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

Geoffery LaBrant

Monique Cabellon

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

BTC - Launch Practices, General

9:45am PDT

Word Study Tasks in the Thinking Classroom

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

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

11:00am PDT

The Underrated Nuances of BTC: Small Moves, Big Gains

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

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

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, General

1:00pm PDT

Let’s sketch diagrams to solve word problems!

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

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

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

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

Collective Knowledge (VNPS) Practices, General

3:30pm PDT

DNA of Building Thinking Classrooms in Science

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

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

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 →

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 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Lake Washington Ballroom I

BTC in Other Content Areas, General

8:00am PDT

From Principles to Practice: Grading for Equity in Thinking Classrooms

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

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

9:15am PDT

BTC and Standards Based Grading: Our Journey towards Clarity

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

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

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

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

Assessment Practices, Systems Leadership

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

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

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 →

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 →

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

BTC Using Specific Textbooks, General

1:00pm PDT

Leadership in Action: Transforming Professional Development with BTC Strategies

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

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

Franklin Schools has been a pioneer in implementing Building Thinking Classrooms, hosting the first-ever BTC conference and embracing its practices across grade levels. Our district is dedicated to innovative, student-centered instruction that empowers learners to think critically... Read More →

Melisa McCain

K-12 Instructional Coach, Franklin Community Schools

I believe that presenting is the best way to confirm your own understanding and learn from others who are passionate about education. Driven by my motto, "Collaboration makes the world go round!", I am passionate about grading and redefining smart by moving away from compliance... Read More →

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

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership

2:15pm PDT

Building Leadership for Thinking Classrooms Success

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

Lake Washington Ballroom I

As district math leaders, we recognize that shifting pedagogy is key to teacher and student success. By fostering positive mathematical mindsets, adopting student-centered practices, and deepening content understanding, we embarked on a three-year Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) journey across 30 schools.
In this session, we will share how teacher leadership has been pivotal in sustaining thinking classrooms. We’ll outline our multi-year professional learning plan, its sustainability through PLC cohorts, and how we built our own capacity to support teachers. Finally, we’ll present data highlighting the impact on teachers and students.

2025 Conference Presenters

Janel Marr

Kailua-Kalāheo Math/STEM Resource Teacher, Windward District

Marcie Sado,

Castle-Kahuku Math/STEM Resource Teacher,, Windward District

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

Cultivating Leadership and Community, Systems Leadership