Building Thinking Classrooms 2025 Annual Conference

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.

Grades shape student's perception of their abilities & future prospects, yet outdated practices, proven inaccurate by decades of research, continue to distort students' self-identities and undermine their potential for success.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.

Unparalleled for those districts implementing BTC, join MidSchoolMath for this incredible experience that combines a curriculum including student thinking from across the globe to practices that can amplify all middle school classrooms.

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.

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.

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.

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.