adams

This session will walk through the progression of a mathematics unit: building relationships with teachers; co-planning, honouring students’ cultures; redesigning a mathematics task to include cultural relevance and meeting the needs of students' IEPs; celebrating student voice; and long-range planning using mathematical modeling. I will share data that shows how student engagement and achievement are affected by redesigned practices that include BTC, UDL, and DI principles. Participants will have the opportunity to bring their own examples and adapt curricular mathematics tasks to embed with students' cultures and lived experiences.

2025 Conference Presenters

Gerry Lewis

Math Facilitator, Toronto Catholic DSB

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Adams

Connections to Equity and Access, General

11:00am PDT

From “One More Thing” to “Let’s Try:” Growing Building Thinking Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #2

Are your teachers thinking of BTC as “one more thing” to add to their plate? Are leaders feeling as if there isn’t any time to train teachers in BTC? Come brainstorm common challenges for implementing BTC and strategies to overcome those challenges. Hear how a math specialist has implemented BTC practices from the ground up in a way that inspires teachers to grow their BTC practice. Participants will leave with ideas that empower teachers and leverage teacher collegiality as they grow within their BTC journey.

2025 Conference Presenters

Alicia Naleway

District Curriculum Coordinator: Mathematics and Science, Southington Public Schools

Stephanie Eleck

PK-5 Teacher, Southington Public Schools

Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #2

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership

12:00pm PDT

Lunch - Break

Monday June 30, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT

Lake Washington Terrace

Lunch Served on Lake Washington Terrace
Multiple rooms to use with tables (Lake Washington Ballroom/Seattle/Mercer Terrace/Olympic Terrace)

Monday June 30, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Terrace

Networking, General

1:00pm PDT

Grading for Growth: How we Grade in a Thinking Classroom.

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #8

Grades shape student's perception of their abilities & future prospects, yet outdated practices, proven inaccurate by decades of research, continue to distort students' self-identities and undermine their potential for success. In this session, participants will critically examine the reliability & effectiveness of traditional grading through research-backed discussions, reflective activities, & case studies. Building on insights from Building Thinking Classrooms, participants will explore practical, data-driven grading strategies, hear inspiring stories from educators who have successfully transformed their practices, & gain resources and support for shifting toward grading practices that foster student growth & accurate self-reflection.

2025 Conference Presenters

Amanda Ramey

Instructional Coach, Franklin Community Schools

Franklin Schools has been a pioneer in implementing Building Thinking Classrooms, hosting the first-ever BTC conference and embracing its practices across grade levels. Our district is dedicated to innovative, student-centered instruction that empowers learners to think critically... Read More →

Amanda Ray

5-6 Elementary Teacher,, Franklin Community Schools

Melisa McCain

K-12 Instructional Coach, Franklin Community Schools

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... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #8

Assessment Practices, General

1:00pm PDT

Shifting Assessment & Evaluation from “Who They Are” to “Where They Are”

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #2

Join us as we participate in a task and then work on our own together to reflect on how to help students know where they are instead of who they are. We will think about assessment throughout the launch, body and focus on research-based improvements on assessment during the closing part of the lesson as well as navigating the paradigm shift of letting go of early not knowing when reporting out based on data (not points).

2025 Conference Presenters

Kirk Keating

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Michelle McCarron

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #2

Assessment Practices, General

1:00pm PDT

Bringing the Mathematical Practices to Life Through Rich Tasks in a Thinking Classroom

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Bellevue II

Discover how Thinking Classrooms provide the perfect environment to develop the Mathematical Practices (MPs) or processes, which bring mathematical content to life. In this session, we’ll explore how rich math tasks naturally promote the MPs, making them visible and actionable in your classroom. Experience hands-on examples of these tasks, reflect on how they support students in thinking mathematically, and learn strategies to better identify and foster the MPs during teaching. Join us to deepen your understanding of the MPs within a Thinking Classroom and leave with practical insights to enhance your students’ mathematical growth.

