Building Thinking Classrooms 2025 Annual Conference

How do the ideas in Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman overlap and complement those of BTC Chapter 14, “How We Grade in a Thinking Classroom”? Learn how accurate, bias-resistant, and motivational grading practices shift us from a normative, point-gathering paradigm to a data-gathering paradigm and establish a stronger connection between learning and grades. Examine a 7th-grade teacher’s implementation journey, even while using required curricular resources. End with a reflection and concrete plan for how Feldman’s ideas can deepen the impact of Liljedahl’s guidance for grading in your own thinking classroom. This session is for those interested in new grading practices as well as those seeking steps to get started.

2025 Conference Presenters

Erin Wahler-Cleveland

Math Education Consultant, Roots and Wings Math

After starting her teaching career teaching 5th grade on the Zuni reservation, Erin relocated to join the founding staff of Atlas Preparatory School, an independent charter school serving Southeast Colorado Springs. In her many years as a middle school math teacher there she transformed... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

Assessment Practices, Systems Leadership

8:00am PDT

Building Thinking Physicists (and we’re ALL born physicists!)

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Rainier

I encountered BTC during a foray into college mathematics teaching in 2023. The ’24 BTC Summer Conference in Phoenix sealed the deal for me. I am back to teaching physics exclusively this year, and I have attempted to implement all 14 principles during the fall semester. As I am now posting grades before planning my spring courses, I am hyper-focused on #14. How We Grade. This presentation will be in three movements: 1) BTC at a large community college, 2) BTC in physics (with a little math tossed in), and 3) Meaningful Assessment vs. Assessing the Meaningful (spicy!). Hear how this year-long physics experiment turned out.

2025 Conference Presenters

David Weaver

Physics Faculty Emeritus, Maricopa Colleges

Mesa Community College is the largest of the 10 Maricopa Colleges. The Ten Maricopa Community Colleges enrolled 86,523 credit students during Spring 2024, of which 57% identify as female, 59% as non-white, and 48% as first-generation college attendees. (https://www.maricopa.edu/a... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Rainier

BTC in Other Content Areas, General

8:00am PDT

Building Thinking Writers: Making the English Classroom More Inclusive

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Grand Ballroom #1

Unlock the power of the Building Thinking Classrooms instructional framework to transform how you teach writing. In this interactive workshop, explore strategies that engage students in deeper thinking, foster inclusivity, and improve writing outcomes. Experience hands-on activities designed to model the framework in action, demonstrating how it makes writing instruction more effective and equitable. Walk away with ready-to-implement techniques to energize your English classroom and inspire confident, thoughtful writers.

2025 Conference Presenters

Sharelle Van Natten

Literacy Coach, Kempsville High Virginia Beach City Public Schools

X - @MsVBLitCoach, Blue Sky - @iheartSharellev.bsky.socialKempsville High School, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is part of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) district, serving a socially and economically diverse population of approximately 2,006 students in grades... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Grand Ballroom #1

BTC in Other Content Areas, Secondary

8:00am PDT

BTC for ADHD: Building Thinking Classrooms for Students Like Me

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

I’ve got ADHD and love BTC. Why does BTC work so well for “kids like me?” Maybe it’s because practices for thinking classrooms include common ADHD accommodations found on IEPs/504s! Come explore these connections and learn what more we can do! This session delves into how to blend BTC and ADHD strategies, enhancing math learning and access. You will leave with an updated understanding of neurodiversity and how BTC continues to evolve to be more supportive of students with ADHD, plus definitive action steps that will improve students’ lives immediately. And probably some other interesting things that pop into my mind mid-session. Join us to discover how BTC can foster a more inclusive, supportive, effective environment for kids like me!

2025 Conference Presenters

Daniel Henderson

Curriculum Writer, CPM Educational Program

Misty Nikula,

Professional Learning Program Manager, CPM Educational Program

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
West Seattle

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, General

8:00am PDT

Terrace Talk - Sparking Our Curiosity: Challenging Implicit Bias in a Thinking Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

The 14 practices promote accessibility and equity in the classroom, but our own implicit biases, often influenced by institutional labels, can still get in the way of effectively enacting these practices. In this session, we will explore how these biases can impact our perceptions of student capabilities. Let’s think together about how we can shape the classroom environment to highlight students’ brilliance and spark our own genuine curiosity about students’ mathematical thinking.

