2025 MidSchoolMath National Conference: Full Schedule

Explore the Agenda for the 2025 MidSchoolMath National Conference!
Register today at www.midschoolmath.com

Session sign-up for registered attendees will open in January of 2025; registered attendees will be notified by email when you have the ability to log in and sign up for sessions.

Agenda is subject to change.

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7:15am MST

Arrivals, Check-ins and Breakfast Snacks

Friday March 7, 2025 7:15am - 7:55am MST

Lobby

Check-in with the MidSchoolMath Team to pick up your attendee packet, then meet and mingle with fellow attendees while enjoying complimentary coffee, tea and breakfast snacks!

If you picked up your attendee packet on Thursday, you will NOT need to stop by the registration desk again. But make sure to arrive at the Convention Center in plenty of time to have a snack and be in the ballroom by 8:00 am!

Friday March 7, 2025 7:15am - 7:55am MST
Lobby

General Session

8:00am MST

Mainstage: Opening Session

Friday March 7, 2025 8:00am - 9:45am MST

Ballroom (Sweeney E/F)

Join the MidSchoolMath Team as we launch our 2025 Conference with an all-new exclusive live simulation.

Friday March 7, 2025 8:00am - 9:45am MST
Ballroom (Sweeney E/F)

General Session

9:45am MST

Transition to Breakout Sessions

Friday March 7, 2025 9:45am - 10:00am MST

Lobby & Main Hallway

Refresh your coffee or tea and then head to your first breakout session!

Friday March 7, 2025 9:45am - 10:00am MST
Lobby & Main Hallway

General Session

10:00am MST

Creating Classroom Culture: Eliminate the Chaos

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST

TBA

Ever wonder how to create an environment to boost student thinking? Or how can one get middle schoolers to actually embrace their mistakes? Or get them to just work together?

It’s possible! This session will focus on how to create a classroom climate that celebrates mistakes and where the focus is on learning, not just the grade. You'll gain ideas and activities to support implementation of Building Thinking Classrooms, with Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath and other Curriculums. The session will explore how to create a safe classroom culture, use non-curricular tasks to increase student thinking, and even housekeeping suggestions to get your classroom up and running smoothly!

Speakers

Trissa McCabe

8th Grade Math Teacher, Reno Valley Middle School, Hutchinson KS

Trissa McCabe has taught middle school math for 30 years. She is currently an 8th grade mathematics teacher at Reno Valley Middle School in Hutchinson, KS. Starting in 2020, using the MidSchool Math Core Curriculum and then a year later implementing the strategies of Building Thinking... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST
TBA

Building Thinking Classrooms, Featuring Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath

10:00am MST

Moving from "Do Now" to "Think Now": Leveraging Tools and Strategies to Achieve Specific Engagement

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST

TBA

How do you start class? Homework review? A “Do Now” question? Does this really actively engage the thinking minds of your students or does it instead just fit into a section of the lesson plan template?

This session will explain why the traditional "Do Now" start to class may not be the best way to get the best out of your students! You'll gain a better understanding of cognitive engagement tools and strategies, and leave with new techniques for moving your students from Do Now to Think Now!!

Speakers

Dr. Denis Sheeran

Assistant Teaching Professor, Montclair State University

Dr. Denis Sheeran is a faculty member in the Mathematics Department at Montclair State University, and is the author of two books for teachers, Instant Relevance, Using Today's Experiences to Teach Tomorrow's Lessons, and Hacking Mathematics: 10 Problems That Need Solving. He teaches... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST
TBA

Culture of Conversation

10:00am MST

Start the Conversation: Using Unexpected Information to Get Students Talking

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST

TBA

Learn how to use unexpected information with students to get them talking about mathematics! This engagement strategy can be used in a variety of settings and spaces as a way to spark students' interest and to get them engaged in mathematics discourse with one another.

During this session, we will look at sources of unexpected information (including expired math rules) to use with students. We will also discuss the best times and ways during instruction to introduce the unexpected information. You'll even have the opportunity to practice teaching students to engage in “friendly controversy”!