2025 Conference Presenters

Albert Vilalta

Math Ed. Specialist and Author, Innovamat

Judith Fabrega

Early Childhood Math Specialist and Author, Innovamat

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Bellevue II

BTC - Launch Practices, General

1:00pm PDT

BTC & Neurodiversity: Goes Together like PB&J

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Seattle

"BTC & Neurodiversity: Goes Together Like PB&J" will empower you to transform your classroom into an inclusive, dynamic learning space. By using strategies like random groupings, vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS), and navigation tools, this session demonstrates how to engage and support neurodiverse learners in meaningful ways. You will participate in hands-on activities, discover best practices, and leave with practical resources to promote equity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

2025 Conference Presenters

Jennifer Massey

Grade 7/8 Math Teacher, McLean School of Maryland

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Seattle

BTC - Launch Practices, General

1:00pm PDT

Do, Say, Think, Feel: Pulling the Curtain Back On Our Very Best Practical Moves

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #1

What do mathematicians do? What do they say? What do they think? What do they feel? These are impactful questions to ask any young mathematician, but this session will spotlight these questions with a major plot twist. What do elementary thinking classroom teachers do, say, think, and feel? Participants will ask these questions of themselves and access each other’s expertise in a great exchange of practical moves that can be easily incorporated into any elementary thinking classroom. As Peter Liljedahl has been known to say, “The smartest person in the room is the room.” Whether your thinking classroom is fairly new or well established, this is a room you’ll want to be in. Come join us as we pull the curtain back on our very best moves.

2025 Conference Presenters

Tammy McMorrow

first-grade teacher, Indian Creek Elementary

Tammy McMorrow has been teaching first grade for 30 years in Kuna, Idaho. She started incorporating Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl into her practice in January of 2022 and quickly became won over by its magic and messiness. Watching her young students... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #1

Classroom Reflection, Systems Leadership

1:00pm PDT

Let’s sketch diagrams to solve word problems!

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom I

In this session, you'll be asked to resist the urge to write equations to solve problems and be challenged to create meaningful diagrams that show your understanding of the problem and experience how a good diagram can reveal an elegant solution. Word problems and writing equations [to solve them] are two things that students find difficult, so much so that they have a hard time just starting the problem.

2025 Conference Presenters

Fawn Nguyen

Director, STEM Initiatives, Amplify

Fawn is a Math Teaching and Learning Specialist at Amplify Desmos Math. She was a math coach for a K-8 school district for three years. Before that, Fawn was a middle school teacher for 30 years. Fawn was the 2014 Ventura County Teacher of the Year. In 2009, she was awarded the Math... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, Secondary

1:00pm PDT

AI as a Tool to Accommodate BTC for Neurodiversity

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Rainier

This session is for secondary teachers looking for ways to help IEP-eligible students access the powerful learning that a Building Thinking Classrooms approach gives while also giving teachers the opportunity to explore how AI can be used to maximize learning. Teachers will leave with a toolkit to use to adapt BTC lessons for secondary students with IEPs, a way to
utilize the UDL framework to assess a current lesson for its accessibility to students with neurodiversities, and exposure to how to use AI as a tool to provide accommodations and modifications within BTC lessons.

2025 Conference Presenters

Christina McNicol

Secondary Teacher, Boston Public Schools

I am a math teacher/coach and have worked in Catholic, charter, and public schools throughout Boston. I'm passionate about helping others to feel confident in their ability to connect with math!!

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Rainier

Connections to Equity and Access, Secondary

1:00pm PDT

Math Afterschool Enrichment

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

West Seattle

This is an after school enrichment math camp that focuses on kids with special needs who may or may not be open to math. It combines BTC techniques with Boaler's mindset using lessons from Mathematics Tasks for the Thinking Classroom and Boaler's, Aunty Math and JRMF websites.

