Building Thinking Classrooms 2025 Annual Conference: Full Schedule

1:30pm PDT

Pre-Conference: Building Thinking Classrooms 101

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

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

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 II

BTC - Launch Practices, General

9:45am PDT

Just a Phase You're Going Through.

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

Bellevue II

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

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

Bellevue II

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

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

Bellevue II

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

2:15pm PDT

Breaking Barriers with BTC: Practical Strategies for Diverse Classrooms

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

Bellevue II

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

Math Teacher, Bear Creek High School

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

Eric Vallecillo

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

Bear Creek High School is located in Stockton, California, which last year was named the most diverse city in America. We are a public high school with almost 2,000 students. Our diversity is our strength and we celebrate it each year at our International Rally where over 30 clubs... Read More →

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

Connections to Equity and Access, General

3:30pm PDT

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

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

Bellevue II

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

8:00am PDT

Active Consolidation: Centering Student Voice and Thinking

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

Bellevue II

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

9:15am PDT

BTC and Standards Based Grading: Our Journey towards Clarity

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

Bellevue II

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

2025 Conference Presenters

Abigail Bates

Math Teacher, Bear Creek High School

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

Eric Vallecillo

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

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

Assessment Practices, Systems Leadership

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

Bellevue II

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

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

Bellevue II

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
Bellevue II

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, 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

Bellevue II

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

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 →

Tom Lewis

Secondary Math Coordinator, St Helena Unified School District

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

Classroom Reflection, General