2025 Conference Presenters

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Bellevue I

Classroom Reflection, General

8:00am PDT

Active Consolidation: Centering Student Voice and Thinking

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Thinking classrooms are learning classrooms, but how do we maximize student thinking during consolidation - the pivotal phase where individual ideas transform into collective understanding and concepts are generalized and connected? Student engagement in consolidation is critical for deep, sticky learning that persists beyond the lesson. In this dynamic session, we’ll explore structures and routines that boost engagement and help students notice patterns, listen actively, build on each others’ ideas, and take the lead in synthesizing their learning as a class. You’ll walk away with practical strategies and ready-to-use tools to transform your consolidation into a powerful catalyst for student-led learning and lasting comprehension.

2025 Conference Presenters

Anna Blinstein

MS Math Specialist, Mackintosh Academy Boulder

I teach math to middle and high school kids and work with teachers to develop curriculum and teaching pedagogy.

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Bellevue II

Closing & Individual Knowledge Practices, General

8:00am PDT

Staying Organized in the Chaos of a Thinking Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Grand Ballroom #2

BTC can be chaotic not only for the teacher but for the student as well. Come with us on our journey of turning our curriculum into a BTC friendly model. Participants will learn methods on how to use their curriculum to organize chaos, empower students, and foster mathematical thinking. We hope to inspire those new to the BTC model and provide solutions to those that want more organization during the launch, explore, and closure sections of the lesson, as well as how we are using Peter’s newest research to refine our practices. Participants will experience a short lesson where we model what a BTC lesson looks like in our classroom.

2025 Conference Presenters

Jennifer Hubbs

District Secondary Math Academic Consultant, West Ada School District

Rebekah Metzler

High School Math Teacher,, Centennial High School, West Ada School District

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Grand Ballroom #2

Closing & Individual Knowledge Practices, K - 12

8:00am PDT

"Making Mathematical Thinking Visible: A Title 1 Success Story"

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Seattle

Discover how one Title 1 elementary school is transforming their third-grade math instruction by combining Building Thinking Classroom practices with Mathematical Practice Standards preparation. Through strategic use of vertical non-permanent surfaces and structured coaching support, we are creating a systematic approach to developing mathematical thinking while preparing students for Smarter Balanced Assessment success.

2025 Conference Presenters

Donna Squires

Academic Achievement Specialist,, Pioneer Elementary School, Pioneer SD 402

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Seattle

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, Systems Leadership

8:00am PDT

Demystifying the Art of Thin Slicing

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Grand Ballroom #8

Demystify the art of thin slicing in math instruction with this engaging, interactive session based on the latest research from Mathematics Tasks for the Thinking Classroom. Engage in the 4-step process—identifying, grouping, sequencing, and filling—as you break down content into smaller, interconnected progressions, allowing students to move through concepts more efficiently. Learn how thin slicing shifts focus from lesson-by-lesson teaching to exploring concept progressions, fostering a deeper understanding of math connections in less time. Walk away with confidence that you can implement this process tomorrow to help students engage meaningfully, build confidence, and grasp the bigger picture of mathematics.

2025 Conference Presenters

Chelsea McClellan

Math Curriculum Specialist, Sacramento County Office of Education

Believing All Students Can for 16-years as a middle school math and science educator for El Dorado County, Chelsea now supports multiple counties in Northern California as a Math Curriculum Specialist for the Sacramento County Office of Education. Passionate about providing colleagues... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Grand Ballroom #8

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, General

8:00am PDT

How We Use Manipulatives in a K-8 Thinking Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Managing manipulatives in a thinking classroom takes a bit of pre-work, and it's totally worth it! During this session, we'll explore use-it-tomorrow ways you can help students think about, think with, and represent thinking using manipulatives during thinking tasks. An emphasis will be placed on how the Building Thinking Classrooms practices naturally lead to important conversations regarding the connection between physical, visual, symbolic, verbal, and contextual representations.

2025 Conference Presenters

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, K - 12

8:00am PDT

Redefining Student Status in the Mathematics Classroom through A Building Thinking Classrooms Lens

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Grand Ballroom #7

Participants will explore a BTC task through a complex instruction lens, focusing on actionable norms to enhance classroom equity. They will gain practical tools for implementing inclusive practices and providing targeted feedback to support equitable participation. This session will equip educators with strategies to foster effective collaboration and ensure all students engage meaningfully in BTC tasks.