2025 Conference Presenters

Laurie Ines

Academic Coach/SSC

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
West Seattle

Connections to Equity and Access, Elementary

1:00pm PDT

Navigating Discretionary Spaces: Cultivating Connection in a Thinking Classroom

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #7

Teachers make countless in-the-moment decisions that are shaped by our beliefs and biases within a colonized system. This session explores these "discretionary spaces"—unplanned moments requiring a decision or judgment call—and their impact on our connections with students and students’ connections with each other. We rarely have time for individual reflection, let alone collaborative analysis of these moments. Let’s explore the discretionary spaces that emerge in a Thinking Classroom and how our responses can foster connection and care. Join us to name, reflect, and reframe these important decisions.

2025 Conference Presenters

Aleda Klassen

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Aleda (she/her) is passionate about supporting educators in learning about and adapting instructional and assessment practices to better meet students’ learning needs. Since 2010, Aleda has worked in the Waterloo Region District School Board, holding a range of roles. As a reflective... Read More →

Amy Chang

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Amy Chang (they/them) is a K-12 math coach and an educational consultant specializing in helping educators turn their classrooms into thinking classrooms. They are a dynamic educator who has been cultivating curiosity, agency, and joy in students, educators, and leaders for over twenty... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #7

Connections to Equity and Access, Systems Leadership

1:00pm PDT

Terrace Talks - Histematics: Using Black History to Teach Mathematics and Increase Student Engagement

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Bellevue I

In this session I will both highlight and demonstrate the teaching methodology I call "Histematics" which is essentially the use of history to teach mathematics and the use of mathematics to teach history. This is an attempt to decompartmentalize academic disciplines and increase intrinsic student engagement with mathematics by adding cultural relevancy as well as a more interesting storytelling aspect to math instruction. Black History exemplars and events will be used to teach math topics.

2025 Conference Presenters

Akil Parker

Academic Coach/Specialist/Coordinator, CEO of All This Math, Philadelphia, PA

I serve students that attend public, charter and private schools from all over the country. We provide math tutoring and math instruction in different capacities in different geographic areas.

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Bellevue I

Connections to Equity and Access, General

1:00pm PDT

BTC Coaching in Action: From Observation to Co-Teaching

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom II

Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) is revolutionizing math instruction in oh-so-many ways, so how do we, as leaders and coaches, support all teachers on their BTC journeys? In this session, you’ll explore two powerful coaching models: the observation-feedback cycle and the co-teaching cycle. The observation-feedback cycle helps you assess where your school stands with BTC. The co-teaching cycle—also known as Math Studio—creates deep, transformative change as you walk alongside your teachers. You’ll leave this session with practical tools for both models and a fresh vision for how BTC coaching can elevate teaching and learning across all content areas.

2025 Conference Presenters

April Strom

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Dr. April Strom (she/her) is a mathematics professor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona, where she has taught for over 25 years. April’s passion for engaging students in active learning in mathematics, developing their conceptual understanding and sense-making abilities... Read More →

Kim Rimbey

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

Cultivating Leadership and Community, General

1:00pm PDT

Supporting a District Wide shift to BTC

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Baker

How do you build capacity for a district wide shift towards a thinking classroom? Hear from two mathematics department leaders who successfully embarked on this journey in a diverse central high school district. Hear about the glows and grows of the process, and walk away with not only an aspiration for a thinking classrooms philosophy in your building/district, but more importantly the inspiration and plan for how to make it happen.

2025 Conference Presenters

Meghan Parenteau

Assistant Principal of Mathematics & Business, Syosset High School,, Syosset Central School District

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Baker

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership

1:00pm PDT

This is NOT a success story. It’s a story of moving the needle from resistors to “maybe I’ll try it”

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Adams

We watch classrooms, co-teach, develop and deliver Professional Development (PD) , try to incorporate BTC into classrooms, and still change is elusive. Hear about our real and raw journey to transform practices in math classrooms so everyone embraces BTC. Come discover how a new mathematics education coach and outside consultant developed research-based protocols to collaboratively implement PD while implementing resources and providing support through continuous improvement. Leave with complete rubrics, checklists, and resources to affect meaningful change in your coaching and PD as you create more buy-in, strategically introducing BTC.

