Online course · Next cohort May 2026

Get every student
thinking, every day.

A self-paced online course on the 14 research-backed practices that turn any classroom into a thinking classroom — with Dr. Peter Liljedahl, the researcher who developed them.

Enroll now See the curriculum
Self-paced · 6 modules
16 PD hours certificate
Is this you?

You want them to think.
They want the worked example.

You went into teaching because you love watching kids figure things out. The hard part isn't the content — it's getting them to think in the first place.

You ask a great question. The room goes quiet.

The same three students raise their hands. Every time.

They’re mimicking the worked example. But they freeze on the next problem.

You're tired of "I don't get it" before they've really tried.

A message from Peter

Two minutes on why this matters.

Watch now
2:45
What changes

By week six, your room looks different.
And so do your students.

100%
of students engaged
In classrooms running all 14 practices, researchers observed 100% of students entering groups ready to think and contribute — not just the usual hands.
3×
more time on task
In classrooms running all 14 practices, students stayed in sustained productive struggle roughly three times longer than in conventional setups.
14
practices, one classroom
The practices reinforce each other. The course shows you how to layer them in a sequence that sticks.
— from peer-reviewed studies across 400+ classrooms
The curriculum

Six modules. Fourteen practices.
One thinking classroom.

Self-paced video and downloadable resources for every module.

Uncovers why up to 80% of students in traditional classrooms aren't thinking, why that matters for learning, and what needs to change for thinking to begin.
Kick-starts your thinking classroom: low-floor / high-ceiling thinking tasks, visibly random groups for equity, and vertical non-permanent surfaces instead of desks.
Fine-tunes your emerging thinking classroom: room arrangement, avoiding stop-thinking questions, and mastering how to launch a thinking task.
Teaches thin-sliced task sequencing and how to mobilize the knowledge already in your room to cover content efficiently.
Closes the lesson well: consolidating from the bottom, shifting from note-taking to note-making, and rebranding homework as check-your-understanding questions.
Equips you with competency rubrics, real-time feedback maps, and data-gathering protocols that turn thinking into measurable learning.
Course overview

A guided walk through the course.

Watch now
8:16
Teachers, in their words

From the last cohort.

“
I had read the book and I thought I knew BTC. Boy, was I wrong. The Online Course completely opened my eyes to just how powerful a thinking classroom can be, and how much I could fine-tune in my own teaching. No matter where you are on your BTC journey, there's something valuable in the Online Course.
Ronda Nisbet
“
The most helpful parts of the training for me were the videos of Peter talking about BTC himself. I read the book over the summer and started on the first toolkit, then second toolkit. However, I misunderstood how to implement the 2nd toolkit effectively, so listening to the videos while in the midst of working through this was very helpful.
Wendy Lougee
“
In addition to the knowledge, skill, and understanding I gained, I enjoyed that I could take the course at my own pace and have access to the information for a year.
MaryAnn Triplett
“
This was a great experience, and I am so glad that I paid to have yearlong access to this workshop. I will likely return to the sections that were most helpful to me, and use them in working with other teachers in my district on our BTC journey.
Jess Radcliffe
Dr. Peter Liljedahl, Professor of Mathematics Education at Simon Fraser University and author of Building Thinking Classrooms
Your instructor

Dr. Peter Liljedahl

Dr. Peter Liljedahl is a Professor of Mathematics Education at Simon Fraser University and author of the best-selling Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Grades K–12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. A former high school math teacher, Peter has spent his career keeping his research close to the classroom — consulting with teachers, schools, districts, and ministries of education on teaching, learning, problem solving, and assessment.

Professor of Mathematics Education, Simon Fraser University
Author, Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics
Former high school math teacher
Why are so few students actually thinking in math class?

Building Thinking Classrooms began years ago when I visited classrooms all over the world and saw the same thing over and over again. Students were compliant. They were busy. They were taking notes and following procedures. But most of them weren’t really thinking. And honestly, neither teachers nor students were particularly happy about it. I became obsessed with two questions:

  1. Why are so few students actually thinking in math class?
  2. And, what can we do about it?

So, I started experimenting:

  • What would happen if we changed the tasks?
  • What if students worked differently?
  • What if classrooms were organized differently?
  • What if we stopped treating mathematics as something to copy and started treating it as something to think about?

