Welcome to the 2025 - 2026 School Year!

I'm excited to share with you a new approach we'll be using called Building Thinking Classrooms, developed by Peter Liljedahl. This method is designed to make our mathematics learning more interactive, collaborative, and, most importantly, to deepen our understanding of mathematical concepts.

What makes this approach different? 

Traditionally, mathematics has often been about memorizing formulas and following steps. Building Thinking Classrooms shifts that focus to developing thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.

Here’s how it works:

1. Spaces for Thinking: Our classroom will be arranged to encourage collaboration and discussion. You'll find that we have spaces where students can work together with peers to solve problems and explore ideas.

2. Thinking Tasks: Students will be solving tasks that are designed to challenge their thinking. These tasks might not have a clear, straightforward solution right away, and that’s okay! The goal is to think deeply about the problem and find different ways to approach it.

3. Classroom Culture: We'll build a supportive environment where it's okay to make mistakes and where everyone's ideas are valued. Students will be encouraged to explain their thinking and to listen to others’ perspectives.

4. Reflection and Feedback: We'll regularly reflect on our learning process and give feedback to each other. This helps us improve our problem-solving strategies and learn from each other's approaches.

5. Ownership of Learning: Ultimately, students will take more ownership of their learning journey in mathematics. They'll become more confident in tackling challenging problems and in explaining their reasoning.

I believe this approach will not only help us understand mathematics better but also develop skills that are crucial in many aspects of life, such as critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.

Throughout the year, we'll explore different mathematical topics using these principles. I'm here to support you every step of the way, and I'm looking forward to seeing each of you grow as mathematicians and thinkers.

I'm looking forward to a fantastic year together!