Building Thinking Classrooms 2025 Annual Conference

“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.

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.

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.