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Building Thinking Classrooms Conference 2023: The Impact One Year Later

It’s officially been one year since the 2023 Building Thinking Classrooms Conference, a groundbreaking event presented by Keep Indiana Learning and Franklin Community Schools in Franklin, Indiana. At Keep Indiana Learning, we plan our events with longevity in mind, aiming to make a lasting impact on educators and their practice through professional development learning opportunities. 

From neighboring states like Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio to the International School of Beijing, educators from all over the world traveled to Franklin, Indiana, to engage with Dr. Peter Liljedahl’s mathematical teaching practice, “Building Thinking Classrooms.” Liljedahl is a professor of mathematics education at Simon Fraser University and best-selling author of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Grades K-12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. This conference marked a celebration of the remarkable convergence of minds, ideas, and innovations that are reshaping the future of education.

Honoring the 2023 conference’s one-year anniversary, the Keep Indiana Learning team followed up with a group of educators from the event to learn about the long-term impact this seminar initiated. Here are the group’s takeaways…one year later.

The Building Thinking Classrooms Framework Spreads Beyond the Classroom

The practice and methodology of Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) have not only spread throughout the attendees’ classrooms but have grown to have a profound impact on entire school districts as a whole. Many educators have fostered collaborations between their peers in other grade levels to master the versatility of BTC.

The practice grew increasingly popular with special education teachers, who reported that students who had previously struggled with math were now understanding it. According to Weber State University’s Program Director, Kathryn Van Wagoner, she received an email from a parent thanking her for the way she teaches math and raving that their student with a learning disability was doing well after three prior attempts to understand the curriculum. 

Special Education Case Manager of Springfield Schools, Katie Rodden, held additional BTC interactive book study sessions with 45 teachers, half of whom were special education teachers! Pingry Middle School Math Teacher, Lisa Hartmann and Secondary Math Instructional Specialist at Crown Point Community School Corporation Carole Lambersie also reported that BTC groups have been established at their schools, bringing the BTC Framework into the professional development sessions of their secondary schools to get interested teachers familiar with the frameworks.  

New to BTC, Math Teacher Julie Hiner began implementing it in her classroom at Upper Arlington High School for the first time this past school year. She shared, “I’ve encouraged colleagues to get started with BTC, and now my entire department is using it! My assistant principal introduced us to BTC and has been very supportive. He even led a book study in the fall and made sure we got more whiteboards for our rooms. We have seen such an increase in student engagement!” 

The Personal Impact on Educators 

Some attendees arrived at the conference as dedicated followers of Building Thinking Classrooms. For others, it was their first time exploring the complexities of Liljedahl’s work and all it has to offer. Either way, the content, atmosphere, and leaders of the conference made a personal impact on each educator’s personal journey of teaching.

Conference with people on stage.

At the event, East Rockford Middle School Teacher Sandy Knottnerus found motivation in seeing so many teachers making an effort to improve their craft. Having such an implementable process to do that left her feeling inspired.

Carroll High School Teacher Angela Ratliff shared that she had been implementing parts of BTC for a few years prior to the conference, so it was helpful to see how others implement different pieces and how to be more effective with this style of teaching.

Laura Tomas of Palm Beach Schools also left a raving review, stating, “The BTC has impacted my teaching and education to the highest level. Not only did I learn an enormous amount that I got to share with fellow educators, I made lifelong friends!”

Julie Hiner, math teacher, reports, “Students, for the most part, enjoy it. I appreciate that I can now better gauge student progress and address issues with small groups and individuals more easily. Before the BTC conference, I was beginning to get bored with my teaching. Now, I have enthusiasm for classes again. I’ve taught for over 30 years and am so glad that I have found something that really helps support student learning. BTC has been a game changer!”

Exploring the Most Memorable Moments

Across the two-day conference, K-12 educators alike made many memories thanks to the session content, collaborative breakthroughs, and the tangible impact of the learning provided. Here’s what the attendees are saying:

“I liked having presenters who cut to the chase and told us exactly HOW they do whatever their specialty is (instead of just a huge intro and then barely diving into the nitty gritty).” —Angela Ratliff, Carroll High School Teacher.

“The conference was a dream come true. I got to meet Peter and offer some BTC professional development, which were both on my bucket list. I loved being on the educator panel and meeting so many teachers who I only knew online prior to the conference. It was magical.” —Tammy McMorrow, First Grade Teacher at Kuna School District.

