Building Thinking Classrooms 2025 Annual Conference: Full Schedule

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11:00am PDT

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

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

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

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

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 →

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 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #2

Assessment Practices, General

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

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