Building Thinking Classrooms Conference Speakers
Meet the BTC Team Presenters
Peter Liljedahl
Dr. Peter Liljedahl is the author of Building Thinking Classrooms, a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education, and an associate member in the Department of Mathematics at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.
Dr. Liljedahl is a former high school mathematics teacher who has kept his research interest and activities close to the classroom. His research interests are creativity, insight, and discovery in mathematics teaching and learning; the role of the affective domain on the teaching and learning of mathematics; the professional growth of mathematics teachers; mathematical problem solving; numeracy; and engaging student thinking. He consults regularly with schools, school districts, and ministries of education on issues of teaching and learning, assessment, and numeracy.
Dr. April Strom
Dr. April Strom is a mathematics professor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, one of 10 colleges within the Maricopa Community College District in Arizona where she has taught for 25 years. Strom has served as a member of the U.S. National Commission on Mathematics Instruction through the National Academies of Sciences, MAA Vice President, AMATYC Southwest Vice President, and ArizMATYC President. Strom currently serves as PI for the NSF-funded Teaching for Prowess project and she has served as PI and Co-PI on various NSF-funded projects focused on both research in mathematics education and professional development of K-14 instructors. Strom currently leads professional development workshops and classroom coaching for middle and high school teachers through the Arizona Mathematics Partnership. Strom co-lead the writing of the Classroom Practices chapter of the MAA Instructional Practices Guide and served on the steering committee for the AMATYC IMPACT guide. Strom received her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction (emphasis in Mathematics Education) from Arizona State University, and holds an M.A. and B.A. degree in Mathematics from Texas Tech University.
Chase Orton
Chase Orton’s unique career path has been guided by his passion for creating productive and inspired math classrooms that are engaging and fulfilling for both students and their teachers. He is the author of The Imperfect and Unfinished Math Teacher: A Journey to Reclaim Our Professional Growth (Corwin, 2022).
After graduating from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, Chase embarked on a 12-year journey as a math teacher at three different schools: The Forman School in Litchfield, Connecticut; The Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center in Estes Park, Colorado; and Environmental Charter High School in Lawndale, California. In 2012, Chase founded Mobius Educational Consulting and ventured out as an independent collaborator with different nonprofits and school districts in California. He’s worked as an instructional coach for Los Angeles Education Partnership and the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. He partnered with the Center for Mathematics and Teaching as lead author of MathLinks, a comprehensive middle school math curriculum. He is a Desmos Fellow and a Certified Facilitator for Illustrative Mathematics.
As an accomplished facilitator of lesson study for K–12 math teachers, Chase currently invests his professional time partnering with districts that are interested in taking a teacher-centered, teacher-directed approach to professional development, including those working to Build Thinking Classrooms.
Kimberly Rimbey
Kimberly Rimbey is a lifelong teacher and learner. Her heart’s work centers on equipping teachers and helping them fall in love with teaching and learning over and over again. Kim’s interests include high-quality professional learning models including Building Thinking Classrooms, building conceptual understanding through multiple representations and meaningful discourse, and building pedagogical content knowledge that goes beyond the theoretical and into the classroom. Always a teacher at heart, Kim has served in many teaching and leadership capacities within school districts, organizations, and the private sector.
Everything Kim has done in her career is based on what she learned during her 18 years as a mathematics coach and elementary classroom teacher. Having started her teaching career as a kindergarten teacher, she frequently says that everything she needed to know about teaching, she learned in kindergarten. Kim is National Board Certified in Early Adolescent Mathematics, and she is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching. She is the co-inventor of KP® Ten-Frame Tiles and has authored and co-authored several publications, including Meaningful Small Groups in Math, Grades K-5 (Corwin 2022), the Mastering Math Manipulatives series (Corwin 2021), The Amazing Ten Frame Series (KP Mathematics), and Math Power: Simple Solutions for Mastering Math (Rodel Foundation of Arizona, 2014). Kim earned her BA in Elementary Education and Mathematics from Grand Canyon University, her Med degrees in Early Childhood Education and Educational Leadership from Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University, and her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
Jared Sliger
Jared Sliger is a 32-year veteran educator with an emphasis in middle school mathematics. He has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Northwest Nazarene University, and also coached collegiate volleyball for 12 years. Jared has spent the last several years teaching his own students using the Building Thinking Classrooms approach, witnessing the power of the fourteen practices in his own classroom and working to perfect his implementation. He has seen first-hand the impact of getting students out of their seats, working collaboratively at whiteboards, increasing knowledge mobility and student responsibility, and watching engagement and thinking skyrocket among his students. He is excited to share the Building Thinking Classrooms model with more teachers to help them transform their classrooms into thinking ones.