Speakers

Kate Degner

Secondary Mathematics Curriculum Coach, Iowa City Community School District

Hello! My name is Kate Degner! The 24-25 school year marks my 21st year in secondary mathematics education. Over the course of the last 20 years I've had the opportunity to learn from my colleagues, my experiences, and most importantly my students! I'm particularly interested in student... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST
TBA

Culture of Conversation

10:00am MST

Ten Clear, Common-sense Answers to the Challenge of Higher Math Achievement

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST

TBA

It is so frustrating to travel from a high-performing school to a low- or medium-performing school and note the structures, culture, collaboration and leadership in one and their absence in the other -- regardless of socio-economic status.

This fast-paced, example laden discussion will highlight ten non-negotiable accessible elements associated with significantly higher math achievement. One-by-one we will look at these structures, actions and practices related to high levels of mathematics teaching and learning. Consider this a session to start framing your 2025-26 to-do list!

Speakers

Steve Leinwand

AIR

Steve Leinwand is a principal research analyst at AIR and has over 40 years of leadership positions in mathematics education. He currently serves as mathematics expert on a wide range of AIR projects that focus on high quality mathematics instruction, turning around underperforming... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST
TBA

Equity & Learning for All

10:00am MST

Developing Deep Proportional Reasoning in Every Student

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST

TBA

In this session, we'll explore the cognitive demand of proportional reasoning by guiding participants. Using thoughtfully selected tasks from the California 2023 Mathematics Framework, we'll look at how the importance of rigor, sense-making, and flexible thinking that go beyond procedural algorithms.

Drawing on insights from Susan Lamon’s “Teaching Fractions and Ratios for Understanding”, we will highlight the importance of fostering students’ deep reasoning around ratios, fractions, and proportions. Instead of relying solely on algorithms, we will look at how to equip students with tools such as ratio tables, tape diagrams, double number lines, hundred grids, graphs, and equations to help them understand and reason proportionally. Additionally, we’ll discuss how these concepts progress from elementary to high school and the importance of building a solid foundation in proportional reasoning. You'll leave feeling confident in empowering your students to become problem solvers and critical thinkers by deeply engaging with proportional reasoning.

Speakers

Marco Aquinde

Middle School Math Teacher, UCSD Mathematics Project

Marco is currently working with the math and science department at Bishop's Middle School. Previously, he worked as a Math/ Science teacher at High Tech Middle Chula Vista. He has served diverse student populations and heterogeneous classrooms all across San Diego County ranging from... Read More →

Genevieve Esmende

Middle School Math Teacher, UCSD Mathematics Project

Genevieve Esmende is a middle school math teacher at Wangenheim Middle School since 2003. She is involved with the UCSD Mathematics Project, Math for America San Diego, Park City Mathematics Institute, MATHCOUNTS, Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project, and DoD STEM Ambassador for... Read More →

Sandhya Raman

Middle School Math Teacher, Morrill Middle School, Berryessa Union School District

Sandhya's inspiration is her mother, a veteran teacher. She has an engineering degree in computer science from India, a Master's in teaching from USC, and is a National Board-certified teacher. Sandhya self-identifies as a “carb-ivore” and strongly believes that travel is the... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST
TBA

Lessons & Take-Away Tasks

10:00am MST

The Transformative Power of Inquiry

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST

TBA

How can we make mathematics more engaging yet increase productive struggle? How do we help students learn to believe in themselves? How can we teach for understanding and still meet the state standards?

In this hands-on session, you'll experience a wide range of inquiry activities designed to help students discover mathematics, build confidence, and transform their idea of what a math class is. We will look at math content you already know but from an inquiry lens, with activities that will help students discover the formula for the area of a circle, how to simplify polynomials and even why the Pythagorean theorem looks the way it does. You'll leave ready to introduce these activities in your classroom and with a deeper understanding of why inquiry works!

Note: Bring your calculator!

Speakers

David Weber

The Transformative Power of Inquiry, The Preuss School UC San Diego

David has been teaching mathematics and Physics in both Canada and the United States for 35 years. He is passionate that every child should feel confident and believe in themselves and that the best way to make that happen is through active learning (inquiry and real-life applications... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST
TBA

Lessons & Take-Away Tasks

10:00am MST

Tiered Assessments: Creating Opportunities for Students to Exceed Our Expectations

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST

TBA

Join the discussion about how we can open the door to rigor and challenge for all of our students. In this session, we will share our journey to build a "tiered" assessment that provides students with the scaffolding to demonstrate general competency, while also inviting them to dig deeper using their problem-solving skills. By giving students choice and agency, we can open the door to authentic challenge to all of our students.

