RefreshED 2025

True mathematical proficiency goes beyond memorizing steps—it’s rooted in deep conceptual understanding. In this session, educators will explore why building conceptual understanding is essential for helping students make meaningful connections, transfer learning to new situations, and develop mathematical confidence. Together, we’ll unpack the difference between procedural fluency and conceptual knowledge, examine how they support one another, and engage in math tasks that model what conceptual learning looks like in action. Participants will leave with practical, high-impact strategies that promote sense-making, reasoning, and student discourse—key components in creating a math classroom where every learner can thrive.

Unpack the major pitfalls that students encounter when trying to be "problem performers" instead of "problem solvers". Understand what strategies ACTUALLY help students unpack math problems to determine the best path to solve.