Tag: Better Thinking Classrooms

First Education Math Summit with Peter Liljedahl

This past Thursday I attended the First Education Math Summit.  Peter Liljedahl was the keynote speaker and this post is designed to synthesize what I heard and take positive steps moving forward as I continue to implement BTC strategies in the classroom. As a middle school math teacher, I’ve embarked on a journey this school year to enhance critical thinking among my students. The insights I’ve gained from implementing Breakout (BTC) strategies have been interest to reflect on and I feel like have helped my practice. Takeways from the keynote are below.

The Link Between Thinking and Learning

Peter visited 40+ classrooms and noticed that the majority of students weren’t actively engaged in thinking during math lessons. This lack of engagement posed a significant barrier to effective learning. It became clear that fostering active thinking was essential for student success.

Identifying Non-Thinking Behaviors

Students often exhibited non-thinking behaviors, such as slacking, stalling, and mimicking. Mimicking, in particular was prevalent but ineffective for long-term growth. It became evident that tasks needed to be designed to encourage genuine cognitive engagement and discourage passive mimicry. This takes a change in practice as students are used to mimicking and communities look for study guides that mimic actual tests.  

Task Design for Access and Equity

To address these challenges, Peter mentioned to look for tasks with a “low floor, high ceiling” characteristic. These tasks are accessible to all students yet offer challenges for deeper understanding. Equity is often a primary goal, ensuring every student had access to meaningful learning opportunities regardless of their background or ability level.  While resources abound, they’re often underutilized or misapplied. Tasks needed to be novel and engaging to capture students’ interest and promote active thinking. Whiteboard tasks should give students opportunities to grapple with the math as an answer or specific process to solve hasn’t been given.

Strategies for Active Engagement

Peter noticed that Implementing BTC groups was a game-changer in promoting active engagement. By taking control away from teachers and making groups visibly random, most students felt included. Optimal group size was key, with groups of three proving to be most effective. Utilizing a visibily random process helped address issues of fairness and micro-bullying during group formation. That being said, I still frusturation on the faces of students when they find out they have been paired with someone outside of their peer group. I’ve gone the route of using playing cards, although the issues of students switching cards has been a problem during the last couple months.  

Challenges and Continued Growth

However, it’s important to note that negative student behaviors have impacted BTC groups. Addressing these behaviors has been an ongoing process throughout the year. By providing clear expectations and fostering a positive classroom culture, we’ve been able to mitigate some of challenges and create a more conducive learning environment.

My journey with BTC this school year has been rewarding with many ups and downs along the way.  Fortunately, I’ve had a great math team that has supported my efforts.  I’ve seen a noticeable improvement in my students’ mathematical communication skills and confidence compared to past years. This has been a journey and I look forward to seeing how it pans out for the last few months of the school year.

Building Thinking Classrooms Conference

About a week ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Building Thinking Classrooms event in Indiana. The event spanned over two days and focused on the concepts explored in Peter’s book. Overall, the conference was refreshing and provided me with the chance to connect with fellow educators at my school. It had been a while since I last attended an in-person conference, so going with my colleagues was a refreshing experience. I believe that having this shared experience will prove beneficial as we embark on the new school year in approximately a month. I’ve had some time to process and re-read some of the book over the past week. I’m rejuvenating this blog and organizing my thoughts to translate them into actionable strategies when school resumes. Most of the ideas presented below are derived from the first few chapters of Peter’s book.

Defronting the Classroom

I have made significant changes to my classroom setup and design over the past few years. Instead of arranging students in rows, they now sit in groups, fostering greater collaboration. This shift has been particularly valuable since my district started implementing IM, which places emphasis on partner/group math discussions. I aim to maintain the group or pod structure but plan to alter the desk orientation so that the front of the classroom isn’t immediately apparent from the desk arrangement. I will position my desk near one of the middle sides of the classroom.

Visibly Random Groups

I also intend to continue utilizing random groups. In the past, I employed a digital method but I am now considering using playing cards as a means of determining the groups. Using actual playing cards will clearly indicate to students that the groups are genuinely random. By having predetermined groups, I hope to encourage students to collaborate and alleviate the cognitive burden of searching for a partner, considering the significant social aspect involved at the middle school level. Groups of three students tend to work well for middle school so that will be my plan for next year.

Vertical Whiteboards

In my previous classroom, I had several whiteboards that covered the perimeter. These whiteboards were fashioned by cutting two shower boards from Home Depot in half. While they have served me well over the years, I haven’t consistently utilized them. I aim to establish a few protocols before students use the whiteboards in the fall. My plan is to allocate one marker per group and co-create norms for using the whiteboard stations. These norms should encompass sharing knowledge by engaging students in gallery walks or sending someone to observe other boards. I need to remind students to show all their work and implement a system where they don’t erase (instead, they put a box around it and draw a single line through it) to encourage risk-taking and emphasize the process.

Observation Rubrics

I will involve students in co-creating norms within their groups which will eventually evolve into observation rubrics. I want students to evaluate the effectiveness of their groups. Although I’m unsure of the specific medium at this point, I am inclined towards a digital format that students can complete at designated intervals.

As I prepare to switch grade levels in the fall, I am excited about implementing the strategies mentioned above. The Building Thinking Classrooms event and Peter’s book have provided me with valuable insights and ideas that I’m eager to put into action. I look forward to this new adventure and the opportunities it presents for growth and learning in the upcoming school year.