In this workshop, we will investigate our own assessment practices. We will discuss the values in our classrooms and then consider how we reinforce or reward these values. This approach, which can be used at any age and applied to any standards-based metric, is a powerful way to improve transparency and access in systems with leveled groupings. It can also help mitigate implicit bias, opening access to challenging material to all students and giving them a chance to exceed our expectations.

You will leave this session with examples of how we have used a tiered approach in our school and ideas for how you might implement this tool in your own classroom.

Speakers

Whitney McMurtry

Algebra and Geometry Teacher, Kent Denver School

Whitney currently teaches Algebra and Geometry at Kent Denver School, in Denver, Colorado. She has over 25 years of experience in 6-12 education and over the course of her career has served in the Math, World Language, Science, and Visual Arts departments.

Friday March 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:15am MST
TBA

Meaningful Feedback & Assessment

11:15am MST

Lunch on Your Own

Friday March 7, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm MST

Downtown Santa Fe

Enjoy lunch on your own - and getting out and about in Santa Fe - at one of the many nearby cafes!
A list of suggested restaurants and walking directions are provided in your conference packet.
Make sure to be back at the Convention Center in time to start your afternoon session at 12:30 pm sharp!

Friday March 7, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm MST
Downtown Santa Fe

General Session

12:30pm MST

Building Student Thinking Through Creative Questioning

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST

TBA

Through creative questioning we can find ways for all students to engage in math through inquiry, find the fun in
thinking and create opportunities for authentic discourse and confidence building.

Using the Building Thinking Classroom approach, we'll look at content and non-content based problems, looking for more ways to engage our students in thinking rather than memorizing facts or being passive learners. We will discuss the techniques to keep students engage and thinking and how to extend problems so that we can differentiate within the room.

You'll leave ready to share these ideas with your students!

Speakers

Andrew Walter

Math Curriculum Specialist, Stockton Unified School District

My high school teaching career started over 30 years ago; My first 25 years were spent teaching PreAlgebra through AP Calculus. Over the last 5 years I have been the district Mathematics Curriculum Specialist. In 1993, I earned my BS in Mathematics from the University of the Pacific... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST
TBA

Building Thinking Classrooms

12:30pm MST

Language Tools for Math

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST

TBA

Join this interactive workshop designed to enhance math literacy in secondary math classrooms! You'll explore powerful strategies like Number Talks and Novel Ideas, which encourage students to verbalize their reasoning and deepen math understanding. Discover how Interactive Problem-Solving Guides can help students organize their thinking and work through complex problems collaboratively, while Debate Math fosters critical thinking through structured argumentation on mathematical concepts.

Through hands-on activities, collaborative discussions, and practical examples, you'll learn how to integrate these literacy-focused strategies into your lessons to support students’ mathematical learning journeys. By the end of the session, you'll leave with new approaches to cultivate deeper mathematical understanding, enhance student engagement, and improve achievement in your secondary math classrooms.

Note: BYOD: Please bring a device such as a Chromebook or laptop to this session.

Speakers

Jen Loescher

Regional Math Coach & Trainer, Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program

Jen Loescher has worked within the Clark County School District since 1999. In 2018, she joined the Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program team as a Math Coach & Trainer and is currently a CREATEd Knowledge Broker Fellow. From 2009-2018, she served Sedway Middle... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST
TBA

Culture of Conversation

12:30pm MST

Math Vocabulary for Algebra Success

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST

TBA

During this session, we'll explore how important vocabulary is for any mathematics lesson, but especially for laying the foundation for algebraic exploration. The formula for success in algebra is often said to be solid number sense. However, this foundation is well structured around a rich and deep understanding of mathematics vocabulary.

Using four Mathematical Language Routine strategies, we'll discuss how we can engage our students in mathematical discourse and discourse and empower all students with the strength of literacy in the language of mathematics, to make algebra accessible for all.

Speakers

David Brancamp

Professor, University of Nevada, Reno

I recently retired as the Director of the Standards and Instructional Supports Office at the Nevada Department of Education (NDE). Prior to this position I worked as the director of the Northwest Regional Professional Development Program in Nevada. Preceding my return to the NDE... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST
TBA

Culture of Conversation

12:30pm MST

Empowering Thinkers, Not Reflectors: A Leadership Approach to Cultivating Independent Thought in the Thinking Classroom

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST

TBA

Cultivating thinking classrooms requires more than just curriculum; it’s a culture shift…from passive compliance to active engagement and a mindset shift…from fixed expectations to growth opportunities. A “Thinking Classroom” is the intentional result of data-driven decisions made by “Thinking Educators” who are supported by “Thinking Administrators” who understand that thinking is hard work, but so rewarding and well worth the time it takes nurture.

