Updated July, 2025. Sections of this text were reworded for clarity using LLMs.

Okay folks, following on from last week, here’s our second update of the BTC in Eureka post.

– Find part 1 here: https://edu.fair-and-squared.com/BTCBlogPart1
– Find part 3 here: https://edu.fair-and-squared.com/BTCBlogPart3
– Find part 4 here: https://edu.fair-and-squared.com/BTCBlogPart4
– Find our free & paid EngageNY & BTC resources on our page: https://edu.fair-and-squared.com/store

Some points to note:

• After each approach is outlined, we will highlight why that practice is important and beneficial to teachers who use the Eureka curriculum.
• When you see (Liljedahl, 2019), know that I’m referencing information directly from the Building Thinking Classrooms text.
• Those who have implemented the approach, please comment with your thoughts, ideas, and resources.
• The post will take approximately 10 minutes to read. Grab a coffee and enjoy!

– We recommend watching this video to get a snapshot of a Thinking Classroom in real life:

On that note, let’s dive into the fourth practice to develop a thinking classroom within the Eureka framework.

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“Every time we worked in classrooms that were super organized we had more difficulty generating thinking. Classrooms need to have just-right amount of disorder for thinking to flourish.” (Liljedahl, 2021).
Arrange furniture so that students face each other in groups, rather than facing the front. Ideally, group tables should be positioned away from the vertical whiteboards to allow space for movement and clear sightlines.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬? As we discussed in blog post #1, the ultimate goal of the BTC approach is getting students to think through problems. The Eureka program doesn’t always promote this concept. Altering the layout of classroom furniture & de-fronting the classroom signals to students that thinking and collaboration are valued more than quiet compliance.
The flexibility of movement in the classroom will promote the idea that yours is a thinking classroom and those that work within it are active constructors of knowledge, not passive receivers of it. This is the practice I struggle with most, and that’s okay! Thinking still happens in my classroom, so I remind myself that progress matters more than perfection. You should, too. (Insert Kumbaya song here) 😛

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Liljedahl identified 3 different types of questions that teachers get asked. They are…
𝟏) 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: These are questions that students will only ask their teacher when the teacher is close by. They do this to conform to the role of a student, even if they know or can find the answer themselves. (Example: “What class do we have after recess?” “How many questions do we need to answer?”

𝟐) 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩-𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Thinking takes effort, and students often prefer to avoid it if they can. Therefore, they will often ask their teacher stop-thinking questions. (Example: “Do we have to learn this?” “Is this answer correct?”

Liljedahl found that out of the hundreds of questions teachers receive each week, around 90% fall into the proximity or stop-thinking categories. It’s important that we encourage as much thinking as possible from our students and therefore, it’s important that we avoid answering these questions. So, what about the other 10% of questions that we get asked? They are known as…

𝟑) 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩-𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: These are asked by students so that they can further engage with the task at-hand. They are usually about clarification or extensions. (Example: “Can we get the next set of questions?” “Can we solve this problem using a tape diagram as well as the standard algorithm?” These questions drive further thinking and should be encouraged in our classrooms.

I informed my students about these 3 types of questions. They know that they have to think to learn and they very quickly stopped asking proximity & stop-thinking questions. Students will even correct their classmates when they hear proximity questions being asked. Liljedahl recommends acknowledging to students that you heard their question and redirecting it with another question or statement. “What do you think?” “What makes you ask that?” “I think it would be better if you explained your answer to me rather than me telling you the correct one.” Yes, even walking away is an option when students ask a non-thinking question. It may feel abrupt at first, but it reinforces the shift toward a student-led thinking environment.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬?
When Eureka lessons focus on modeling Problem Sets, students learn that the teacher holds all the answers. This teaches them to rely on the teacher anytime they’re unsure, rather than working through the problem independently. Encouraging only keep-thinking questions shifts the responsibility to students, prompting them to seek answers through their own reasoning, classroom resources, or peer support. This shift places students at the center of learning and further defines the teacher’s role as a facilitator, not a deliverer of information.

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As Liljedahl puts it, “The further into the lesson the teacher waited before giving the task, the less effective it became.” (Liljedahl, 2021)
Sticking to this five-minute window helps maintain focus and builds positive energy in the classroom. It signals to students that thinking is expected right from the start.

Where To Give Thinking Tasks– Liljedahl recommends giving the task while students are standing. Personally, I deliver thinking tasks to my fourth graders while they’re seated on the carpet. Standing might be more effective for middle or high school students, but in my experience, sitting doesn’t seem to interfere with engagement, so long as the task is given within the first five minutes.

When assigning a curricular task, I usually use the final Problem Set question from the Eureka lesson. If you prefer, feel free to use any question that will help students understand the lesson’s learning goal.

How To Give Thinking Tasks– Liljedahl suggests giving the task orally first, while writing only the key information on the board. This “textual residue” helps reduce cognitive load and encourages students to build their skill in interpreting word problems. It’s important not to write the full question, just the essential points.

Here’s an example from Grade 4, Module 2, Lesson 2:
Original word problem:
“Javier’s dog weighs 3,902 grams more than Bradley’s dog. Bradley’s dog weighs 24 kilograms 175 grams. How much does Javier’s dog weigh?”

Textual residue on the board:
“Javier dog: 3902g > Bradley’s dog.
Bradley’s dog: 24kg 175g.
Javier’s dog?”

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬?
Eureka mini-lessons can sometimes lead to passive learning, with students simply watching the teacher solve problems. But students are far more engaged when they’re given the chance to jump in and tackle challenges themselves. By presenting the task within the first five minutes of the lesson, you maintain focus and create a sense of flow that keeps students invested.

Because Eureka’s Problem Set questions are often word-heavy, it’s essential for students to develop the skill of figuring out what they’re being asked. Giving tasks orally while writing only the key information, or “textual residue,” helps them build this skill over time. You’ll likely find that students become more confident at interpreting problems on their own.
Liljedahl explains, “giving tasks verbally produced more thinking-sooner & deeper- and generated fewer questions at every grade level.” (Liljedahl, 2021)

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That wraps up our look at Practices 4, 5, and 6 from Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl. While the first three practices focus on how to introduce BTC routines to your students, these next steps are all about shifting your teaching behavior. Each one nudges you further into the role of facilitator and helps center your classroom around student thinking.

Try the Following This Week – Homework for the Teacher 😛

• Rearrange your classroom furniture to eliminate the “front” of the room and encourage student-facing groupings.
• Give your thinking task within the first five minutes of the lesson, keeping any concept intro under five minutes.
• Present a word problem orally and only write the key “textual residue” on the board — leave the full question off.
• Send us an email and tell us how it went! info@fair-and-squared.com

Please post any responses/thoughts/comments/ideas/questions below!
Thank you for reading!

See you soon for Part 3 of Building Thinking Classrooms In The Eureka/EngageNY Program,
The Fair and Squared Team 🌟

PS. To check out all of our free & paid resources, find our TpT store here: https://edu.fair-and-squared.com/TpTstore