2025 Conference Presenters

Clare Bunton

High School Math Teacher, Wyoming High School, located in Wyoming, Michigan

Clare Bunton's school: Wyoming High School, located in Wyoming, Michigan, serves approximately 1,284 students in grades 9-12. The student body is diverse, with 51.1% Hispanic, 25.5% White, 14.3% African American, 2.6% Asian, and 6.3% identifying as two or more races. Additionally... Read More →

Dwaina Sookhoo

High School Math Teacher, NYC Lab High School

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Grand Ballroom #7

Connections to Equity and Access, Systems Leadership

9:15am PDT

BTC and Standards Based Grading: Our Journey towards Clarity

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Are you feeling overwhelmed with all the possibilities for assessments after reading the Assessment Practices in BTC? Are you looking for inspiration or a place to start with your assessment practices in your classroom or as a department? Come hear from two teachers on how their department created essential standards to help focus instruction, how we are assessing student work, and creating a more equitable grading system to give better access to higher math classes for all students. A merging of BTC assessment with Standards Based Grading.

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

Assessment Practices, Systems Leadership

9:15am PDT

Three Years and 12 Practices: How I Found Success with Navigation Tools

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Baker

Three years into implementing BTC in my classroom and honing the first 12 practices finally led to successful integration of navigation tools. Come hear one teacher's story on how we got students engaging early, often, and ongoing with tools that are designed to help students track their learning progress, identify areas for practice, and understand expectations clearly. We’ll discuss the challenges of creating meaningful navigation tools, integrating them effectively into high school math courses, and why I waited until my third year implementing BTC to try them.

2025 Conference Presenters

Madison Butts

Department Chair/Teacher Leader/Mentor, St Helena USD

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Baker

Assessment Practices, General

9:15am PDT

Intro to BTC: A Beginner's Guide to Toolkit #1 and Beyond

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

In this session, participants will be introduced to several practices in the Building Thinking Classroom Framework through engaging experiences and interactive tasks. After a discussion about these experiences, participants will leave with a clear plan for starting their BTC journey.

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 →

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

BTC - Launch Practices, General

9:15am PDT

Adapting the Building Thinking Classrooms Framework for the English Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Grand Ballroom #7

In an English classroom where students collaborate in random groups at vertical spaces, the opportunities to build communication skills are endless. From analyzing texts to generating ideas to exploring the writing process, a BTC classroom invites students to share their thoughts, develop their voices, and think critically. In this session, we’ll dive into how the English classroom can be transformed into a Thinking Classroom, and reflect on the powerful impact this approach has on students’ development as writers and readers.

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Grand Ballroom #7

BTC in Other Content Areas, General

9:15am PDT

ReFraming a textbook lesson using BTC strategies

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Rainier

Trying to incorporate Building Thinking Classroom strategies into your classroom using lessons from a textbook? Be sure to join us as we experience a lesson from an Algebra 1 book. You will work with colleagues at a VNPS through curricular tasks and experience consolidation for the lesson. Finally we will look at the original presentation of the lesson in the book and debrief the strategies.

2025 Conference Presenters

Sharon Rendon

Director of Professional Learning, CPM Educational Program

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Rainier

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, Secondary

9:15am PDT

Terrace Talk - Integrating Technology within a 6-12 Thinking Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Technology can serve as a powerful platform to greatly enhance students’ active learning experiences within a thinking classroom. In addition to serving as an exploratory, computational, and coding tool, we will actively explore tasks through which technology can also help foster fluency, enhance discovery, and provide hints and extensions. Come with a device (larger than a phone) and experience what it can be like to take the role of a student within a technology-infused 6-12 mathematics thinking classroom!

2025 Conference Presenters

Tim Brzezinski

Middle & High School Mathematics Teacher (New Haven, CT) & Independent MathEd Consultant, MS + HS Math Teacher; MathEd Consultant

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Bellevue I

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, Systems Leadership

9:15am PDT

Crafting Consolidation and Closure in a Secondary Thinking Classroom (6-12)

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

In this interactive session, participants will immerse themselves in the experience of a secondary thinking classroom by completing a rich problem-solving task using the Thinking Classroom framework. With the end in mind, participants will collaboratively work to:

1. Develop a learning goal that aligns with the task.
2. Design a sequence of student work that best supports the desired learning goal.
3. Craft targeted questions to facilitate the consolidation process, ensuring that all students' thinking is recognized, valued and connected.