Workshops and Grassroots Sessions
90-Minute
Workshop Sessions
These sessions are designed to model a “Thinking Classrooms” classroom where participants will be able to immerse themselves in the same kind of learning in which we want our students to engage. Ninety minute workshops will include an introduction, a sample lesson, and a reflective debrief. Participants will play the role of a student during the lesson and the role of a teacher during the debrief.
45-Minute
Grassroots Sessions
These sessions are designed for presenters to share how they are implementing Building Thinking Classrooms in their classrooms and schools. Presenters will focus on one of the 14 practices, a specific toolkit, a content area outside of mathematics, instructional leadership supporting implementation, or communication with families. In these sessions, presenters will share their successes and struggles, and will provide meaningful implementation ideas to participants. These sessions will include at least 5 minutes for questions and answers.
Meet the Workshop and Grassroots Presenters
90-Minute Workshop Session
45-Minute Grassroots Session
Amanda Huffman Hayes
Handing Over the Control: Building Students’ Independence in Thinking
Amanda Ramey
How to get started BTC style
Amy Chang
Street Data from Implementing Building Thinking Classrooms in Middle School
Amy Knerr
Thinking Classrooms as an Integral Part of a Community of Learners
Amy Linkel
Amy Marsh
On Your Feet, Out of Your Seat Math For The Co-Taught Classroom
Amy Nguyen
Supporting Implementation of Building Thinking Classrooms as a Math Coach
Andrew Grismore
My Implementation Story and Hopefully Some Tips to Make Your Implementation Go Smoother
Anna Blinstein
Implementing Building Thinking Classrooms with Students with Learning Differences
Ashley Hinch
Standing Room Only: Coaching Teachers Through BTC Implementation
Beth Blissett
So, I’ve Read the Book, Now What? Tools, Tips, & Tasks to Make a Thinking Classroom Work in Your Room
Bev Sharritt
PATINS Project: a Resource for Assistive Technology in your Thinking Classroom
Brendan Scribner
5 Practices in a Thinking Classroom
Chelsea Rachiele
Tackling Curricular Content and Differentiation within a Building Thinking Classroom
Crystal Frommert
Who is doing the thinking?
Dan Shuster
Building a Thinking Classroom Culture in Schools and Districts
David Martin
Using Building Thinking Classroom Strategies for Linear Relationships & Systems of Equations
David Meyer
Integrating 3 Act Math into Thinking Classrooms : Unlocking the Power of Storytelling
Denise Van Dalen
Creating Curricular Tasks That Work for Your Students
Diann Christensen
A Guide at My Side: Coaching Teachers New to Building Thinking Classrooms
Eleanor Pusey
Middle School to Calculus: A BTC Town Hall
Elizabeth Gentil
Be The Change! My First Year With BTC and How It Changed Everything!
Ella Hereth
Building Thinking Classrooms in Action
Emily Bricker
Making Random Groups Work
Transitioning to Vertical Non-Permanent Workspaces
Eric Jenkins
BTC in ELA
Eric Strolberg
Effective Assessment in a BTC classroom.
Erica Bayley
The ups and downs of applying ‘Building Thinking Classrooms’ in a grade 12 math class.
How Building Thinking Classrooms can increase Equity
Erin McNeill
The Science of Reading Comprehension in Thinking Classrooms
Evan Roberts
Reflect and Connect: Being a student in a high school thinking classroom
Garret Schneider
The hows of Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces and Visibly Random Groups
Gerry Lewis
Inquiry-Based Mathematical Modeling using Building Thinking Classroom Principles
Gina Cherkowski
Leveraging the Thinking Classroom to Promote Inclusion and Belonging in the Classroom
What does “belonging” have to do with it?: Implementing “belonging” in a thinking classroom.
Heather Jenkins
How to Use Building Thinking Classrooms in an Elementary Setting
Jelena Byers
Creating Building Thinking Classrooms with 3-Act Math Tasks
Jennifer Blasdel
From Obstacles to Opportunity: Building Thinking Classrooms in English Language Arts Classrooms
Jennifer Massey
Where Should I Start?
Jody Vanderloo
Using a Model Classroom Structure to Build Capacity for Builidng Thinking Classrooms
John Brown
Mathematical Musings at the Museum: Using Art to Launch a Visual Pattern Task
Joshua Goodwin
Hidden Pattern Blocks for Visuospatial Reasoning
Julie Frizzell
Building and Supporting Thinking Classrooms
You CAN Build a Thinking Classroom
Julie Pottinger
Maximizing Success for Students with Learning Disabilities in a Building Thinking Classroom
Justin Brennan
Beyond Tasks, Random Groups, and Whiteboards
Kaycee Baransky
They Can’t to They Can! Supporting At-Risk Students in a Building Thinking Classroom.
Kellie Strader
All Students Should Love Math! Create Engagement Through Thinking, Talking, and Collaborating
Laura Weiss
Let’s Do Math: Giving access to grade level standards for emergent multilinguals and neurodivergent students
Lauren Sawyer
Rich Task Experience: “Lights on, Lights Off”
Leinaʻala Hall
BTC Implementation in Hawaiʻi – PRIME time! (BTC Practices not Standards)
Lisa Arnholt
Closing the Learning Gap: Promoting Equitable Teaching Practices through the Thinking Classroom
Lisa Nuguid
Hidden LEGOS
Londa Cross
Thin-Slice Your Own Journey of Success through Building Thinking Classrooms
Mary Auger
Don’t Nix It, Just Fix It! Using Your Curriculum to Create Thinking Tasks for Math Class
Melissa Bardack
Implementing Strategies for Success in a Virtual Learning Environment
Meredith Kalbfleisch
This is not your average math classroom
Michelle Vogel
Building Community and Thinking in a Thinking Classroom
Michelle Wood
Notes to My Future Forgetful Self – Setting the Stage for Independent Note-Taking
Beg, Borrow, But Do NOT Steal – Fostering Knowledge Mobility in a Thinking Classroom
Nicole Medina
Finding and Creating Thinking Tasks (K-2)
Patrick Eggleton
Getting Started … Outcomes from a Novice to “Thinking Classrooms” and his Students
Rachel Miller
Move from an instructor of your curriculum to a conductor of your classroom through standards-based thin-sliced activities.
Redawna Warner
Unmasking the Student Experience
Robin Kubasiak
Using Building Thinking Classrooms Model to Promote Thinking in an Algebra 2 Classroom
Robyn Tedesco
A Coach’s Experience Building a Thinking Classroom Lab in an Elementary School
Ryan Bowman
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: An Experienced Teacher’s First Year with a Thinking Classroom
Ryan Flessner
Make it make sense: Using thin slicing to help educators explore meaningful mathematics
Samantha McGlennen
8th Grade Math 2.0
Sharon Rendon
Reframing a textbook lesson using Building Thinking Classroom Strategies
Sharon Soule
The Art of Thin Slicing–getting students from point A to point B
Sheila Akinleye
Making SEL Visible in the Thinking Classroom
Sophie Bresciani
Building Thinking Classrooms for Neurodivergent Learners
Stephanie Castaneda
Hide and Seek: Find the Thinking Classroom Strategies Integrated into the Tasks
Stephanie Olson
Norms in a Building Thinking Classroom
Stephanie Wicke
Starting the Year Strong in Your Middle/High School Thinking Classroom
Stephen Bodiya
How to thin-slice!! … and other curricular tasks.
Tammy McMorrow
Elementary Thin Slicing : It’s Not Just For the Big Kids
Thomas Leisten
Cruising Through Precalculus: A Project Based Approach to Teaching Modeling and Vocabulary
Tina Johnston
For the Love of Math
Tracy Zalud
Be the Change You Want to See in Math Education: Using Building Thinking Classrooms in Elementary Math Methods Courses for Pre-Service Teachers
Victoria Holt
Using Thinking Tasks in the Classroom to Foster Student Engagement
Team Focused Assessments
Wendy Perlstein
Reaching you Thinking LImits: BTC Beyond Algebra