2025 Conference Presenters

Katherine Holtz

Secondary Math TOSA, Newport Mesa Unified School District

Sean Nank

California State University San Marcos

Sean Nank, PhD, received the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Sean is a Distinguished Teacher in Residence and adjunct professor at California State University San Marcos, a full professor at American College of Education, and works... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Adams

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership

2:15pm PDT

Terrace Talk - Nova Katz

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Bellevue I

2025 Conference Presenters

Nova Katz

Pre-Conference: Leaders Supporting Building Thinking ClassroomsPrice: $125.00Registration Here - https://www.pdenroller.org/psesd/catalog/175011 Immerse yourself in the transformative journey of supporting Building Thinking Classrooms in this pre-workshop designed for educational leaders. Start by stepping into the role of a learner, experiencing the dynamic and engaging environment of a thinking classroom firsthand. Explore the 14 r... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Bellevue I

2:15pm PDT

Measuring What Matters – Using Rubrics to Promote Cultural and Mathematical Competence

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #7

How do we assess the competencies and mathematical practices that matter in mathematics classrooms? Chapter 12 of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, K-12 (BTC) challenges us to rethink assessment by focusing on what we value. This session explores how co-constructed rubrics, as described in BTC, help foster cultural competencies—such as empathy, perspective-taking, and collaboration—alongside key mathematical practices. These competencies, though difficult to quantify, are essential for making expectations and learning accessible to all students. Join us to share strategies, experiences, and discussion to enhance this practice.

2025 Conference Presenters

Aleda Klassen

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Chase Orton

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #7

Assessment Practices, K - 12

2:15pm PDT

Non Curricular Tasks for the Thinker

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #2

Students are natural problem solvers with rich experiences that shape their thinking. In this session, we'll explore fun, engaging tasks to spark curiosity and promote collaboration. Be ready to embrace productive struggle and find joy in mathematics. The strategies and tasks shared can be used immediately, helping to develop confident problem solvers. We will utilize Peter Liljedahl's "Building Thinking Classrooms" practices to position students as experts and strengthen their math identities.

2025 Conference Presenters

April Pickett

Instructional Coordinator, Panama Buena Vista School District

Hilda Wright

Math Coordinator, CMC State President Elect, KCSOS, CMC

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #2

BTC - Launch Practices, Secondary

2:15pm PDT

Using Thinking Tasks to Foster Student Engagement

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #1

Embark on a journey into dynamic thinking tasks designed to enhance classroom collaboration. Through engaging activities that ignite active participation and stimulate thought-provoking discussions, observe a remarkable transformation in how your students interact and cooperate. This session offers valuable opportunities to cultivate and strengthen essential problem-solving skills within the classroom.

2025 Conference Presenters

Victoria Holt

CPM Classroom Teacher Specialist, Teays Valley LSD

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #1

BTC - Launch Practices, Systems Leadership

2:15pm PDT

Think, Speak, Learn: Empowering Multilingual Learners in Social Studies

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Rainier

Immerse yourself in the experience of emergent multilingual learners with an interactive social studies vocabulary lesson conducted partially in French. This session demonstrates how BTC practices create an ideal environment for language acquisition and equitable access. Participants will engage in activities such as organizing vocabulary along a semantic gradient, creating Frayer models, and playing vocabulary games. Through small-group collaboration, visual supports, and NPVSs, you'll discover strategies that reduce cognitive load and performance risk for language learners. Come see how these approaches can be applied to support diverse students in your classroom, enhancing equity in the humanities and all subjects.

2025 Conference Presenters

Joshua Lafleur

Learning Specialist, Calgary Canada

I support K-9 schools in a rural board, focusing on helping teachers serve their multilingual students. I support teachers in any and all subjects. Many of the teachers I work with in middle school, I teach how to use BTC as a universal strategy that supports all students with literacy... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Rainier

BTC in Other Content Areas, General

2:15pm PDT

BTC Practices + Core Curriculum = IMPACT

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #8

Come join us to learn the micro moves that will have MACRO impact in shifting the heavy-lifting in your classroom from you to your mathematicians. Whether you're new to BTC or looking to refine your approach, this session will equip you with the tools to foster a classroom where every student is thinking, collaborating, and developing a true mathematical growth mindset.