By the end of the session, participants will gain valuable insights and practical tools for creating a structured, student-centered consolidation and closure process in their classrooms.

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Bellevue II

Closing & Individual Knowledge Practices, Secondary

9:15am PDT

Building Thinking in Calculus: A Focus on the Post-Secondary Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Seattle

Have you wondered how building thinking classrooms can be implemented in Calculus, specifically in post-secondary classrooms? This session will focus on ways to increase student engagement and deep thinking about mathematics through the teaching of calculus. Participants will experience part of a thinking task via guided discovery to build a conceptual understanding followed by a discussion of how students can build procedural fluency through practice. If you teach calculus in college or high school, this session is for you!

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Seattle

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, Systems Leadership

9:15am PDT

Integrating Fact Fluency in a Thinking Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Adams

Discover how to easily integrate basic fact fluency work in a thinking classroom while making it engaging and effective. This session will explore how to use authentic tasks, vertical non-permanent surfaces, and visibly random groups to build fluency and automaticity in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in a thinking classroom. Participants will experience hands-on activities and learn how to foster student discourse and independent practice while developing essential math skills.

2025 Conference Presenters

Courtney Flessner

Assistant Director, Keep Indiana Learning - CIESC

Courtney is the Assistant Director at Keep Indiana Learning. Prior to joining KINL in 2021, Courtney spent 17 years working in public, private, and public charter schools in Indiana, New York City, and Wisconsin. She has been a classroom teacher in grades 1-6 and 7th and 8th grade... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Adams

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, Elementary

9:15am PDT

Putting the puzzle pieces together: How to BTC on the Daily with Thin-Slicing

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Grand Ballroom #8

Wondering how to integrate Peter Liljedahl’s BTC practices into your daily middle or secondary math lessons? This session explores how thin-slicing can structure curricular sequences and develop effective Consolidations, Notes, and Check Your Understanding questions. Participants will actively plan a sequence and learn how to extend it into unit planning, ensuring adaptability and responsive teaching. Designed for those familiar with thin-slicing and responsibility practices, this session is hands-on and application-focused.

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 →

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Grand Ballroom #8

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, General

9:15am PDT

Lakeside Chat with Pamela Seda & Peter Liljedahl - Rooted in Brilliance: Assessing in Ways That Honor Marginalized Math Learners

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

What if assessment wasn’t about sorting students, but about helping them take the next step in their learning? In this session, we’ll reimagine assessment as a tool for growth, reflection, and empowerment—especially for marginalized math learners who have often been misjudged or underestimated. Grounded in the ICUCARE® and BTC Frameworks, we’ll explore strategies for assessment practices that honor student thinking, uncover strengths, and guide meaningful next steps. You’ll walk away with tools that shift the focus from labeling students to supporting their brilliance—one assessment moment at a time.
Pam Seda & Peter Liljedahl

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 →

Peter Liljedahl

BTC Author and Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

Connections to Equity and Access, K - 12

9:15am PDT

Connecting Indigenous Ways of Learning: Capturing & Celebrating the Development of Problem Solvers

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Grand Ballroom #1

Many North American Indigenous cultures use a Medicine Wheel as a foundation for teaching and learning that shows how different parts of life are connected and balanced. In this session I will share how we have been using a Problem-Solving Medicine Wheel with BTC instruction in my classroom as well as my colleagues’ classrooms to connect to non-colonial ways of knowing to create spaces of belonging for all students, to communicate the value of students and their thinking, and to enhance student learning by focusing on celebrating students' skills, knowledge, mathematical practices, and attributes.

2025 Conference Presenters

Denise Smith

Legacy Teacher

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Grand Ballroom #1

Connections to Indigenous Education, General

9:15am PDT

Coaching in Action: Partnering for Meaningful Teaching Growth

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Grand Ballroom #2

Change doesn’t happen in isolation—it thrives through collaboration. In this session, a teacher and coach share their journey of professional growth, highlighting the power of supportive leadership in building a Thinking Classroom. Through real examples, we’ll explore:
Practical coaching strategies that foster meaningful shifts in instructional practice.
The teacher’s perspective on being coached—what works, what challenges arise, and what truly supports change.
Leadership moves that create a culture of trust, risk-taking, and continuous learning.
Whether you're a coach, administrator, or teacher leader, this session will provide insights into how collaborative partnerships can drive lasting impact in classrooms.

