This weekend, I went to the library and studied

Mired in weeds, struggle, and even disaster in my attempt to build a Thinking Classroom so far this year, I spent Saturday doing what I know any fledgling learner should do.

I studied.

I took my Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics book and a notepad, I left my phone and computer at home, I walked to the Emory University library, and I studied.

The Emory University Woodruff Library.

I've been saying throughout this series of posts that I'm implementing the Thinking Classrooms model "full on" this year, but I realized during this study session that that isn't actually true yet - not even close, in fact.  In the last chapter of the book, Liljedahl presents this graphic that guides teachers through implementing the Thinking Classrooms practices in a strategic order.

I've really been struggling with the practices in the third group, so I had planned to start my study session there.  However, seeing this chart made me think about something:

Maybe I'm not ready for the practices in the third group yet because I don't have the second set down yet.
​

I do the full first set of practices quite well. I also do most of the last set of practices quite well, already having valued and learned those techniques in my non-thinking classroom.  My ventures into the weeds, struggle, and even disaster in the first unit, I realized, might have arisen from trying to implement the third set of practices even though I hadn't yet become as savvy as I thought I had with the second set.

​So I changed the object of my study session to the second set.

​Man, were there a lot of details and tips that I'd forgotten.

​Since the second group of practices starts with "de-fronting the classroom," I decided to start my study session there.  While it was nice to review that chapter and the interesting psychology of furniture placement there within, I didn't have any big breakthroughs.  I have already de-fronted, and my furniture placement is further constrained by the need for a "meeting area" floor space in the middle (a non-negotiable for me), so I already have the desks where they pretty much have to be in order to provide both a meeting area and standing thinking spaces.  But they don't feel terribly organized or orderly, so I'm giving myself a "check" on de-fronting.

In addition to standing spaces for thinking tasks around the perimeter of the room, I also insist on a full-class "meeting area" floor space.  You can read a bit about why here if you care to.

Next I went to the Answer Only Thinking Questions chapter to review.  This one I also felt pretty good about.  If you aren't familiar with it, Liljedahl's idea is that students ask three kinds of questions - proximity questions, which are questions they ask just because you are close by and they want to appear to be good students doing good things, stop-thinking questions, which are questions that seek permission to stop thinking or working (like "is this right?"), and keep-thinking questions, which are questions seeking information they need to keep thinking (p. 84).  In a Thinking Classroom, Liljedahl suggests that you only answer keep-thinking questions.

Similarly here, I didn't have any big breakthroughs, but I did acknowledge that I'm probably not as good at this practice as I think.  I gave it an "in progress," if not just to remind myself not to backslide on it.

Next up - Give Thinking Tasks Early, Standing, and Verbally.

Just from the title, I knew this was where the real work would begin, because other than "early," I had forgotten about this practice completely.  

One of the joys of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics is that, not only are the ideas in the book incredibly valuable and actionable, but the book is genuinely interesting to read (and re-read).  I made a ton of notes in this chapter and was enthralled reading it again.

The first big payoff of my study session is hand - not only was I reminded of the incredible value of a practice I wasn't doing properly, but also the path forward is an easy one - give the thinking tasks standing and verbally.  Can do.  I gave myself an "in progress."

Next stop - Give Check Your Understanding Questions.  This is another practice I already felt good about, but I re-read the chapter anyways because, well, it is my favorite chapter in the book to read.  The practice is straight-forward, but Liljedahl's analysis of the reasoning behind it is, I think, the best showcase of his unique perspective on researching the work and behavior of students in math classes.  I thoroughly enjoyed the re-read, but this practice is well in hand for me, and I gave it a "check."

The last practice in my "in progress" set is Mobilizing Knowledge, which is titled How We Foster Student Autonomy In A Thinking Classroom​.  There is a lot of nuance in this chapter, and it isn't a practice I'm doing much of.  I didn't make many notes, but I did have a major takeaway:

This is not something I'm doing much of.

This feels very attainable.

This is the correct next step.

I should indeed stop trying to do the practices in the third group until I get the second group of practices mastered.

I have a plan now.  Starting Monday, I will...

• Give thinking tasks standing and verbally
• Focus on the types of questions I answer (and don't answer)
• Gradually work on my ability to mobilize knowledge
• For the time being, stop trying to do the practices in group 3 entirely

This plan makes me feel at peace, too.  I'm giving myself permission to temporarily stop the practices that are causing disasters and to focus on just one new practice that I had overlooked that needs to be in place first,  while shoring up two that need a tad of maintenance.  

​Let's go.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it!

Want to make sure you never miss a new post?  Subscribe below for email notifications of new content.

Want to read more right now?  You're in luck - this is my 67th post! You can browse past posts by category:

• ​Building A Thinking Classroom
• Leaning Into The Science and Engineering Practices
• Classroom Practices
• Classroom Stories
• Ideas and Opinions
• Pandemic-Related Issues