“I LOVE hearing the success stories about how engaged students can be with math if we are willing to try something new! —Carole Lambersie, Secondary Math Instructional Specialist at Crown Point Community School Corporation.

“My favorite part was learning from the teachers implementing thin slicing, making engaging tasks, actively being a participant in a BTC lesson, and, of course, listening to Peter. I loved how he talked about failures. He tried, and things didn’t work and he talked through his process of adapting his findings. That was reassurance that this change is going to be a process, but a well-worth investment.” —Audrey Young, Math Teacher at Delta High School.

Last but certainly not least, our featured guest, Peter Lijedahl, shared some thoughts on his most memorable experiences at the conference:

“This conference was amazing—it’s probably the best conference I’ve ever been to. It was incredibly well organized and had an incredible group of people who attended who were energetic and enthusiastic. To the attendees, thank you for your advocacy in Building Thinking Classrooms. Most of all, thank you for your professionalism. If the public understood the degree to which teachers go to further their practice for the benefit of the kids, they would be overwhelmed to see just how professional teachers are.”
Presentation being given with a speaker in front of the audience.

The Key Takeaways After Implementing Building Thinking Classrooms

Building Thinking Classrooms is all about thinking outside the box to uncover more effective teaching and learning strategies. This philosophy is exactly what Franklin County High School English Language Arts (ELA) teacher Adam Hofer adopted. Although Lijedahl applies BTC to math lessons, Hofer attended the conference to apply this structure to his ELA class… and found it to be successful.  

Hofer expanded on his transformative journey towards a thinking classroom in a reflective blog post six weeks into the school year. He reported, “With guidance from other BTC teachers and Peter Liljedahl from the conference, I decided I would only focus on the first toolkit to start, which includes engaging students in a thinking task, randomized groups, and vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS). My goal was to include these at least once each week.” 

Soon after, he watched his quiet students take on leadership roles and help guide the thinking in their small, randomized groups. “I’ve witnessed great reflection on tasks as I ask students from other groups to share what they see from their peers’ boards during gallery walks and consolidation,” said Hofer. In another blog post recapping his first semester using BTC, Hofer concludes, “As I continue to navigate the peaks and valleys of Building Thinking Classrooms, I am reminded that the pursuit of excellence in teaching is an ongoing adventure—one that promises rewards far beyond the confines of the classroom.” 

Another ELA teacher from Franklin Community Middle School, William Shepherd, added, “Finding the applicability of Building Thinking Classrooms to ELA was the most impactful element of the conference for me.”

As for the math teachers, the popular consensus included the following:

  • Sometimes, the most challenging part is jumping in and getting started—just do it!
  • Consolidation is crucial.
  • Peter welcomes accommodations and adaptations. It’s not a prescriptive recipe. Adapt as you see fit. If your district has guidelines you must follow, then adapt the practices to fit.
  • The implementation of the strategies is intentionally designed to help both teachers and students shift; we may not see shifts in achievement until we’ve implemented ALL the strategies.
  • Remember that there are so many other educators who are still on their journey of learning; be patient when implementing a new practice.
  • There are multiple Facebook groups that help educators connect with other educators who are practicing BTC. It is encouraged to engage in these groups to broaden perspectives and try new methods that stick. Specifically, the Keep Indiana Learning Facebook group connects individual educators, schools, and districts looking to increase equitable learning experiences for all.

Conclusion 

The 2023 Building Thinking Classrooms Conference was wildly successful, leaving a lasting effect on the educators who traveled far and wide to attend. The conference initiated a national impact on the education system, extending effective practices far beyond Indiana. Keep Indiana Learning is proud to have partnered with Franklin Community Schools to host this incredible event. We aim to keep everyone learning!

Building Thinking Classrooms Infographic.

Keep Indiana Learning is dedicated to providing equitable, engaging learning experiences–for educators, leaders, and families. Browse our upcoming events page for more professional development opportunities. 

For more information on events pertaining to Building Thinking Classrooms, visit the official website.

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  • Keep Indiana Learning

    Keep Indiana Learning was created to support educators by sharing resources and best practices in online and continuous learning activities for individual educators, schools and districts looking to design or refine remote learning plans.

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