Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics

Dr. Peter Liljedahl breaks down why 80% of students sit through a math lesson without ever thinking, and what actually fixes it. This episode covers the research behind Building Thinking Classrooms: random groups, vertical whiteboards, and the difference between a thinking task and a mimicking task. Peter and host Olivia Wahl talk through classroom behavior, student engagement, and why low engagement often starts with how a room is set up, not who's in it. They dig into active learning, student motivation, and what happens to attention in class when kids stop feeling anonymous. Peter shares research-backed education strategies and instructional strategies that hold up across grade levels, plus specific teaching tips for lesson planning that most teachers have never tried. This conversation is built for teachers looking for effective teaching methods, instructional coaching ideas, and innovative teaching approaches that don't require a new curriculum, just a new "how." ⭐Thank you to Peter and Corwin Press, who are so generous in offering a 25% discount & free shipping PROMO CODE (CORWIN25) for Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Peter Liljedahl 00:24 Peter's background and credentials 01:24 The teacher who told him "you can be better than this" 06:15 Why most students never think in a typical lesson 09:33 The Building Thinking Classrooms framework 12:34 Random groups vs. strategic and self-selected grouping 17:35 Thinking tasks vs. mimicking tasks 21:34 Why grouping has to be visibly random 26:24 The hidden problem with digital randomizers 32:01 Over-scaffolding and how it shapes student mindset 33:55 Rethinking labels and IEPs in the classroom 37:29 Push-in support, RTI, and what the research shows 42:10 Why vertical whiteboards change everything 45:57 What "fidelity" actually means in this framework 49:42 Test scores, teacher impact, and long-term results 52:26 Closing thoughts Schoolutions is the podcast for educators and school leaders, families and homeschoolers, and the coaches, counselors, and mentors who believe every student deserves to thrive. Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. 🌿Ready to grow alongside your children? Book a coaching session with me here. We'll unlock the expert who is already within you and surround you with a community of educators committed to forever getting better through collective expertise. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators! #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies #BuildingThinkingClassrooms #PeterLiljedahl #MathEducation #StudentEngagement #ActiveLearning #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #EquityInEducation #InclusiveClassrooms #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolLeadership #EducationPodcast #TeachingTips #EffectiveTeaching #WholeChild#buildingthinkingclassrooms #BTCthinks #peterliljedahl #mathematics #math #problemsolving #thinkingclassrooms #thinkingclassroom #nctm #principlestoactions #teachersfollowteachers #edchat When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.