2026 March Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics Book Study

Join us for March's 2026 MSTA "Beyond the Book" Club Book Study, featuring Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning by Peter Liljedah.

Participants are responsible for obtaining their own copy of this month's text before the beginning of the book study to order; click here.


Join us in this book study to explore how to transform our classrooms into "thinking classrooms" not just "doing" classrooms. Peter Liljedahl outlines fourteen practices to implement in order to create problem solvers and thinkers. While the book is math-specific, the practices could be applied to any content area.

Teachers often find it difficult to implement lessons that help students go beyond rote memorization and repetitive calculations. In fact, institutional norms and habits that permeate all classrooms can actually be enabling "non-thinking" student behavior. Sparked by observing teachers struggle to implement rich mathematics tasks to engage students in deep thinking, Liljedahl has translated his 15 years of research into this practical guide on how to move toward a thinking classroom.

Whether you have started the Building Thinking Cassrooms journey or are just beginning your exploration, this book study will extend your thinking and promote collaboration on how best to get our students thinking! 

 

Facilitator Alison Corl has taught Junior High Math in Neosho for the past fourteen years. She dreamed of being a teacher when she was in Kindergarten and came home every day excited to teach her little brother that day's lesson. Alison's passion for reaching all students, especially reluctant learners, is evident in her teaching style and belief in a strong classroom community. Alison Corl is determined to develop students' problem-solving skills and get kids talking about math. 

Besides teaching, Alison's other great passion is family. She lives with her two daughters, ages 10 and 3, and husband in Joplin, Missouri. They love to play games, read, and go on adventures out in nature. 

📘 MSTA's Online Learning Platform

MSTA uses Teachable to host its online professional learning activities, including discussions, group work, and course materials.

What You’ll Find in the Course:

• Discussion Boards: Share insights and reflect with peers.
• Guiding Questions & Tasks: Apply key ideas from readings.
• Asynchronous Format: Participate anytime, anywhere.

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🧭 Getting Started with Teachable

First-Time Participant?

Check your email for a message from Teachable (sent to the address you used when registering). Follow the link to confirm your email and set your password. Your course will appear under "My Products."

Returning Participant?

Log in using your email and password from a previous course to access your dashboard.

 

​💬 Course Expectations

• Attend Zoom networking sessions to connect and collaborate.
• Complete assignments that link course concepts to your classroom practice.
• Access to course resources continues after the course ends.

 

🎓 PD Certification

At the end of the book study, participants who complete all course requirements and attend the Zoom meetings will receive 8 hours of PD. Certificates are found in your Teachable account. 

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