You will leave this session with pragmatic ways to apply some of Dr. Peter Liljedahl’s researched practices, experiencing these gems in the context of a MidSchoolMath classroom! Don’t just meet us there - beat us there!

2025 Conference Presenters

Jacqueline Johnson

Director of Professional Learning, MidSchoolMath, Baltimore, MD

Scott Laidlaw

Co-Founder & CEO, MidSchoolMath, Taos, NM

Scott brings a robust background in teaching, research, game design and curriculum development to his role as CEO for MidSchoolMath. An educator for 15 years at elementary, secondary and university levels, he has done extensive research into human imagination and learning, which has... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #8

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, Secondary

2:15pm PDT

Empowering All Students with Thin Sliced Tasks Using Your Adopted Curriculum and Online Resources

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom I

In this session, we’ll explore how to create rich, engaging, thin-sliced tasks in secondary classrooms by leveraging multiple resources, including adopted curriculum and online tools, to benefit all students, including neuro-diverse and multilingual learners. Since many educators face challenges with creating thin sliced tasks, we will illustrate how middle school and high school teachers can collaborate to assist in the creation of thin sliced tasks and how professional development time can be used to collaborate across courses. Additionally, we will show how thin sliced tasks can be used to support intervention and extension problems to keep advanced students engaged in the lesson.

2025 Conference Presenters

Madison Butts

Department Chair/Teacher Leader/Mentor, St Helena USD

Margie Scherer

Teacher, RLS Middle School, St Helena Unified

St. Helena Unified School District (SHUSD) is proud to serve a diverse student population comprising 53% Latino, 43% Caucasian, and 4% from other backgrounds. Approximately 40% of our students come from low-income households, and 21% are English Language Learners, enriching our classrooms... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, General

2:15pm PDT

Breaking Barriers with BTC: Practical Strategies for Diverse Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Bellevue II

Have you been wondering how to implement BTC with your diverse population? What about students way below grade level? Multilingual students? Those with disabilities? What about shy or reluctant learners? How do you handle grouping students who were in a fight last week? You name it, we’ve seen it. Come to this session to get practical strategies on addressing some of the most common issues that arise when beginning to implement BTC.

2025 Conference Presenters

Abigail Bates

Math Teacher, Bear Creek High School

Twitter/X: @abbybates24; mrsbatesmath.bsky.social; Instagram: @mrsbatesmath

Eric Vallecillo

Teacher, Department Chair,, Bear Creek High School Lodi USD

Bear Creek High School is located in Stockton, California, which last year was named the most diverse city in America. We are a public high school with almost 2,000 students. Our diversity is our strength and we celebrate it each year at our International Rally where over 30 clubs... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Bellevue II

Connections to Equity and Access, General

2:15pm PDT

Lakeside Chat with Pamela Seda - Unleashing Brilliance: Creating Space for Marginalized Math Learners

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

How can we design math classrooms where students don’t just participate—but lead, question, and thrive? This session invites educators to reflect on what it means to share authority and shift from teacher-led to student-driven learning. Rooted in the Release Control principle of the ICUCARE® Equity Framework, we’ll explore how creating space for student agency can dismantle inequitable norms and elevate marginalized learners as mathematical thinkers. Walk away with actionable strategies to build trust, cultivate student voice, and let brilliance be seen and celebrated.

2025 Conference Presenters

Pamela Seda

Founder & CEO, Seda Educational Consulting

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

Connections to Equity and Access, General

2:15pm PDT

Pillars & Practices: A Framework for Cultivating Engagement and Thinking in the Classroom

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Seattle

You’ve been implementing the practices of the thinking classroom, but student engagement still feels off. You wonder whether it is an overemphasis on getting good grades or students’ conditioning in a transactional system. You’re not alone! Come learn how an overhaul of my own instruction and grading practices refocused students on engagement in learning and thinking. In this session, you will engage in some thinking practice tasks and see how they fit within the Pillars & Practices framework. Whether you’re ready for dramatic change or small steps, this session has tons to offer!

