From Passengers to Explorers: Empowering Agency in the Thinking Classroom

"Engaging the Disengaged Teen" has become a common language for math teachers working to move students from the roles of Resister, Achiever, or Passenger into active Explorers of their own learning. This workshop will share classroom-tested strategies, including a Math Lab staffed by licensed teachers for drop-in or referred support, Level-Up Assessments that allow students to master and retry levels before facing a Final Boss, and “Pick Your Challenge” menus that build student agency. Participants will also explore the use of technology, especially Desmos, to help students visualize and conceptually understand mathematics. Attendees will experience these strategies firsthand and collaborate to build a shared bank of ideas to re-engage students in math.