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Building Thinking Classrooms Summer Refresh

Master a process for enhancing student learning through a process of enhancing student thinking. Choose between mathematics or cross-curricular.

Instructor: Peter Liljedahl

Learn more
Peter Liljedahl

Overview

Educator and best-selling author Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms has taken K-12 classrooms by storm.

Whether you’ve launched your own Thinking Classroom with your students or you’ve been considering launching one, Peter created the three virtual sessions in this hands-on summer refresh to help you hit the ground running in the critical year head.

Choose from mathematics or cross-curricular below and join other educators from across the globe live over (3) 120-minute sessions as Peter Liljedahl personally walks you (and/or your  instructional team) through a series of practical challenges and exercises designed to help you embrace and model a replicable process for teaching thinking, striking intentional balance between flow and productive struggle in classroom groups, and model a system to successfully launch (or re-launch) your Thinking Classroom for success, starting on Day 1.

Dates

3 weekly sessions, starting July 29, 2025
3:00 pm EST
(see schedule below)

Cost

$295 per person
(discounts available for teams)

Who should attend

Classroom teachers, instructional coaches, curriculum coordinators

Peter Liljedahl

Meet your instructor

Dr. Peter Liljedahl is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University and author of the best-selling book, Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Grades K-12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. Peter is a former high school mathematics teacher who has kept his research interest and activities close to the classroom. With a passion for fostering deep mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills, Peter has dedicated his career to reshaping classroom environments. His work emphasizes thinking, collaborative learning, and problem solving, leading to more effective and meaningful mathematics education experiences for students of all ages. Through his research-based innovative teaching methods, Peter continues to inspire educators worldwide to create dynamic and thought-provoking learning spaces. He consults regularly with teachers, schools, school districts, and ministries and departments of education on issues of teaching and learning, problem solving, assessment, numeracy, and building thinking classrooms. Originally created with mathematics classrooms in mind, his Building Thinking Classrooms model has been applied by tens of thousands of schools and teachers in a wide range of academic disciplines, from social students to English Language Learning to science and more.

(Source: Corwin.)

The experience

Join professor and best-selling author Dr. Peter Liljedahl for a collaborative, practical and action-oriented virtual cohort-based learning experience.

120-min. live interactive video sessions

Engage with Dr. Peter Liljedahl and colleagues from around the world via a series of (3) live, two-hour virtual learning sessions, conducted online via Zoom, featuring discussion, interactive polls, breakout sessions & more. Choose between Mathematics or Cross-Curricular focus.

Access to the RocketPD Learning Portal

Access session recordings and related practical learning resources, including tools, learning guides and discussion boards, via your own password-protected learning portal.

Certificate of Completion

Upon completion of the course, you will have the ability to request and download a customized Certificate of Completion to share with your administration as proof of your professional commitment.

The outcomes

Whether you’re an experienced educator or instructional coach, or someone who is new to the classroom and looking to hit the ground running with students, you (and/or your team) will emerge from this experience with understanding and capacity to:

  • Understand the need to build a thinking classroom
  • Learn how to build a thinking classroom
  • Learn how to teach content through a thinking classroom

Praise for Thinking Classrooms

“Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics exudes enthusiasm for students, how they think, and how those thoughts coalesce into powerful thinking classrooms. It’s also deeply practical, describing how everything from the teacher’s questions to the arrangement of the furniture can add to your students’ learning.”

Dan Meyer

“Peter Liljedahl’s Thinking Classroom framework transformed my mathematics classroom overnight. I was frustrated that despite my best teaching efforts, some of my students still couldn’t solve simple problems by their final exam. This framework gave me a starting point that I started implementing the very next day and next steps to continue incorporating as my practice evolved.”

Laura Wheeler

“An in-depth action plan backed with significant research and data, Liljedahl’s plan is one that can improve every classroom for the better, and he foresees and addresses any questions or concerns you may have regarding implementation.”

Leslie Mohlman

The sessions

Customize your training experience! Choose between our Math Instruction or Cross-Curricular Instruction tracks, designed to provide focused, practical insights tailored to your teaching needs.

Session #1 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM EST

Introduction to a Thinking Classroom

  • The importance of thinking tasks
  • The importance of visibly random groups
  • The importance of vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS)

July 29, 2025
Math Instruction

July 30, 2025
Cross-Curricular Instruction

Session #2 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM EST

Engagement in the Thinking Classroom

  • The important relationship between thinking and engagement
  • How to increase engagement through flow
  • The relationship between flow and productive struggle

August 5, 2025
Math Instruction

August 6, 2025
Cross-Curricular Instruction

Session #3 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM EST

A Thinking Classroom Lesson: From Launch to Closing

  • The importance of the launch
  • How to consolidate
  • How to do meaningful notes
  • How to use check-your-understanding questions

August 12, 2025
Math Instruction

August 13, 2025
Cross-Curricular Instruction

Packed with benefits

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Expert-led

Connect live with top people, on topics you care about

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Collaborative

Join colleagues from other schools for lively discussions

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Mobile app

Create flexibility & learn on your time with our mobile app

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Recorded sessions

Never miss a beat with available recordings (for 30 days)

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Certificates of completion

Get credit for your hard work with personalized certificates

Register now

Build a team of any size and save.

