Join us for affinity group conversations before the TODOS Mathematics for All conference begins! These groups are designed to bring educators together to connect, share experiences, and build solidarity around shared identities, interests, and goals. Whether you're looking to reflect on your teaching practices, build community, or discuss ways to advance equity in your area of mathematics education, there's a space for you. Final groups will be determined as the event approaches based on interest and space availability.
Wednesday June 24, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT Imperial
Allow all students to shine with rich tasks that support individual problem-solving and promote mathematical discourse through Rough Draft Talk. Explore how sharing math authority raises students’ math status as they own their thinking and share strategies, and experience how hearing from all class members allows us to explicitly expand on what is valued in the math classroom. Participants will collaborate on a task, share “rough draft” ideas mid-solution, then revise their thinking on the spot from contributions that deepen understanding. They will leave with a tool to promote a culture that honors mistakes as a valuable part of learning.
Professional Learning Specialist, CPM Educational Program
Jessie Thiel is a Professional Learning Specialist with CPM Educational Program from Port Washington, WI. She has taught high school mathematics in three different states, including at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, IL. During her 25 years in the classroom, she has taught... Read More →
Thursday June 25, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am PDT Imperial
In this session, participants will explore how the identities of SWANA (South West Asia North Africa) students are erased in the classroom and the effects it has on these individuals. Participants will be presented with methods on how to address and correct the current inequitable, eurocentric approach to math education. In the end, participants will leave with various methods on how to create an environment where their students' identities are valued, respected, and represented in their classrooms.
How can you help start and sustain an ambitious and equitable mathematics program in your school? In ambitious mathematics programs, (a) the curriculum uses nonroutine, discipline-aligned tasks, (b) teachers elicit and respond to student thinking, (c) the classroom environment positions students as mathematical authorities, and (d) equity is an overriding focus. In this interactive session, participants will engage in a discussion using an interactive model and discussion guides developed from a case study of an urban school that developed and implemented an ambitious mathematics program. The model is not prescriptive, but rather, is designed to spark reflection and inspire action.
Relationship-building with our students is a vital aspect of creating community in our classes. Come learn how to embed yourself into your content through captivating stories. Such sharing about yourself can strengthen your relationships with your students because they will get to know you while your curriculum comes to life. By modeling how we can mathematize our lives, students will recognize mathematizing as a valuable human activity and a useful tool for problem-solving in their own lives.
This session invites teachers to learn about integrating community-oriented learning in math classrooms through a sample geometry design-based lesson. Through a short presentation, participants will learn integrating human-centered design in math classrooms to support creative ways of learning, empathic awareness, and collaboration among students. Participants will experience design in a hands-on workshop to create a lantern with math modeling. Throughout this session, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their designing experience, hear stories from the lesson implementation, and discuss ideas for future ways of integrating math, design, and the community.
How can students use mathematical modeling to reveal systems of power and privilege? This session invites participants to explore justice-centered modeling tasks on issues such as gerrymandering, housing, and climate change. Using authentic district maps and data, participants will analyze how mathematics can expose and challenge unfair voting boundaries. Grounded in critical mathematics education, the session highlights how modeling can cultivate students’ civic reasoning, agency, and ethical awareness. Participants will gain practical frameworks for designing learning experiences that position mathematics as a tool for understanding and transforming social realities.
