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Venue: Rainier clear filter
Monday, June 30
 

9:45am PDT

One Size Fits EACH: Unit Planning and Lesson Planning for Thinking
Monday June 30, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
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
avatar for Chase Orton

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 →
avatar for Kim Rimbey

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

11:00am PDT

Integrating Equity in Education: Accessible Strategies for Diverse Thinking Classrooms
Monday June 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
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
avatar for Marla Hunter [Hooper]

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

1:00pm PDT

AI as a Tool to Accommodate BTC for Neurodiversity
Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
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
avatar for Christina McNicol

Christina McNicol

Secondary Teacher, Boston Public Schools
Monday June 30, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Rainier

2:15pm PDT

Think, Speak, Learn: Empowering Multilingual Learners in Social Studies
Monday June 30, 2025 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
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
avatar for Joshua Lafleur

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

3:30pm PDT

Revolutionizing Social Studies Through Building Thinking Classrooms
Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
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
avatar for Amanda Ramey

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 →
avatar for Amanda Ray

Amanda Ray

5-6 Elementary Teacher,, Franklin Community Schools
Monday June 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Rainier
 
Tuesday, July 1
 

8:00am PDT

Building Thinking Physicists (and we’re ALL born physicists!)
Tuesday July 1, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
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
avatar for David Weaver

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

9:15am PDT

ReFraming a textbook lesson using BTC strategies
Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
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
avatar for Sharon Rendon

Sharon Rendon

Director of Professional Learning, CPM Educational Program
Tuesday July 1, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Rainier

11:00am PDT

MARTIAN MATH: A BTC Immersion Experience
Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
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
avatar for Patty Stephens

Patty Stephens

K-12 Math Specialist, Northshore School District
Tuesday July 1, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Rainier

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
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
avatar for Lauren Kulczycki

Lauren Kulczycki

Social Studies Teacher - Pioneer Middle School,, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
Tuesday July 1, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Rainier

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
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
avatar for Ian Maurer

Ian Maurer

Math Teacher and Instructional Specialist,, Cleveland High School
avatar for Sarah Ward

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
 
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