2025 Conference Presenters

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Grand Ballroom #2

Cultivating Leadership and Community, General

10:15am PDT

Affinity Groups + BTC Partners

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am PDT

TBD

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am PDT
TBD

Networking

10:15am PDT

BTC Partners - Book Signing with Dr. Pamela Seda

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am PDT

Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

2025 Conference Presenters

Pamela Seda

Founder & CEO, Seda Educational Consulting

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am PDT
Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

Networking, General

11:00am PDT

Lakeside Chat with Peter Liljedahl + Innovamat

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

2025 Conference Presenters

Peter Liljedahl

BTC Author and Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

11:00am PDT

The Nonsense of Numbers

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

As teachers, so much of what drives our assessment practices revolves around numbers. But do these numbers really tell us what we think they do? In this session, we will unpack our grading and reporting practices, interrogate their purpose and validity, and explore whether they truly serve all of our students. Together, we’ll challenge some of the assumptions we hold about numbers in our grade books and consider what might lie beyond them.

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Bellevue I

Assessment Practices, General

11:00am PDT

Everything at the Boards: BTC Across the Curriculum in the Upper Elementary Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

We began building our Thinking Classrooms in mathematics. But it doesn’t take long to see that the BTC framework is an engaging way for students to create meaning in subjects across the curriculum. Participants in this session will experience a Social Studies/ELA lesson and explore ways to take the content they are already teaching and transform it so that students are actively questioning and discussing as they learn.

2025 Conference Presenters

Lourdes De Leon

5th Grade Teacher, Lineweaver Elementary School, Tucson, Arizona

Samantha Lauderdale

Lineweaver Elementary, Tucson Arizona

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Bellevue II

BTC in Other Content Areas, K - 12

11:00am PDT

"Reveal"ing the Thinking K-5

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #8

This session will explore how to integrate McGraw Hill's Reveal Math curriculum with Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) 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.

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 →

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #8

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, Elementary

11:00am PDT

Why Do We Flip It?: Using Tech With Intentionality to Make the Abstract Make Sense

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Whether you are tech-phobic or a tech lover, come jam out about some math with us! Join us in an exploration of division of fractions where we use Polypad with intentionality to deepen the understanding of a very abstract concept. We ask you that you please bring a device, if you can. We will have opportunities to tinker with our representations and use them to solidify and adjust our conjectures.

2025 Conference Presenters

Amy Chang

BTC Team Member, US 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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, General

11:00am PDT

From Imperfect to Inspired – Becoming the Best Thinking Classrooms Teacher You Can Be

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #2

Great Thinking Classroom teachers aren’t born—they’re built through curiosity, reflection, and a willingness to embrace imperfection. Inspired by Peter Liljedahl’s research and Chase Orton’s The Imperfect and Unfinished Math Teacher, this session is for educators ready to take ownership over their professional growth and reclaim their teaching legacy. We’ll dive into practical strategies for fostering reflection, tackling challenges, and embracing the messy process of becoming the teacher you want to be. Walk away with renewed energy, practical tools, and the confidence to drive your own journey toward teaching mastery!

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #2

Classroom Reflection, General

11:00am PDT

Balancing the Effective and the Efficient. Maximizing the Benefits and Use of Manipulatives in The Middle Years and Beyond

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Manipulatives by themselves are inert, hold no magic, meaning, or insight. However, when used thoughtfully, they can become powerful catalysts for thinking and learning.
Join us as we explore the use of manipulatives in the Middle Years and Beyond through the lens of the Thinking Classroom framework. Discover how to maximize their impact by guiding students to:
* Think about the manipulatives
* Think with the manipulatives
* Represent their thinking using manipulatives
Unlock deeper engagement, reasoning, and understanding—one hands-on experience at a time.

2025 Conference Presenters

Jerrold Wiebe

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, Secondary

11:00am PDT

Guiding Gallery Walks: Selecting, Sequencing, and Seeding a 3 Act Task

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Seattle

Explore how to close 3 Act Tasks in your thinking classroom! These rich tasks offer multiple opportunities to formatively assess learning outcomes before you begin thin-slicing your curriculum concepts. Discover why leveraging the divergent thinking that emerges is essential for transferring knowledge from the group to each individual’s understanding. Come join us as we engage in a 3 Act Task followed by hands-on practice Selecting, Sequencing, and Seeding. Work in teams to craft an intentional closing that ensures all students have equitable access to grade-level outcomes.

2025 Conference Presenters

Chelsea McClellan

Math Curriculum Specialist, Sacramento County Office of Education

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Seattle

Connections to Equity and Access, General

11:00am PDT

How Digital Interactives Enhance a Thinking Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #1

Wondering how to utilize technology in a thinking classroom? This session is for you! Come and find out how to incorporate digital interactives to enhance thinking tasks. After a brief comparison of building thinking classroom practices with those incorporated in digital lessons, you will experience a lesson that integrates the best of both experiences. You will leave the session with an understanding of how to recreate the experience for your classroom.

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #1

Connections to Equity and Access, General

11:00am PDT

MARTIAN MATH: A BTC Immersion Experience

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Rainier

Ever wondered how mathematics would work if we had three fingers on each hand? Step into your students' shoes as we explore mathematics through a Martian lens! Experience a complete Thinking Classroom lesson where familiar mathematical concepts become delightfully unfamiliar. Through this unique perspective, participants will engage with core BTC practices - from vertical non-permanent surfaces to visibly random groupings - while discovering how mathematical meaning-making feels for our students. Leave with practical insights about creating accessible, engaging mathematics learning experiences for diverse learners, including emergent multi-linguals and neuro-divergent students. Join us for an out-of-this-world mathematical adventure!

2025 Conference Presenters

Patty Stephens

K-12 Math Specialist, Northshore School District

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Rainier

Connections to Equity and Access, General

11:00am PDT

Story Problems For All: Instruction & Assessment with Structured Expressions

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Baker

Do you have students who shut down at the sight of a word problem? This session introduces research-based practices that worked with the lowest-performing students in both a Title 1 elementary school and high school. We will explore several instructional practices that span grade K-10 needs: exact-length bar templates, introducing structured expressions, expression/quantity matching, quantity onions, and finally algebraic expressions. BTC-style concept maps provided. Session immediately begins with participants working as students on VNPSs and on a webapp for 45-50 minutes followed by time for questions. Links to videos will be provided for the development, theory, & pilot data, instead of using valuable session time.

2025 Conference Presenters

Surani Joshua

Teacher, Arcadia High School,, Scottsdale Unified School District

A little bit about me: I have 14 years of experience teaching math, and 8 of those are in Title 1 schools. I have a PhD in math education where I focused on how to consider student thinking and development of specific math concepts, as well as degrees in physics and math. I have taught... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Baker

Connections to Equity and Access, General

11:00am PDT

Armor Against Adversity: BTC & ACEs

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Grand Ballroom #7

This session will explore how BTC practices can provide a powerful shield against the adverse effects of childhood trauma. Students from marginalized groups, including those with IEPs, English Language Learners, low-socioeconomic backgrounds, and Indigenous heritage, etc., often experience higher rates of ACEs. By implementing a range of BTC practices, teachers can create a positive classroom culture, promote social-emotional learning, and encourage critical thinking, ultimately benefiting all students, including those from marginalized communities and those impacted by ACEs. This session may evoke powerful emotions, resulting in a renewed sense of determination and motivation to embark or reignite your BTC journey.

2025 Conference Presenters

Laura Streich

High School Math Teacher, MACCRAY High School

I work at a small inclusive school in a rural farming community in greater Minnesota. We have higher than average number of students with IEPs and 504s. We hold the belief that all students are able to learn math at the highest levels. I am lucky to work in a district that is supportive... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Grand Ballroom #7

Connections to Indigenous Education, General

11:00am PDT

Leveraging Your Specialist Team to Implement Building Thinking Classrooms Schoolwide

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Discover how Kempsville High School implemented the Building Thinking Classrooms framework to enhance rigor and drive schoolwide improvement. This session highlights the impact on our Plan for Continuous Improvement across Core, Inclusion, Honors, AP, Dual Enrollment, Elective, and Industry Certification settings. Learn about our implementation strategies, including in-service planning, monthly professional learning, and walkthroughs. Explore how we supported teachers with interactive PD, modeling, co-planning, and co-teaching. Participants will collaborate to start designing plans tailored to their school’s unique needs.

2025 Conference Presenters

Chelsea Kimbrough

School Improvement Specialist, Kempsville High

Sharelle Van Natten

Literacy Coach, Kempsville High Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
West Seattle

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership

12:00pm PDT

Lunch

Tuesday July 1, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT

Lake Washington Terrace

Tuesday July 1, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Terrace

Networking, General

1:00pm PDT

How to Use BTC Grading Practices to Support Student Learning and Interventions

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Have you every struggled with how to provide intervention support within your math classroom that both supports the unfinished learning from our students AND teacher efficiency? In this session, I will focus on my journey in using the BTC grading navigation tool to help support student learning and my own organization in providing Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention within a multi-language learner level, 8th grade math classroom.

2025 Conference Presenters

Anna Colaric

Math Teacher, Lake Braddock Secondary School

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

Assessment Practices, General

1:00pm PDT

Strengthening Collaboration and Perseverance with SEL Practices and Collaborative Rubrics

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Seattle

This session explores how integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) can transform classrooms into inclusive, collaborative communities. By redesigning rubrics to foster accountability in group learning and utilizing strategies like community circles to build trust and openness, educators can create spaces where self-awareness and empathy drive both academic achievement and personal growth. Together, we’ll explore practical approaches to building trust and connection while addressing challenges such as disengagement, behavioral issues, and resistance to collaboration. Participants will leave with effective strategies for designing rubrics that support accountability and SEL, creating thriving, inclusive learning environments.

2025 Conference Presenters

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 →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Seattle

Assessment Practices, Secondary

1:00pm PDT

BTC in the Social Studies Classroom: How I got my most off task students to love learning about maps.

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Rainier

This session will show how to adapt current Social Studies lessons into BTC
lessons without a ton of prep or resources. Strip away note taking and slide
decks. Let go of the idea that students are listening when you're talking and
trust the power of a non-permanent vertical surface, also known as a white
board. We will look at two to three lessons that I have modified into BTC
lessons using current curriculum. I will also share about my classroom set
up and behavior modification strategies that have made this year a success,
with a few humorous failures. Come check it out.

2025 Conference Presenters

Lauren Kulczycki

Social Studies Teacher - Pioneer Middle School,, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Rainier

BTC in Other Content Areas, Secondary

1:00pm PDT

Meaning Making with Multiplication and Division of Fractions: Thin Slicing our Way to Understanding

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Multiplication and division of fractions can be daunting for students and teachers alike. Because many of us were inundated with procedures to memorize, we’ve struggled to make sense of these operations. This interactive session will use “thin slicing” as a way to navigate the teaching and learning of fraction computation. We’ll discuss fractions, make sense of them as numbers, explore what we know about whole number computation, and leverage all of these strengths to make sense of strategies for multiplying and dividing fractions. Participants will leave the session with slides and activities to use in their classrooms as well as connections to a network of educators working toward understanding these complex topics in meaningful ways.

2025 Conference Presenters

Ryan Flessner

Associate Professor of Teacher Education at Butler University, Butler University

Ryan Flessner is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education at Butler University. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a BS from Butler University. Prior to working at the university level, Ryan taught... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
West Seattle

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, K - 12

1:00pm PDT

Getting to Scale: Using Educator Residencies to Launch BTC in a Large Urban District

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

This session explores how Newark Public Schools scaled the implementation of Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) practices across 60 schools using teacher and administrator residencies. Participants will learn about the challenges and successes of implementing BTC practices in a large district and gain practical insights into creating professional learning experiences that drive long-term transformation in mathematics education.

2025 Conference Presenters

Amanda Grossi

Newark Public Schools

Asale Smith

Supervisor, Office of Mathematics, Newark Public Schools

Christian Ricci,

Teacher,, East Side High School

Karyn Unger

Supervisor, Office of Mathematics, Newark Public Schools

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Bellevue II

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership

1:00pm PDT

Leadership in Action: Transforming Professional Development with BTC Strategies

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

This session demonstrates how leaders can promote best practice by leading with best practice and models BTC strategies to build a community of professional learners. Drawing from Toolkit 1 and incorporating macro/micro moves, participants will engage in interactive activities that align with the principles of adult learning. Example sessions will include topics such as fostering collaborative cultures, developing policies, and PLC data conversations. By first modeling a shift in their own professional development practices administrators demonstrate their own commitment for BTC practices, this session equips leaders with tools and strategies to inspire educators to shift their pedagogy by first modeling a shift in their own andragogy.

2025 Conference Presenters

Amanda Ramey

Instructional Coach, Franklin Community Schools

Melisa McCain

K-12 Instructional Coach, Franklin Community Schools

Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership

2:15pm PDT

Terrace Talks - The Neverending Story: My Continual Journey Through Assessment

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Join Maegan Giroux, as she walks through how she and her grade 6/7 students' assessed a full unit, from start to finish. Maegan will share student work and comments on the assessment approach including the various ways the class chose to embed conversations, observations, and technology into the assessment. This session will include time for Q&A and open discussion around the unit was planned and assessed.

2025 Conference Presenters

Maegan Giroux

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

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Bellevue I

Assessment Practices, General

2:15pm PDT

Building Thinking Lessons from Textbook-y Tasks

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Are you craving the need to dig into textbook-y tasks to find ways to thin-slice and modify them into more thinking lessons? This session will focus on identifying characteristics of good thinking lessons and enhancing tasks to get students engaged in deep thinking of mathematics. Participants will also work collaboratively in groups based on grade bands to build thinking lessons from textbook resources provided in the session. All grade levels are welcome!

2025 Conference Presenters

April Strom

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Jared Sliger

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, K - 12

2:15pm PDT

BTC Coaching Moves: Leveraging Reflective Thinking Classroom Practice with Interviews & Exit Tickets

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

In this session, we will reflect on our transformative journey of incorporating “street data” into coaching cycles with teachers implementing Building Thinking Classrooms. We will share a coach’s story about leveraging student and teacher qualitative data, along with formative quantitative data to foster curiosity and disrupt preconceived notions about students. This process strengthened our commitment to elevate student voice as a critical first step for deeper learning and greater traction when exploring and implementing the BTC practices, regardless of where our teachers were in their journey.

2025 Conference Presenters

Amy Chang

BTC Team Member, US Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Tom Lewis

Secondary Math Coordinator, St Helena Unified School District

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Bellevue II

Classroom Reflection, General

2:15pm PDT

Reflections on a year of BTC implementation in Algebra 1 and in IB Higher Level Mathematics

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Rainier

We are two experienced and successful teachers who are constantly striving to improve. Nothing has improved our practice like BTC. BTC allows us to engage more students, better assess their understanding, and push them to higher-order thinking. Within days, we could see (and hear) how much of a difference BTC was making with our students. Within weeks, we saw the potential for BTC to be an equity driver while upholding high expectations for curricular mastery. Within months, we saw gains on our standards and room for further professional growth. This presentation shares some of our successes and failures, as well as our strengths and areas for improvement. Attendees will leave with strategies and ideas to try in their own practices.

2025 Conference Presenters

Ian Maurer

Math Teacher and Instructional Specialist,, Cleveland High School

Sarah Ward

Math Teacher, Cleveland High School

Portland Public Schools, founded in 1851, is a PK-12 urban school district in Portland, Oregon. With more than 44,000 students in 81 schools, it is one of the largest school districts in the Pacific Northwest. Cleveland High School is one of two high schools in the district which... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Rainier

Classroom Reflection, General

2:15pm PDT

Creating Manipulative Based Thinking Tasks in the Thinking Classroom

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

Seattle

How do we incorporate manipulatives into the Thinking Classroom? How can we build thinking tasks based on manipulatives? We know that manipulatives help build conceptual understanding for all students, but how do we build manipulative based thinking tasks that provide entry points and high ceilings? Come experience manipulative based thinking tasks and collaborate to create one!

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 →

Molly Vokey

co-host of Math 4 All, Athena K12 Educational Consutling

I am a mom of 2 girls and 1 boy. I have been consulting since my kids were little. My first teaching job was as a middle school math teacher. I co-host a Facebook live show with Heidi Sabnani where we interview prominent people in the math education community. We also write... Read More →

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Seattle

Connections to Equity and Access, Elementary

2:15pm PDT

Equitable Instruction in Action: The Cognitive Science Behind Building Thinking Classrooms

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT

This session explores the alignment between the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) framework and cognitive science research. It highlights how core BTC practices—such as the launch, flow, consolidation, and check-your-understanding questions—are grounded in cognitive science principles like cognitive load, schema acquisition, and the role of prior knowledge. By unpacking these practices, the session demonstrates how they support effective learning and cognitive development. It also examines the implications for classroom instruction, emphasizing how understanding these connections can help teachers provide equitable, high-quality learning experiences for all students.

2025 Conference Presenters

Thomas Nobili

Founder, Professional Consultant, TJN Core Consulting

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
West Seattle

Connections to Equity and Access, General

2:15pm PDT

Building Leadership for Thinking Classrooms Success

Tuesday July 1, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT