Critical Thinking / Problem Solving

student bar charts hung up in a classroom

When Thinking Is Part of the Curriculum

Armed with Peter Liljedahl’s 2021 text Building Thinking Classrooms and the pain and frustration of the social upheaval and pandemic deaths of recent years, I set out to push the boundaries of my abilities to teach math and help students realize more of their true potential. In a whirlwind of change, I departed from the status quo. How did I fare? Did transformation take place?

student hands working on a project

Moving the Needle

Teaching the way I was taught wasn’t inspiring to my students. However, transitioning to a conceptual approach was a critical element in building strong foundational understanding and capacity for all students to succeed in math. Learners need opportunities to DO math, and in DOING, there is LEARNING.