Welcome Back to School & Attending the NCTM Conference in Denver

Start-of-Year Inspiration & Resources
New 1-Minute Animated Film Sharing the value of teaching conceptually for ALL students. View the video here.	Growth Mindset Posters Fill your walls with powerful reminders like "Mistakes and Challenges are the Best Time for Your Brain to Learn" and "Understanding is More Important than Speed." Download our posters here.	Student Videos: 4 Boosting Messages Kick off the year with a short, inspiring video that encourages confidence, persistence, and creative thinking in maths. Watch the video here.
WIM Start-of-Year Videos Our Week of Inspirational Maths (WIM) videos deliver key messages for building a positive classroom culture from day one. Access them here.	WIM Tasks Invite students to experience mathematics as engaging, visual, creative, and deeply connected. Perfect for setting a collaborative tone at the start of the school year. Explore WIM tasks here.	Free Online Student Course Encourage students to develop a growth mindset about maths at their own pace - anytime, anywhere. Students who take this course are 68% more engaged in maths class afterwards! Check it out here.
Other classroom essentials like hand sanitizers and Kleenex can go a long way to minimize the spread of germs.

Practical Practices for Attending the NCTM Conference

Attending a conference with hundreds of sessions can feel overwhelming, but with a few strategic practices, you can maximize your professional growth and enjoy the experience. These practices came from CCTM Board Members, click here to inquire about joining CCTM.

1. Planning & Session Selection

• Establish a Note-Taking Strategy: Plan in advance how you want to capture and organize key insights so you can easily reference them after the conference.

• Use the NCTM Central App: Utilize the app to search for sessions by keywords, topics, capturing notes, and find / connect with speakers.

• Align with Growth Goals: Choose sessions that align with your professional growth plan to ensure you are filling your professional bucket.

• Balance Big Names & Small Sessions: While big-name speakers are inspiring, smaller sessions and research poster sessions often offer rich, practical takeaways and high-energy interactions.

• Have a Backup Plan: Popular sessions can reach capacity quickly, so always have a secondary option lined up for each time block.

2. Navigating the Experience

• Practice the "Law of Two Feet": You are attending for your own professional growth. If a session isn't the right fit for you, it is completely okay to leave and try another session.

• Seek Variety & Cross-Grade Ideas: Mix up large keynotes with small workshops, and consider stepping outside your comfort zone—such as a high school teacher attending an elementary session to gain fresh perspectives.

• Participate in Special Events: Look for unique opportunities like the TI Math Walk, Friday night Ignite, the Iris Carl session, or interactive social activities.

3. Networking, Reflection, & Pacing

• Pace Yourself & Plan Breaks: With so much happening, it is easy to get overwhelmed. You don't have to attend every session—build in downtime to recharge.

• Connect & Collaborate: Use breaks and open moments to talk with colleagues, network with other educators, and bounce ideas off one another.