What I discovered was that small changes in practice could create massive changes in student engagement, perseverance, confidence, and learning. Students who had spent years believing they were “bad at math” began contributing, collaborating, and thinking deeply. And teachers rediscovered joy in teaching mathematics.

This course was created to help make that transformation possible for you. Not through theory, but through practical, classroom-tested strategies that you can implement immediately. Strategies designed to help you build a classroom where students think more, participate more, and learn more.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated that students rely too heavily on you…
If you’ve ever wondered how to get students to truly engage in mathematics…
If you’ve ever wanted your classroom to feel more energized, collaborative, and meaningful…
—you are not alone.

And you are in the right place.

I’m excited to work alongside you and help you build a classroom where thinking becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Looking forward to learning together,

Peter Liljedahl
What you get

Everything you need to start Monday.

6 self-paced modules

Designed to be completed over 6 weeks. Watch on any device, on your schedule.

Video lessons with Peter

Watch Peter explain, model, and demonstrate each practice directly. All videos are professionally captioned.

Reflection Question Guides

Downloadable guides for every lesson with structured pre- and post-lesson questions to deepen your thinking and support implementation in your classroom.

Course message board

A built-in community space to share what's working, ask questions, and learn alongside educators at every stage of their BTC journey.

16 PD hours certificate

Receive a certificate for 16 Professional Development Hours upon completion, widely accepted for license renewal and salary advancement.

Optional graduate credits

Earn 2–4 graduate-level PD credits through university partners (additional fee applies).

Pricing

Pick the access that fits.

Standard
For the teacher ready to start.
$ 375 USD · one-time
  • All 6 self-paced modules
  • Video lessons with Peter (professionally captioned)
  • Downloadable Reflection Question Guides for every module
  • 16 PD hours certificate on completion
  • 4 months of access
Enroll — Standard
Best value
Extended
More time to revisit, share & implement.
$ 450 USD · one-time
  • Everything in Standard
  • 12 months of access
  • Re-watch Peter’s video models as you implement across the school year
  • Return to the reflection guides whenever you hit a roadblock
  • Use the course materials to coach colleagues or guide your PLC
Enroll — Extended
Purchase orders accepted. Registering a department or PLC? You can easily enroll multiple teachers at once during checkout.

Questions? We're here.

If you have questions before enrolling, or something isn't working after you start, email hello@buildingthinkingclassrooms.com — we'll get back to you promptly.

Frequently asked

Questions, honestly answered.

$375 for standard access (4 months) or $450 for extended access (1 year). We accept all major credit cards and school purchase orders.
The course consists of 6 self-paced online modules. The next cohort officially begins May 25, 2026, but all content is asynchronous — so once the window opens, you learn whenever it fits your schedule.
Yes. To register with a purchase order, proceed through checkout and select “Purchase Order” as your payment option. If you have the purchase order number, enter it during checkout — if not, you can leave it blank and provide it later. The contact person listed will receive a receipt with instructions for submitting the PO or paying by check or credit card.
Yes. To register multiple people, you’ll just need their email addresses. During checkout, adjust the number of registrations to the total you need, then enter each person’s email address. More information is available at grassrootsworkshops.com/about/faq.
Yes. Upon completion, you can download a certificate for 16 Professional Development Hours. Visit grassrootsworkshops.com/state-requirements and select your state or region for information specific to your location.
Yes, you can earn 2–4 graduate-level professional development credits through either the University of the Pacific or the University of Massachusetts Global. Learn more about the process on the Grassroots Workshops website.
If you complete the course and do not learn anything you can use with your students, email us at hello@buildingthinkingclassrooms.com within 10 business days of your access expiring, and we will give you a full refund.
Definitely. The book provides the research; the course provides the implementation. You’ll see Peter model the practices, watch real classroom footage, and get specific micro-moves that are hard to capture in text alone. It’s the difference between reading a playbook and watching the game film.
The beauty of the Building Thinking Classrooms course is that all you need to get started is an audio-enabled computer or tablet. Just click, watch, and learn.
Yes. All videos are professionally captioned.
Check out the full FAQ at grassrootsworkshops.com/about/faq. If you still have questions, we’re happy to help — email hello@buildingthinkingclassrooms.com and a member of the BTC team will get back to you shortly.
one more thing

Thinking is the precursor to learning.
Build a classroom that necessitates it.

Join thousands of teachers running the 14 practices in their own rooms — with kids who'd rather be anywhere else suddenly leaning in.

Enroll now See the curriculum