Join us in this interactive session, as we explore how administrators, coaches, and teachers can work together to make “thinking” the norm! Learn how to create a culture of deep mathematical inquiry that drives systemic change within your school community. You’ll gain practical strategies to empower teachers to foster independent thinkers rather than passive reflectors of information. Together, we’ll engage in discussions and activities that address major obstacles to building a thinking culture while highlighting shifts successful leaders and teachers make to sustain this transformation. By intentionally developing educators who think deeply about their own practices, you’ll consistently produce positive, lasting outcomes in student learning.

Caution: Lots of thinking required!

Speakers

Claudisha Harriel

Growth Culture Coach, Abundant Fruit Educational Services

Claudisha Harriel, CEO and founder of Abundant Fruit Educational Services, LLC is a growth culture guru who works with educators to produce classroom cultures conducive to productivity and academic growth. Claudisha believes that when educators understand that mistakes are learning... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST
TBA

Equity & Learning for All

12:30pm MST

Going Deep With Integer Addition: From Observing Patterns to Proving Generalizations

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST

TBA

Learn alongside a group of 7th grade students as they work on integer addition! In this session, you'll look at the 5 Phase Teaching Model from But Why Does It Work? by Susan Jo Russell et al from both the seat of the learner and as an analyst of instructional decision-making.

This interactive session will include opportunities for you to explore the mathematics of integer addition, analyze student-created representations, discuss how to use the student work as a basis for instructional decisions and examine the student-articulated general claims. You'll have the opportunity to practice making instructional decisions at a key moments in a students' journey and be able to consider implications for their own instruction.

Speakers

Erin Wahler-Cleveland

Math Education Consultant, Roots and Wings Math

After starting her teaching career teaching 5th grade on the Zuni reservation, Erin relocated to join the founding staff of Atlas Preparatory School, an independent charter school serving Southeast Colorado Springs. In her many years as a middle school math teacher there she transformed... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST
TBA

Lessons & Take-Away Tasks

12:30pm MST

Problem Solving & Puzzling it Out: Highlights from Ten Years of Presentations at the MidSchoolMath National Conference

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST

TBA

In celebration of the tenth in-person MidSchoolMath National Conference, we'll share our favorite mathematical and collaborative activities from their long history of MSM sessions. From our experience we have found these to be effective, motivating, engaging problem solving activities involving probability, function, fairness and graphs.

You'll make and defend mathematical conjectures, explain your thinking and reasoning in the context of collaborative problem solving, and identify mathematical concepts in puzzles and games. Table and whole-group discussions will reinforce appropriate application of the activities, and you'll leave with handouts, take-home activities, and links to online resources.

Speakers

Thomas Evitts

Professor(retired), Shippensburg University

I am excited to be returning to the MidSchoolMath conference for another opportunity to interact with colleagues who have the incredible and rewarding task of teaching mathematics to middle school students! I am a retired mathematics teacher educator and a former high school math... Read More →

Martha Hildebrandt

Professor(retired), Chatham University

As a mathematics educator I have had the privilege of sharing my love of math with both students and teachers. I have served as the mathematics coordinator for a K-6 school, taught math to middle school, high school, and college students, have been involved in teacher preparation... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST
TBA

Lessons & Take-Away Tasks

12:30pm MST

Student Agency and Ownership with QFT

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST

TBA

How can we achieve student agency while focusing on a subject’s syllabus and content?

Question Formulation Technique can be a successful tool in achieving student agency and ownership without losing scope of the subject’s syllabus. I'll share examples from my own experience of using this strategy in a diverse school of international learners.

Speakers

Dania El-Iraqil

Mathematics Teacher and HOD at ISL, International School of Lusaka, Zambia

Dania El-Iraqi is currently a Mathematics teacher and HOD at the International School of Lusaka. Before that she was an MYP Mathematics Teacher for 5 years at Leaders International College, Cairo, Egypt. Ms El-Iraqi holds an MSc in Operations Research from Cairo University.Ms El-Iraqi... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm MST
TBA

Mathematical Identity

1:45pm MST

Transition to Next Session

Friday March 7, 2025 1:45pm - 2:00pm MST

Lobby & Main Hallway

Friday March 7, 2025 1:45pm - 2:00pm MST
Lobby & Main Hallway

General Session

2:00pm MST

Cultivate Student Brilliance: Embracing Pattern Generalization and Exception-finding in a Thinking Classroom

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST

TBA

Middle school students are natural pattern-finders and exception-finders. In a mathematics classroom built on thinking and reasoning, we want students doing both! Come and participate as we walk through two mini-lessons meant to harness both the generalization- and snark-making machines that are middle schoolers.

The session will start with a Problem String, an instructional routine developed by Pam Harris that exposes students to high-dose patterning as they reason about adding integers. Problem Strings ask a series of intentionally-sequenced, easily understood questions and allow students to see a relationship made visible through teacher modeling, repeated in ways that are similar enough to encourage generalization and different enough to keep the interest of students coming from all levels of experience. As teachers we want to ask more of what Peter Liljedahl calls “keep-thinking questions” to help students reason about relationships without overgeneralizing. With this in mind, the second portion of this session will look closely at how exception-finding emerges as a natural and powerful extension of pattern-finding in mathematics, specifically through the lens of geometric “prove or disprove” statements.

Throughout the session, you'll have the opportunity to share strategies and ideas with each other, in partners, small groups, and as a whole group. Together, you'll learn from one another's perspectives and strategies as we do math by experiencing what one aspect of the mathematics of thinking classes could look like.

Speakers

Kourtney Peters

Math Teaching Consultant, Math is Figureoutable

Kourtney has been teaching middle schoolers math since she was a middle schooler herself. She is now a mother of four and a member of the Math is Figureoutable team, working to support teachers in their journeys to support students to think and reason about math rather than memor... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST
TBA

Building Thinking Classrooms

2:00pm MST

Look Inside Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST

TBA

Take a peek inside a classroom to see what makes Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath so effective and why it integrates so well with Building Thinking Classrooms . Find out how students are able to easily recall lesson and standards from months prior, and see how they can be engaged in problem solving through The Math Simulator.

Led by Jacqueline Johnson, Director of Professional Development for MidSchoolMath, this session will provide you with an in-depth, in-person curriculum tour. You'll leave this session with trial access to Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath, an understanding of the curriculum's components that drive learning and the research behind them - plus a special MSM hat!

Note: this session is specifically designed for educators who want to learn more about adopting and implementing Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath with their students.

Speakers

Jacqueline Johnson

Director of Professional Learning, MidSchoolMath

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST
TBA

Building Thinking Classrooms, Featuring Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath

2:00pm MST

To Get Our Students Talking, Let’s Focus on Our Questions!

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST

TBA

We know that our students learn far more wrestling with our questions than listening to our lectures!

This fast-paced, example-laden discussion will model a range of questioning techniques that foster student discourse.

Speakers

Steve Leinwand

AIR

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST
TBA

Culture of Conversation

2:00pm MST

What to do when Students Struggle with Problem-Solving Based Math?

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST

TBA

Have you ever implemented a problem-solving based lesson, encountered situations where students disengage, and been unsure how to resolve the situation? This session will prepare you to resolve this!

Together, we'll complete a low floor - high ceiling simultaneous equations activity that can be solved in multiple ways, then discuss our own struggles in the activity and reflect on their students’ experience of struggles. We'll then take a closer look at the structure and theory of identifying 5 unique types of struggle: cognitive load, opting-out, expressive language, perseverance and fatigue. We'll talk about what to do - and what not to do - for each type of sturggle. Learning disabilities will also be addressed, to help support all students in problem solving.

You'll walk away with a better understanding of types of struggle that occur and be prepared to support your students during these moments of struggle!

Speakers

Elizabeth Powell

Learning Specialist, Remediation A-Z

Beth Powell loves working with students who hate math! She is passionate about finding the approach that allows students to understand math and gain confidence as a math student. Beth has worked in math education for 25 years. She received her BA in Math at SJSU, where she tutored... Read More →

Shamila Roy

Independent Consultant, UC Santa Cruz Extension

Current Roles:Program Chair and instructor, Educational Therapy certificate program, UCSC Silicon Valley Extension, Santa Clara, CAProfessional Advisory Board Member, National Center for Learning Disabilities, Washington D.C.Educational Therapist (Professional) in private practice... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST
TBA

Equity & Learning for All

2:00pm MST

Beyond Base 10: Deepening Students' Understanding Through Exploring Number Systems

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST

TBA

In this session, we'll present a didactic sequence designed for Middle School students, focusing on various number bases such as base 3, 5, and 8, so you can learn how to initiate this sequence with an investigation using concrete materials, such as colored sticks, plastic pieces, or other readily available resources to equip your students with the conceptual understanding necessary for navigating these systems.

Through this hands-on exploration, students achieve several key objectives: they generalize properties of different number systems and learn to perform operations within them. This approach empowers students to transfer their understanding across diverse number systems. By varying the bases, they develop a more comprehensive grasp of the properties of operations and the functioning of mathematical algorithms. You'll leave with practical strategies and resources to replicate this sequence with your students.

Speakers

Monica Kulessa Galvão

Mathematics Coordinator, Escola Mobile

Monica Galvão is a mathematics educator with degrees in Mathematics and Pedagogy, experienced in teaching different grades. Currently, she is a Mathematics Curriculum Coordinator at a private bilingual school in São Paulo, where she works on curriculum development and teacher training... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST
TBA

Lessons & Take-Away Tasks

2:00pm MST

Math Anxiety Affects Accelerated Learners Too: How to Reframe the Struggle and Rebuild a Student's Math Identity

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST

TBA

A student’s mathematical identity and how they situate themselves as a mathematical learner are framed by their early experiences and interactions with mathematics. Mathematics anxiety can alter a student’s attitude towards the content, detouring academic pursuits and career choices.

Accelerated learners are not devoid of confidence issues and struggles with mathematical identity. When students are accelerated into high school math courses in middle school, such as Algebra 1, our learners may have gaps in essential knowledge that predicate the content of future math courses. Students who may have a positive self-perception of their mathematical ability may become overwhelmed with the increase in content complexity, causing a shift in how they view themselves as mathematical learners.

As mathematics teachers and leaders, how can we help students reframe the struggle and rebuild their mathematical identity? Together, we'll discuss research and strategies and you'll leave with handouts and more!

Speakers

Dr. Julia Keith

Mathematics Teacher, Orange County Public Schools, Orlando FL

Dr. Julia Keith is a seventh and eighth grade mathematics teacher at Timber Springs Middle School. She has been a teacher with OCPS for 15 years, teaching all courses from sixth grade mathematics to Algebra 2 Honors at the middle school level. Dr. Keith earned her Doctorate in Curriculum... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST
TBA

Mathematical Identity

2:00pm MST

Note Taking vs. Note Making: The Impact of Visual Notes and Identity

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST

TBA

Compared to the traditional fill-in-the-blank note taking methods of middle school math, visual note taking can support student engagement and influence mathematical identity. We explored this idea with our students, as members of the MidSchoolMath Certified Teacher program, and want to share our findings how how this approach impacted student engagement and learning outcomes!

You'll actively engage in the visual note-making process, practicing this strategy using a Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath lesson to gain a deeper understanding of its structure and application. You'll leave equipped with strategies to integrate visual note-making in your teaching practices, enhancing student engagement and comprehension. You'll also receive access to digital resources to adapt this process for your students, with any math lesson from any curriculum!

Speakers

Andrea Huggett

6th Grade Math Teacher, Edison Middle School

Andrea Huggett is a sixth-grade mathematics teacher at the largest middle school in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She is a two-time Green Bay Area Golden Apple winner and has been teaching for 16 years.

Blair Swiekatowski

Math Curriculum Specialist, Green Bay Area Public School District

Blair Swiekatowski is a Math Curriculum Specialist with the Green Bay Area Public School District. He supports the implementation and utilization of the mathematics curriculum from 4K to 8th grade district-wide.

Friday March 7, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MST
TBA

Mathematical Identity, Featuring Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath

2:45pm MST

Snack Break

Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 3:05pm MST

Lobby & Main Hallway

Help yourself to a snack, along with fresh coffee, tea or water, before you head to your next Breakout Session! The T-Shirt Station will be open in the Lobby during this time.

Snack and Beverage stations are located in both the Lobby and the Main Hallway.

Friday March 7, 2025 2:45pm - 3:05pm MST
Lobby & Main Hallway

General Session

3:05pm MST

Anchoring Connections: Meaningful Math Tasks

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST

TBA

When students explore visual, tactile, and relevant problems before a unit of study, they are able to use their prior knowledge, construct new understandings, and connect their learning to the world! In this session, we'll explore some anchor problems using Building Thinking Classrooms practices, and talk about how to make exploration and learning memorable and durable.

We'll then discuss how then displaying mathematical representations of these problems around the room allows you to refer to the math throughout the year, intentionally helping students look for patterns and connections, deepen their learning, and build conceptual understanding. You'll leave having deepened your understanding of the Building Thinking Classrooms practices and resources to use with your students.

Speakers

Jana Rupp

Middle School Instructional Coach, Georgetown Day School

Jana is a passionate math educator with over twenty years of experience as a middle school educator. After teaching in Mexico, New Mexico, and China, she moved to Washington DC, where she was the Middle School Math Department Chair at Georgetown Day School and recently became the... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST
TBA

Building Thinking Classrooms

3:05pm MST

Showcase: Ideas from the The MidSchoolMath Certified Teacher Cohort

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST

TBA

Join us to see how educators engaged in an action research project using Core Curriculum by MSM over the course of a school year. This session will showcase teachers from Wisconsin, New Mexico, Colorado, and California, who dedicated their time and talents to collaborate with peers in order to support student learning in their classrooms, as the first-ever cohort of MidSchoolMath Certified Teachers . Whether or not you use Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath, in this session you will learn practical and powerful instructional strategies that can be used with your students.

Moderators

Angie LaCombe

Director of Curriculum, Green Bay Area Public Schools

Angie La Combe is the current Director of Curriculum for Green Bay Area Public Schools. She has served as a elementary classroom teacher, a literacy coach, and a curriculum coordinator.

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST
TBA

Building Thinking Classrooms, Featuring Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath

3:05pm MST

Knock knock! Who is there? MLRs! MLRs who? Mathematical Language Routines

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST

TBA

The session will address one essential element in meaningful mathematics: Mathematical Language Routines (MLRs) that help not just the English language learners, but any students who can benefit from a scaffold to understand and connect with mathematics.

You'll have the opportunity to learn about the 8 different MLRs in mathematics, while deep diving into a few, seeing the impact of these MLRs on math tasks. hose already familiar with using MLRs in the classroom, will have the opportunity to share and interact with others, and learn from each other.

You'll leave with an understanding of MLRs, plus templates and resources you can begin using with your students immediately!

Speakers

Sandhya Raman

Middle School Math Teacher, Morrill Middle School, Berryessa Union School District

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST
TBA

Culture of Conversation

3:05pm MST

The Power of a Sheltered Story: How to Create a Language Rich Math Classroom

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST

TBA

Stories activate multiple areas of the brain, including the visual processing centers, emotion, and motor cortexes. This makes the experience more immersive and memorable. However, what if our students struggle to access the story? In this session, we'll share and explore strategies for sheltering stories to allow this powerful experience for all of our students. You'll learn how to enhance your teaching with specific language structures and routines to unlock the power of a sheltered story, so that not only will students engage in Math in a deep way, but they will be able to connect their own stories to the context of the classroom!

During this session, you'll engage in a story as a student, engaging in sheltered instruction strategies that will not only model the effectiveness of this important practice, but to create a lasting experience you can draw upon when planning Math lessons. The story excerpt “Salvador Late or Early” by Sandra Cisneros will prompt educators to examine themes, such as equity, trauma and the student perspective. Teachers will examine bias as we change aspects of the story to reflect new meaning. We will discuss word choice and word meaning as we connect the story to teaching. The team will identify barriers to student’s accessing the story and the power of a classroom discussion to foster understanding.

