Opening Session Speaker

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Dave Burgess

Teaching Outside the Box

A fast-paced and fun session designed to teach techniques that will skyrocket creativity. You will learn how to use your brain like Google, create a GPS system for powerful teaching, and magically create new ideas through Creative Alchemy. In addition, learn how to overcome obstacles that stifle creativity by using the Wedding Photographer Principle. You’ll leave truly believing you are a creative being and inspired to add memorable experiences for students to your lesson plans.

Closing Session Speaker

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Vanessa Vakharia

Math Therapy: How to help students overcome their fear of math!

This session is all about the F-word that’s holding your students back from accessing curiosity and creativity math: F-E-A-R. If you’re ready to move beyond bandaid solutions that manage math anxiety in the moment, and start learning how to help students overcome that anxiety for good – this session is for YOU! Get ready to learn about the dynamics of fear, understand the exact way it manifests into math anxiety and triggers math trauma in the classroom, and gain impactful strategies you can use RIGHT away to break the cycle of fear, anxiety, and avoidance. This session will totally transform your understanding of math anxiety and empower you to help ALL students build healthier relationships with math, starting NOW!

Featured Speaker

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Dr. Kristopher J. Childs

Just Teach Mathematics: Focus on Children Not the Distractions

In today’s charged climate, educators are bombarded with distractions that pull focus away from what truly matters—teaching mathematics to children. This session cuts through the noise and centers on practical, research-backed strategies to create engaging, equitable, and effective mathematics learning environments. By prioritizing children over controversy, we’ll explore how to foster deep understanding, build confidence, and ensure all learners thrive. Join us to refocus on what’s essential: just teaching mathematics.

Featured Speaker

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Sean Nank, Ph.D.

Seven Steps to Find Joy and Purpose in Teaching: Embrace Your Passion, Allow all Students to Thrive, and Let’s Have Fun Doing it!

Even the best teachers feel they aren’t doing enough. We allow our students to stumble and grow. We need to give ourselves this same grace. As coaches and math leaders, we are pulled in many directions with new curricula, pedagogy, assessments, benchmarks, and a slew of expectations that can prevent us from helping teachers be the best they can be. Let’s work through seven dispositions of teaching so we can support our teachers and help them thrive!

Featured Speaker

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Dr. Juli Dixon

Estimation. What’s it “about”?

When you think about teaching estimation, do thoughts of rounding come to mind? Explore the value of estimation when estimation goes beyond rounding. Examine how estimation can be used to make sense of whole number and fraction operations. Learn how estimation can be a useful test-taking strategy for computational multiple-choice items. Finally, discuss the value in leading with estimates.

Featured Speaker

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James O’Neal, Jr.

Make It Make Sense!

Too often, students memorize steps without understanding the “why” behind the math. This session will equip you with practical strategies to foster sense-making in your classroom, helping students build deep mathematical understanding. Through engaging discourse, problem-solving approaches, and actionable strategies, you’ll leave with tools to strengthen student reasoning and confidence in mathematics.

What You’ll Learn:
The Power of Sense-Making – Discover how making math meaningful transforms student engagement and achievement.
Practical Strategies – Learn ready-to-use techniques to guide students beyond procedures to true conceptual understanding.
Classroom Discourse – Explore how meaningful conversations can develop student reasoning and mathematical identity.
Join us and gain the tools to help students not just do math—but truly make it make sense!

Featured Speaker

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Pam Harris

Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms

Algorithms may be powerful general tools, but they can trap students in limited, less-sophisticated reasoning. In this session, learn how students can take advantage of the power of generalizing without getting trapped and how we can develop mathematical reasoning, get better results, and reach more students. Math is Figure-out-able!

Featured Speaker

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Dr. Abi Ruiz

Making Math Matter: Asset-Based Task Design

This session focuses on strategies to promote equitable mathematics instruction through the use of contextually relevant, cognitively demanding (CRCD) tasks. I will begin by sharing my research on teachers’ beliefs and values regarding CRCD tasks. Using practical examples, participants will explore how to adapt instruction to meet diverse student needs by addressing these beliefs and values. We will examine how a teacher modified a task to enhance both its relevance and cognitive demand. Participants will learn how to promote equitable math instruction by balancing cognitive demand with contextual relevance. Additionally, we will discuss ways to overcome barriers such as deficit thinking and organizational constraints, providing actionable steps to create inclusive math classrooms that support all students’ success.

Featured Speaker

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Dr. Jennifer Suh

Empowering Brilliance in Students through Community Based Math Modeling

In this talk, Dr. Suh will explore the transformative power of community-based math modeling. By co-designing lessons with teachers that focus on real-world community issues, Dr. Suh enables students to use mathematical concepts to make informed decisions and take meaningful action on local challenges. This approach not only enhances students’ mathematical skills but also empowers them as active change agents within their communities.

Through a series of compelling vignettes, Dr. Suh will highlight the brilliance of students as they tackle diverse local issues from environmental issues to the wellness of their community. These stories will showcase how community-based math modeling fosters critical thinking, creativity, and a deep sense of civic responsibility. Join us to discover how this innovative educational strategy can unlock the full potential of students and inspire a new generation of problem-solvers.

Featured Speaker

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Thomasenia Lott Adams

Hands-on Math Means Math on Hand

Some hesitancy around hands-on math stems from concern that mathematics takes a back seat to the tool(s) being used. In this session, participants will experience examples of how hands-on mathematics enhances conceptual concepts and unleashes joy in mathematics.

Featured Speaker

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TJ Jemison

Be Like Dolly (Parton): Spark Creativity and Curiosity in the Math Classroom

Dolly Parton is more than a country music icon—she’s a model for kindness, inclusion, and lifting others up. What if we brought that same spirit into our math classrooms? In this session, we’ll explore how to create a learning environment where all students feel valued, supported, and inspired to think creatively and take risks in mathematics. Just as Dolly honors every person she meets, we can elevate all voices, celebrate diverse mathematical thinking, and foster a sense of belonging in our classrooms. Join us for an engaging, imaginative session filled with practical strategies to spark curiosity, boost confidence, and make math a joyful experience for every learner.

Featured Speaker

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Skip Tyler

Math Workshop: Implementing a Student-Centered Learning Environment

Transform your math classroom into a dynamic, student-centered environment with the Math Workshop model. This approach encourages student engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving by combining student choice, differentiated instruction, and collaborative learning. Learn practical strategies for incorporating technology, using formative assessments, and meeting diverse learning needs. With the Math Workshop model, you can create a learning environment where students take ownership of their learning, build confidence, and thrive academically

Featured Speaker

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John SanGiovanni

10 Big Ideas for Figuring Out Fluency Beyond Facts and Algorithms

Computational fluency is much more than basic facts and algorithms. It is complex and teaching it well is challenging. To find success, we must know and leverage 10 big ideas about fluency. This session unpacks those big ideas arming participants with practical know-how for advancing their students’ fluency. Learning will be complemented with ready-to-use classroom resources.

Featured Speaker

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Kevin Dykema

Picture Books + Manipulatives = Success!

Discover how you can use manipulatives to help make the connection between math and literacy. See how using math lessons after reading a trade book can greatly benefit your students. Examples and ideas will be shared that can be used immediately in your classroom.