2025 Conference Presenters

Nolan Fossum

9-12 Teacher, Mount Miguel High School

Hi! I've been teaching math in the high school and college settings (with a little bit of middle school) for over twenty years. I like talking about the Pillars & Practices framework, ungrading, redesigning curriculum, and instructional practices that center student thinking. Let's... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Seattle

Connections to Equity and Access, General

2:15pm PDT

Launching Strong, Landing Stronger: Storywork and the Bookends of BTC

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom II

Launching with an engaging story is powerful, but how it ends matters just as much! In this session, we explore the bookends of BTC: crafting compelling launch stories to spark curiosity and designing meaningful consolidations that center collective meaning-making over predetermined conclusions. Rooted in storywork and decentralized knowledge-building, we’ll examine how re-storying tasks can honor diverse ways of knowing, challenge traditional narratives, and shift from teacher-led conclusions to collaborative knowledge-building. Come experience the joy of re-storying tasks and designing consolidations to refine how you launch and conclude BTC practices for deeper engagement and learning.

2025 Conference Presenters

Judy Larsen

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Maegan Giroux

BTC Team Member, Consultant, K-5 Author, Building Thinking Classrooms

Maegan Giroux (she/her) is an passionate instructional coach, dedicated to empowering educators across all levels to excel in their teaching practice. With a specialized focus on literacy and numeracy, she walks alongside teachers as they implement dynamic initiatives to enhance student... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

Connections to Indigenous Education, General

2:15pm PDT

Leveraging a Lab Cohort as Job-Embedded Learning of BTC

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

West Seattle

The Hawaii Lab Cohort is a professional development model where a small group of teachers gather over the course of a year to learn together, reflect on artifacts of practice, and provide feedback through peer observations. In order to take a deeper dive into the shifts of BTC, our learning was anchored in the four toolkits at the pace of one toolkit per quarter. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to structure this type of job-embedded learning from the perspective of both facilitators and teachers.

2025 Conference Presenters

Candice Frontiera

School Renewal Specialist, Hawaii Department of Education

Candice Frontiera supports the Kailua-Kalaheo Complex Area district team in serving 14 schools with 6,212 students total on the Windward side of Oahu. She has since scaled that deep teacher learning model at her school and across other elementary schools over the years with a focus... Read More →

Kathleen Trifonovitch,

Elementary Math Teacher, Maunawili Elementary School

Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
West Seattle

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership

3:30pm PDT

Lakeside Chat with Peter Liljedahl + Magma Math

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

Peter Liljedahl; Lakeside Chat -

2025 Conference Presenters

Peter Liljedahl

BTC Author and Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

3:30pm PDT

Grading and Norming work at the Boards

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #8

In this session you will learn some strategies for “evaluating what we value.” You will learn how to take established norms for board work and create a daily grade.

2025 Conference Presenters

Nick Stevener

8th Grade Mathematics Instructor, Middleton School District, Middleton, ID

Middleton is a Title 1 rural school district in Idaho.

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #8

Assessment Practices, General

3:30pm PDT

Year One Insights - Building a Thinking Classroom and School from the Ground Up

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #1

We’re a team of 1st-5th grade teachers from a Title 1, high ML school in Sumner, WA, who attended the BTC conference in Arizona last June. Alongside our admin, we set out to bring BTC’s transformative practices back to our school. Over the past year, we’ve faced challenges, gained powerful insights, and developed effective strategies for implementing BTC in classrooms and building schoolwide buy-in. We’ve empowered non-English speaking and also disengaged students to become engaged participants and critical thinkers in math, while fostering a culture of ownership in learning. We’ve reached paras, specialists, district admin, and even our school board. Join us to learn how you can ignite this transformation in your classroom and school!