Individual

$295

per person

(3) live virtual 120-min. sessions

Practical learning outcomes

Access to the RocketPD Portal (recordings)

Register now

Team of 5

$285

per person

(3) live virtual 120-min. sessions

Practical learning outcomes

Access to the RocketPD Portal (recordings)

Register now

Team of 10

$275

per person

(3) live virtual 120-min. sessions

Practical learning outcomes

Access to the RocketPD Portal (recordings)

Register now

Want to bring a team of 30 or more?

Contact us for large group rates.

Contact RocketPD

Register today!

Please complete the form below to register as an individual or team up to 30 people. If your team is larger than 30, please contact us.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Building Thinking Classrooms (Summer Refresh) — and how can it help?

Choose either the mathematics or cross-curricular track and join other educators from across the globe live over (3) 120-minute sessions as Building Thinking Classrooms author and educator Peter Liljedahl personally walks you (and/or your  instructional team) through a series of practical challenges and exercises designed to help you embrace and model a replicable process for teaching thinking, striking intentional balance between flow and productive struggle in classroom groups, and model a system to successfully launch (or re-launch) your Thinking Classroom for success, starting on Day 1.

Why do this as part of a cohort?

Peter Liljedahl has been traveling the country (and the world), helping schools implement his process for Building Thinking Classrooms. But it’s impossible to be everywhere at once. Peter and RocketPD created this cohort experience to ensure that instructional leaders and teachers with an interest in BTC, regardless of location, would have the ability to learn about BTC and its application directly from Peter, while receiving the added benefit of collaborating with educators from different schools and communities.

What’s included in this program?

Delivered over three short weeks, the program includes (3) scheduled structured learning conversations, delivered virtually over Zoom. Plus, password-protected access to the RocketPD Learning Portal, where participants can access the recordings for a limited time during the cohort experience, and an available customized Certificate of Completion to share with school administrators.

Who should participate?

Building Thinking Classrooms Summer Refresh is an (3)-session (120 minutes each) collaborative professional-learning experience for classroom teachers, instructional coaches and other instructional leaders. Participants will emerge with practical and proven strategies to integrate Dr. Peter Liljedahl’s research-backed approach to building Thinking Classrooms in their schools and/or school districts. Teams are encouraged to register and discounts are available groups of (5) or more.

How will this help my team?

The RocketPD cohort experience provides a unique opportunity for school district leadership and their staff teams to have candid conversations with a nationally recognized educator and best-selling author on the subject of Thinking Classrooms in mathematics and other academic disciplines. Unlike one-off seminars and keynote speeches, the cohort provides a clear opportunity for sustained development and the basis for a framework that teachers and other school leaders can use to create stronger, more supportive environments for improved student outcomes.

What is the schedule?

This (3)-session cohort-based experience will take place between July and August 2025. You can view the the full schedule, including dates and times in The Schedule section above. If you want to participate in this cohort, but the dates and times do not work for your schedule, keep in mind that, while live participation is always encouraged, the sessions are recorded and accessible via the RocketPD Learning Portal for a limited time. If you have a large team (50 or more), and the schedule dates and times do not work for you entire team, reach out using the form below to inquire about the formation of a custom cohort for your district.

Can I register if I am not a math instructor or coach?

Yes. While Peter’s book has Mathematics in the title, the research-backed Thinking Classrooms model and approach can be applied to other academic disciplines and many schools and districts are already doing this. In fact, Peter plans to release a new book about a cross-curricular approach to Building Thinking Classrooms. If you are a teacher of a subject other than math, or an instructor in charge of another discipline in your school or district, simply choose the Cross-Curricular option upon registration.

How can I participate?

If you’re interested in joining the Building your Thinking Classrooms (3)-session summer refresh, save your spot now by following the button on this page. Once you sign up, you’ll receive more information about the program, including payment and invoicing details. You’ll also receive a detailed follow-up email with information about your cohort, including scheduled session dates and times. Should you have questions at any time throughout the process, you’ll receive the phone and email of our project coordinator to ensure a positive experience.

I already participated in the Fall BTC cohort. Can I do the summer cohort too?

Absolutely! The fall BTC cohort is 5 sessions (120 minutes each) and provides a comprehensive overview of the Building Thinking Classrooms model, start to finish. The summer BTC refresh is 3 sessions. It is designed to help teachers and other educators get the most out of BTC and hit the ground running the year ahead. While some of the concepts may be familiar to you, the ideas are intentionally organized to help you refresh your understanding of the model, plan for successful start to the year and achieve lasting success aligned with learning goals.

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with Dr. Peter Liljedahl

Give your teachers and instructional coaches a new way to approach instruction.

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