Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics

Much of how classrooms look and what happens in them today is guided by institutional norms laid down at the inception of an industrial-age public education model. These norms have enabled a culture of teaching and learning often devoid of student thinking. In this session, teachers will learn how to transform their classrooms from a space where students mimic to where students think. This two-day workshop will guide participants through building a Thinking Classroom. Attendees will learn foundational strategies for creating this environment on the first day. They can then apply these strategies in their classrooms between sessions. On the second day, participants will reconvene to discuss their observations and challenges and delve deeper into the techniques for fostering a Thinking Classroom.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be ready to implement Toolkit 1, Toolkit 2, and Toolkit 3 including:

• Identify what types of tasks to use in a Thinking Classroom.
• Form collaborative groups in a Thinking Classroom.
• Establish where students work in a Thinking Classroom.
• Arrange the furniture in a Thinking Classroom.
• Answer questions in a Thinking Classroom.
• Introduce tasks in a Thinking Classroom.
• Use hints and extensions to maintain flow in a Thinking Classroom. 
• Consolidate and summarize learning in a Thinking Classroom. 
• Create meaningful notes in a Thinking Classroom. 
• Assess learning in a Thinking Classroom.

This workshop is inspired by the book: Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning by Peter Liljedahl. Purchasing the book is not required, but it may be a helpful companion for your classroom implementation. 

Participants can earn one graduate-level credit by attending this workshop and completing a brief reflection. Additionally, attendees may receive up to three graduate credit hours for attending and applying the workshop's content to their classroom or school setting.

Presenter: Jolene Goodheart Petersen, SHESC, Salina

Credit: Hours (12), PD Points (12), College Credit (1)