2025 Conference Presenters

Hannah Wentz

Elementary Teacher,

Laura Eidson,

Elementary Teacher,

Sydnie Millie

Elementary Teacher

Tricia Hukee

Teacher, Daffodil Valley Elementary

We’re an elementary school in the heart of the Sumner Valley. One of 9 elementary schools in the Sumner Bonney Lake School District, DVE has a population of 356 students, 23% of which are multilingual learners, 58% free and reduced lunch, and an increasing number of non-English... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #1

BTC - Launch Practices, General

3:30pm PDT

DNA of Building Thinking Classrooms in Science

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom I

We already understand the effectiveness of BTC in mathematics, but what about their impact on science? This session will explore how the Thinking Classroom practices can be specifically tailored to enhance scientific inquiry and deepen student understanding. Join us as we delve into the fundamental elements that can bring BTC to life in your science classroom.

2025 Conference Presenters

Kyle Webb

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Pierre Tranchemontagne

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

BTC in Other Content Areas, General

3:30pm PDT

Revolutionizing Social Studies Through Building Thinking Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Rainier

If you love Building Thinking Classrooms strategies but want to explore how they can transform other content areas, this session is for you! Participants will engage in a hands-on BTC experience focused on social studies, starting with collaborative analysis of a map and connecting it to a written passage. You'll see how BTC practices can drive inquiry, foster collaboration, and engage students with challenging content. Leave with actionable strategies to implement BTC principles in your own social studies classroom.

2025 Conference Presenters

Amanda Ramey

Instructional Coach, Franklin Community Schools

Amanda Ray

5-6 Elementary Teacher,, Franklin Community Schools

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Rainier

BTC in Other Content Areas, K - 12

3:30pm PDT

IB, BTC, MYP, OMG!

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

West Seattle

How can Building Thinking Classrooms be integrated into a Middle Years IB Programme, with IB’s required rubrics and assessment criteria? A group of middle school teachers finishing up year one of a switch to a Building Thinking Classrooms model share what we’ve learned about synthesizing two systems as a model for how other teachers can adapt BTC to fit with their school’s or district’s requirements. We will look specifically at an algebra unit on solving inequalities built around the MYP's Criterion B and Criterion C. Additionally, we will share how MYP Criterion B, C, and D assessments can provide rich tasks and exciting assessments for non-IB classrooms and share tasks we've created

Gretchen Voskuhl, Lower and Middle School Math Specialist, Annie Wright Schools, gretchen_voskuhl@aw.org, Katie Miller, Middle School Math Teacher, Annie Wright Schools, katie_miller@aw.org, Linh Phan, Middle School Math Teacher, Annie Wright Schools, linh_phan@aw.org

2025 Conference Presenters

David Firestein

Teacher, Annie Wright Schools, Tacoma, WA

Gretchen Voskuhl

Lower and Middle School Math Specialist, Annie Wright Schools

Katie Miller

Middle School Math Teacher, Annie Wright Schools

Linh Phan

Middle School Math Teacher, Annie Wright Schools

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
West Seattle

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, Secondary

3:30pm PDT

AI Meets Thinking Classrooms: Fostering Collaboration Across Grades

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Lake Washington Ballroom II

This year, we launched a new after-school math class based on Thinking Classrooms pedagogy for 4th-6th graders. Students collaborated in random groups to investigate rich math tasks. We used various tools, including AI, as BTC teaching assistants to support student learning. Thin slicing problems is key in Thinking Classrooms, especially when working with diverse learners. AI tools, like ChatGPT, helped thin slice problems to engage and challenge all students. Join us to learn about our BTC work in a multi-grade setting and to discover AI tools that will support your own BTC classroom.

