Building Thinking Classrooms 2025 Annual Conference

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.