Speakers

Sarah Hayden

Curriculum Coordinator, Hood River County School District

Sarah Hayden has presented professional learning around the state as well as nationally. Her passion is advocating for teacher and student centered instruction. Sarah holds a bachelors degree in Communications and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Portland State University... Read More →

Shayla Moline

Middle School Instructional Coach, Wy'East Middle School

Shayla has spent the last 20 plus years teaching math! She taught Math at Hood River Valley High School for fifteen years before moving to WYMS where she had the opportunity to teach middle school learners for six years and is beginning her 7th year there as instructional coach. Shayla... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST
TBA

Culture of Conversation

3:05pm MST

Amplifying Voices: Centering Black Female Students in Middle School Math through Equity-Driven Practices

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST

TBA

In this session, middle school math educators, coaches, and school leaders will explore how to create equitable and thinking-centered math classrooms by centering the experiences of black female students. Using a real case study as the foundation, we will delve into the systemic challenges these students face and learn how intentional classroom practices can empower them to succeed in mathematics.

The session will focus on how educators can foster growth mindsets, encourage meaningful classroom conversations, and build thinking classrooms to support the unique needs of marginalized students. You'll leave with actionable strategies to transform your classrooms into spaces where all students - regardless of race or gender - can thrive.

Speakers

Dr. Mary-Grace M. Cianci

Secondary Mathematics Coach, Middletown Public Schools

Mary-Grace M. Cianci, Ph.D., is a seasoned secondary mathematics coach in Middletown, CT, with almost three decades of experience working with middle school students—because who doesn’t love the joyful chaos of the middle school brain? After spending years dedicated to special... Read More →

Yvonne Daniels

Math Curriculum Supervisor, Middletown Public Schools

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST
TBA

Equity & Learning for All

3:05pm MST

Tangrams: Geometric Puzzles Revealed!

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST

TBA

Tangrams pieces can be a good tool to provide students opportunities to explore and use their imagination with geometric shapes.

We will share geometric puzzles tricks you can use to help students develop spatial sense. You'll learn strategies to easily make a 7-piece Square, Triangle, Parallelogram, Trapezoid, and a rectangle from 5-piece square using tangram sets.

Speakers

Geok Ng

Professor, Minnesota State University Moorhead

I teach Math content and method courses for Education majors.

Chin Ng

Math Instructior, Central Community College, Hastings, Nebraska

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST
TBA

Lessons & Take-Away Tasks

3:05pm MST

Providing (non-AI) Feedback That Goes Beyond “You should already know how to do this.”

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST

TBA

“You should already know how to do this.” We’ve all offered that feedback to students more than we are willing to admit to our peers (or ourselves). In most cases, that feedback is probably true. And, arguably, that feedback is immediate, relevant to the task, and non-comparative - it may even “lead the way to some next steps.” It’s even likely that the student(s) needed to hear it.

But if we are really being honest, we have to admit that there is more to this story. Students need much more specific feedback that helps them to grow, allows them to fail safely, and ultimately encourages them to acquire the skills they need. We also have to admit that the best way to do this is one-on-one with a student. In most cases, the best time to meet one-on-one with a student is outside of school hours, and it takes more than just a few minutes. Who has time for that?

So… how do we do it? How do we ensure students receive the feedback they need and deserve without compromising our own time or simply “passing the buck” to somebody or something else? We'll explore my quest for a solution to this challenge, trade ideas and (hopefully) share success stories!

Speakers

Jon Ail

7th Grade Math Teacher, Buena Vista Middle School, CO

My first year teaching was in 2000, and I was primarily a middle school math teacher. Since then, I have taught high school math, been a high school principal, and even worked in central office. I've acquired a master's degree and most of a doctoral degree, served in a variety of... Read More →

Friday March 7, 2025 3:05pm - 4:20pm MST
TBA

Meaningful Feedback & Assessment

4:20pm MST

Transition to Next Session

Friday March 7, 2025 4:20pm - 4:30pm MST

Lobby & Main Hallway

Friday March 7, 2025 4:20pm - 4:30pm MST
Lobby & Main Hallway

General Session

4:30pm MST

Mainstage Presenter: Howie Hua

Friday March 7, 2025 4:30pm - 5:15pm MST

Ballroom (Sweeney E/F)

Friday March 7, 2025 4:30pm - 5:15pm MST
Ballroom (Sweeney E/F)

General Session

5:15pm MST

Happy Hour with MidSchoolMath

Friday March 7, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST

Lobby & Main Hallway

Finish your day of learning New Mexico style with fresh chips and salsa, plus a margarita, beer, or soda! Mingle with your fellow attendees and share reflections on your day. The T-Shirt Station will be open in the Lobby during this time.

Friday March 7, 2025 5:15pm - 6:15pm MST
Lobby & Main Hallway

General Session