2025 Conference Presenters

Julie Broderick

5th Grade Teacher, The School at Columbia University

Our school serves a K-8 community of roughly 500 students. We are an independent New York City school founded and funded by Columbia University. We take half of our students in through a neighborhood lottery, pulling from a diverse community of Upper West Side and Harlem families... Read More →

Lisbeth Uribe

Science & Math Teacher, The School at Columbia University

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

Classroom Reflection, Systems Leadership

3:30pm PDT

Designing Thin-Sliced Tasks: Fostering Conceptual Learning in BTC

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #2

Participants will explore how thin-sliced tasks can transform group work in a thinking classroom. Rooted in BTC practices, this session will present a framework for crafting thin-sliced questions that guide groups through sequenced problem-solving activities. Drawing on research, including the presenter’s findings, participants will learn how to create tasks that maintain cognitive flow, encourage autonomy, and deepen mathematical understanding.

2025 Conference Presenters

Takuya Umeki

Teacher, Point Grey Secondary School VSB

Takuya Umeki is a passionate mathematics educator and educational consultant, working with educators across Canada and Japan. With a master's degree in mathematics education from Simon Fraser University under Dr. Peter Liljedahl, Takuya's research analyzed students' thinking through... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #2

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, General

3:30pm PDT

Equity in Action: Building Thinking Classrooms for Students Who Struggle in Math

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Bellevue II

Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) offers a powerful framework to support students who struggle with math by helping teachers create and foster equitable, student-centered learning environments. This session focuses on adapting BTC strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners, including students with IEPs, neurodivergent students, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants will explore practical approaches to fostering engagement and collaboration, practice identifying and mobilizing student assets, and engage in deep thinking while addressing barriers to access. Join us to discover how intentional math supports can empower all students to thrive in and enjoy their mathematical journeys.

2025 Conference Presenters

Bridget Gunn

Professional Learning Specialist, CPM Educational Program

Lisa Amick

Associate Professor of STEM Education, University of Kentucky

I taught 6th grade mathematics for 10 years in Champaign, IL and am now in my 8th year at the University of Kentucky where I teach math methods courses to pre-service teachers. I am also part of the Professional Learning and Research Departments at CPM and hold my National Board teaching... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Bellevue II

Connections to Equity and Access, Systems Leadership

3:30pm PDT

How to Build a Community of Mathematical Thinkers in the Classroom

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #7

As educators, we want students to work together and think about ways to solve problems. For thinking to take place, students need to communicate their thinking with each other. However, sometimes it can be difficult to motivate students to work with their team. In order to build student thinking we need to build student status. Come learn how to build up the status of your students while building a thinking classroom and see how this will help motivate your students to work together.

2025 Conference Presenters

Robin Kubasiak

Math Teacher and Department Head, Sturgis High School

Robin has taught mathematics at both middle school and high school levels for 24 years. She has a passion for mathematics education and continues to innovate her teaching with research based routines that allow students to become mathematical thinkers. Robin’s goal is for all students... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #7

Connections to Equity and Access, General

3:30pm PDT

Terrace Talk - Social Justice through Mathematics Instruction

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Bellevue I

This session will provide participants with strategies and resources to integrate social justice and mathematics to provide equitable and culturally relevant instruction. Participants will be provided with resources to understand how social issues are historical, and reform involves problem-solving through mathematics. Participants can take what they learn to build community within their classrooms with their diverse student populations.

2025 Conference Presenters

Monique Harrison

Secondary Mathematics Specialist, Educational Consultant, K-20 Educator, Kent School District and Benjamin Banneker Association

Innovative instructional leader who collaborates to develop change-makers and lifelong learners. A daring leader with a solid understanding of cultural responsiveness and the heart it takes to lead brave work and tough conversations to ensure all students have the equitable opportunity... Read More →

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Bellevue I

Connections to Equity and Access, General

3:30pm PDT

Partnering to Prioritize Thinking Classrooms

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Seattle

This session emphasizes the vital role of leadership in fostering and sustaining thinking classrooms in mathematics. The session will focus on strategies for school leaders to support educators in implementing Building Thinking Classrooms practices.

2025 Conference Presenters

Arron Wilkins

Principal, Tacoma Public Schools

Tara Bruhn

Instructional Coach, Angelo Giaudrone Middle School, Tacoma Public Schools

Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Seattle

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership