Building Thinking Classrooms 2025 Annual Conference

Pre-Conference: Building Thinking Classrooms 101

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 pre-conference session to fully access the content of the main conference sessions.
This pre-conference introductory session outlines some of the 14 practices outlined in the book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl.
Participants will experience mathematics through a Thinking Classroom environment and learn how to implement their own Thinking Classroom, including how to launch the environment and build in additional strategies over time.

2025 Conference Presenters

Daniel Kent

Regional Math Administrator, ESD 113

Tamara Smith

OESD114

My passion is working with math teachers across the state on their quest to make mathematics a rewarding and adventurous pursuit for all students. Lately, I have been sharing the work of Jo Boaler that math is about creativity, communicating ideas and making connections across representations... Read More →

Sunday June 29, 2025 1:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Bellevue II

BTC - Launch Practices, General

1:30pm PDT

Pre-Conference: Building Thinking Classrooms 101

Sunday June 29, 2025 1:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

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 →

Toni Buechler

Regional Math Coordinator, ESD123

Sunday June 29, 2025 1:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Bellevue I

BTC - Launch Practices, General

1:30pm PDT

Pre-Conference: Building Thinking Classrooms 101 LIMITED

Sunday June 29, 2025 1:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

2025 Conference Presenters

Geoffery LaBrant

Monique Cabellon

Sunday June 29, 2025 1:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

BTC - Launch Practices, General

1:30pm PDT

Pre-Conference: Leaders Supporting Building Thinking Classrooms LIMITED

Sunday June 29, 2025 1:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

1st Floor Grand Ballroom Prefunction

Pre-Conference: Leaders Supporting Building Thinking Classrooms

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 research-based Building Thinking Classrooms practices that effectively shift students’ non-thinking behaviors—like slacking, stalling, faking, and mimicking—into genuine cognitive engagement. These practices foster equitable access to grade-level content, ensuring success for all students, including multilingual learners and those with neurodiverse needs.
This workshop goes beyond theory by providing you with actionable tools and resources to support your educators’ implementation journey. Learn strategies to build capacity within your team, empower your teachers, and create sustainable, impactful change in your schools.
Additionally, this is a unique opportunity to expand your professional network. Connect with a community of like-minded leaders who are equally passionate about fostering thinking classrooms. Share insights, exchange strategies, and build a web of collaboration that supports your collective growth as champions of this critical work.
Join us to strengthen your leadership, gain fresh perspectives, and cultivate a culture of thinking and engagement in your schools!

2025 Conference Presenters

Chelsea McClellan

Math Curriculum Specialist, Sacramento County Office of Education

Number Talks, Struggle Problems, Equity, Vertical Non-permanent Surfaces, Open Middle Problems, Building Thinking Classrooms

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 →

Sunday June 29, 2025 1:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom II

Cultivating Leadership and Community, General

6:00pm PDT

Early Registration Lake Washington Ballroom Prefunction Area LIMITED

Sunday June 29, 2025 6:00pm - 9:00pm PDT

Lake Washington Prefunction Area

Sunday June 29, 2025 6:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Lake Washington Prefunction Area

7:00am PDT

Registration and Information Booth - Open at 7:00am

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

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

7:30am PDT

Welcome and Opening Keynote

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

Grand Ballroom

2025 Conference Presenters

Pamela Seda

Owner, 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

8:30am PDT

Morning Food and Beverage

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

Networking

8:45am PDT

Affinity Groups + Exhibitor Sessions + Exhibit Hall Open

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

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

“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

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

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

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

Grand Prefunction Area

Grand Prefunction Area & Lake Washington Prefunction Area

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

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

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

BTC Topic Conversation with MidSchoolMath - TBD

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

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

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

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

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

Cari Haug

Regional Science Coordinator, North Central Education Service District

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

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

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

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

11:00am PDT

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

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

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

11:00am PDT

The Underrated Nuances of BTC: Small Moves, Big Gains

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

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

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

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 Sade - TBD

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

2025 Conference Presenters

Pamela Seda

Owner, 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

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

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

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

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

"Reveal"ing the Thinking K-5

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

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

Melisa McCain

K-12 Instructional Coach, Franklin Community Schools

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

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, Elementary

1:00pm PDT

Let’s sketch diagrams to solve word problems!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lakeside Chat - Pamela Seda

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

2025 Conference Presenters

Pamela Seda

Owner, Seda Educational Consulting

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

2:15pm PDT

Terrace Talk - Nova Katz

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

2025 Conference Presenters

Nova Katz

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

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

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

Hilda Wright, Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Kern County

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

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

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

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

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

2:15pm PDT

Breaking Barriers with BTC: Practical Strategies for Diverse Classrooms

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

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

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

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

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, Canadian Consultant, 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I work at Point Grey Secondary in the Vancouver School Board, located in a relatively high socioeconomic status (SES) area. The school serves a diverse student body and is traditionally academic-oriented, with a focus on high academic achievement. While Building Thinking Classrooms... Read More →

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

3:30pm PDT

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

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

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

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

I work at a rural school in southwest Michigan. Sturgis High School has just under 1000 students. 55% are economically disadvantaged. About 36% are Hispanic and 58% are white. 24% are English Language Learners and 47% qualify for free and reduced lunch.

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

1st Floor Grand Ballroom Prefunction

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

Educational Consultant, K-20 Educator, Human Rights Award Recipient, Innovative Instructional Leader

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

7:00am PDT

Morning Food and Beverage

Tuesday July 1, 2025 7:00am - 8:00am PDT

Lake Washington Terrace

Tuesday July 1, 2025 7:00am - 8:00am PDT
Lake Washington Terrace

Networking, General

7:30am PDT

Registration and Information Booth - Open at 7:30am

Tuesday July 1, 2025 7:30am - 4:00pm PDT

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

8:00am PDT

K - 5 BTC Session - Laura Tomas

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

Baker

2025 Conference Presenters

Laura Tomas

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

8:00am PDT

Lakeside Chat - Peter Liljedahl

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

2025 Conference Presenters

Peter Liljedahl

BTC Author and Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Lakeside Chat - Grand Ballroom 3-6-9

8:00am PDT

From Principles to Practice: Grading for Equity in Thinking Classrooms

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

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

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

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

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

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

Number Talks, Struggle Problems, Equity, Vertical Non-permanent Surfaces, Open Middle Problems, Building Thinking Classrooms

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

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

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

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

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

Eric Vallecillo

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

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

Jerrold Wiebe

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

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

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

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

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

Elizabeth Kielty

Facilitator/Professional Consultant, All Learners Network

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

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

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

Pierre Tranchemontagne

BTC Team Member, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

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

9:15am PDT

How Digital Interactives Enhance a Thinking Classroom

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

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

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

Connections to Equity and Access, General

9:15am PDT

Lakeside Chat - Pamela Seda + Peter Liljedahl

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

Peter Liljedahl & Pam Seda;

2025 Conference Presenters

Pamela Seda

Owner, Seda Educational Consulting

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, General

9:15am PDT

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

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

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

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

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

Cultivating Leadership and Community, General

10:15am PDT

Affinity Groups + Exhibitor Sessions + Exhibit Hall Open

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

TBD

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

Networking

11:00am PDT

Lakeside Chat with Peter Liljedahl + Innovamat

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

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

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

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, Canadian Consultant, Building Thinking Classrooms

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

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, General

11:00am PDT

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

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

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 →

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

Classroom Reflection, Systems Leadership

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

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

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

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

Number Talks, Struggle Problems, Equity, Vertical Non-permanent Surfaces, Open Middle Problems, Building Thinking Classrooms

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

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

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

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

Panel Conversations around BTC Topics

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

Grand Ballroom

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

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, Canadian Consultant, 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

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