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From Robert Kaplinsky's Blog, "Peter begins by defining “thinking” as the goal for what we want students to be doing in math classroom and contrasts that to what we often see instead in math class by using Darien Allan’s categorizations of “studenting behaviors” which include:
slacking – not attempting to work at all
stalling – doing legitimate off-task behavior (like getting a drink or going to the bathroom)
faking – pretending to do the task but in reality doing nothing
mimicking – mindlessly repeating what they have in their notes
trying it on their own – attempting to work through a problem, regardless of whether they got it right or not
I would guess that pretty much every teacher has seen these behaviors, but I had never seen an attempt to classify them and found the categories useful. If you had asked me early on in my career which students were thinking, I would have for sure included the “trying it on their own” students. However, I probably thought that the “mimicking” students were also thinking.
If I’m being honest, I got through all of high school and graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in mathematics because I was a solid mimicker. More than half the time I knew how to get the right answer but had little idea what I was doing. So, acknowledging that mimickers were not actually thinkers would have forced me to acknowledge that I was also not a thinker, and I probably wasn’t ready to say that out loud twenty years ago.
This excerpt hit me right in the gut: “When we interviewed the teachers in whose classrooms we were doing the student research, all of them stated, with emphasis, that they did not want their students to mimic. Ironically, 100% of the students who mimicked stated that they thought that mimicking was what their teacher wanted them to do.” Well damn. That had to be what I would have said and what my students would have thought."
Thinking classroom routines aim to turn students from slackers, stallers, fakers, mimickers to THINKERS.
Eduptopia: Learning on their Feet
Eduptopia: Learning on their Feet
Useful Graphics
Useful Graphics
Reviews & Articles
Reviews & Articles
A couple years ago we were introduced to Peter Liljedahl’s now bestselling book “Building Thinking Classrooms.” We loved his approach to getting students to think and persevere with problem solving. We have heard from so many of you who want to incorporate his research-backed teaching practices into your EFFL classroom. Is that even possible?
In this week’s blog post, we talk about the similarities between BTC (Building Thinking Classrooms) and EFFL (Experience First, Formalize Later…but you knew that already). We also offer strategies for how you can apply BTC principles into tomorrow’s EFFL lesson. By considering all aspects of the learning experience (like how groups are formed, how the task is introduced, and how the classroom is laid out), we hope your students will be ready to dive into some deep learning! Sarah Stecher @mathmedic (Full Article Here)
VCMS Book Review Sara Kofalt, Recording Secretary
VCMS Book Review Sara Kofalt, Recording Secretary
Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl
If you are going to read only one math education book in your career, Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl is it. This book fundamentally changed my outlook on math education, requiring me to reflect on my experiences as a math student, math teacher, and math coach/leader. Building Thinking Classrooms provides teachers with 14 toolkits that transform a classroom into one that produces math thinkers and not just math doers.
These toolkits are research-based changes you can implement in your classroom, including students working in randomized groups, students working on vertical non-permanent surfaces, teachers de-fronting the classroom, and more. Building Thinking Classrooms will allow you to reflect on how your experiences as a math student and educator may have encouraged mathematical mimickers instead of thinkers. And as a leader in mathematics, you will want to coach teachers to have that same reflection. Read it; you won’t regret it!
You Must Read Building Thinking Classrooms By Peter Lilkedahl Robert Kaplinsky
I have been a math educator for about twenty years and Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl has more potential to improve the way we teach mathematics than any other book I have ever read. These are not words I say lightly. This book is an absolute game changer for all math educators and everyone needs to read it.
I am writing this blog post for two purposes:
to convince you why you should also read and implement what you learn from the book
to have the many profound insights I noted in one place for me to come back and read again
Access the full article here.
How do we teach, and support students as they learn to think and problem solve? ...We Build Thinking Classrooms! a letter to parents, the community and educators
How do we teach, and support students as they learn to think and problem solve? ...We Build Thinking Classrooms! a letter to parents, the community and educators
Recently, the book Building Thinking Classrooms, by Peter Liljedahl, came across my path, and I could not un-see his suggested teaching strategies based on 15 years of research and with 40 classrooms. This book WILL transform how you teach mathematics!
The problem:
What I have observed over your 30 years of teaching and coaching mathematics...
Most of us learned math by mimicking procedures at a young age, myself included. It works for a while, but when the procedures become more and more involved it becomes harder and harder to memorize/mimic these procedures. That’s when the learner shuts down, loses self-confidence and math anxiety sets in. It’s a real thing!
The reality:
What do learners need to be successful in mathematics at the higher levels?...
“Thinking is a precursor to learning, and if students are not thinking, they are not learning.” AND…
“Problem solving is what we do when we don’t know what to do.”
Learners need time to struggle, to question and explore, to test and develop strategies in a safe place with their teacher and peers there to support them. Thinking and problem solving are hard work, and real mathematics requires BOTH! This can be very scary for high school students who are comfortable and have felt success with mimicking-learning. I have always said you must F.A.I.L. every day, it’s your First Attempt In Learning something new.
The solution:
How DO we teach thinking and problem solving?
“Good problem solving tasks require students to get stuck and then to think, to experiment, to try and to fail, and to apply their knowledge in novel ways in order to get unstuck.”
Starting with low risk non-curricular tasks that also have the potential for deeper learning is key! Once students have some confidence in their thinking abilities and some go to strategies for problem solving, they are ready to dive in and apply these skills to learn math! Teachers can then level, scaffold and “chunk” the new learning experiences so students progress through a topic with confidence, support, are able to "talk it out", and immediate feedback. In the book, Building Thinking Classrooms, Peter Liljedahl shares 14 teaching practices that enhance learning and encourage thinking. Our teachers around the district are currently doing a book study to incorporate these thinking strategies and transform their classrooms.
Monica Lang, Mathematics Specialists, Princess Anne High School
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