Using Thinking Routines to Create Thinking Classrooms in Math

Mathematical thinking is key to building strong student mathematicians, but teaching students to engage in reflective quantitative reasoning is difficult. This workshop focuses on instructional routines that enhance partner interaction and foster critical evaluation and thoughtful problem- solving. Just like management routines provide predictability for how a classroom operates so teachers and students can focus on more productive interactions, thinking routines teach learners to understand how teammates interact with challenging mathematics so they can focus on the reasoning necessary to comprehend the concepts more fully. As the routines are repeated throughout the year, students develop productive mathematical practices, such as critiquing the reasoning of others and constructing viable arguments, making use of mathematical structures, and recognizing repeated reasoning. You will leave this session able to incorporate several thinking routines in your day-to-day instruction to increase student engagement and deepen their mathematical reasoning skills.