When student thinking is visible, instruction becomes more responsive, discussion becomes richer, and learning goes deeper. Explore five practical moves for surfacing student ideas, strengthening engagement, and supporting meaningful learning. Teachers, coaches, and leaders will gain concrete strategies for making thinking more visible in ways that support understanding, engagement, and responsive instructional decisions.
Mathematical discourse is about more than talking. It is about creating opportunities for students to reason, make sense of problems, and feel that they belong in the work of mathematics. In this session, participants will explore how Math Language Routines (MLRs) support meaningful discourse and interaction while strengthening mathematical understanding. Whether you are new to MLRs or already using them, you will leave with practical strategies for implementing these routines across grades and in a variety of instructional contexts.
All children, including multilinguals, have mathematical strengths that we want to uncover, but traditional assessment does not always fully capture these understandings. Let’s reimagine assessment! Together, we’ll learn how formative and summative assessments can be used creatively and multimodally with linguistically diverse students to provide us with better data and next steps. We’ll also discuss specific ways to involve & leverage families in the assessment and intervention process.
What do the 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions look like in a real K–8 classroom using Open Up Resources? In this session, educators will explore how anticipating, monitoring, selecting, sequencing, and connecting support meaningful mathematical discourse during instruction. Through examples from K–8 Open Up Resources lessons, participants will examine how teachers can make student thinking visible, connect ideas to key mathematical concepts, and strengthen reasoning, participation, and understanding during discussion. Educators will leave with a clearer vision of what the 5 Practices look like in action.
Strong math classrooms do not happen by accident. They are shaped by leadership moves that signal what matters, support teachers well, and build a positive math culture over time. In this session, administrators and coaches will explore four practical, high-leverage actions that strengthen problem-based math instruction across stages of implementation. Participants will leave with clear ideas for supporting teachers and sustaining strong instructional practice from early adoption through long-term implementation.
In mathematics education, myths about multilingual learners often shape the way teaching and learning are structured. In this session, participants will explore the science behind the bilingual brain and consider what it reveals about how multilingual students truly learn math. Educators will examine common misconceptions, connect research to instructional practice, and reflect on how a neuro-based, strengths-based lens can support more responsive and affirming math instruction for multilingual learners.
In problem-based math classrooms, planning is about more than sequencing content. It is about designing learning experiences that cultivate curiosity, discourse, and community. In this session, educators will explore a purposeful backward planning process for units and daily lessons and unpack five key practices that support mathematical thinking, engagement, and classroom cohesion across the school year. Participants will analyze what effective planning looks like in problem-based curricula and leave with concrete strategies for ensuring rigor and meaningful student participation in every math classroom.
Implementing a curriculum well requires more than getting started. It requires clear priorities and practical next moves. In this session, North Carolina educators will explore high-leverage actions that can strengthen curriculum implementation in classrooms, teams, and schools. Participants will leave with concrete next steps for supporting stronger use of materials, clearer instructional focus, and more consistent implementation over time.
