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Warren Township teachers describe 'building thinking classrooms' approach; board hears phased rollout
Summary
Teachers from Warren Township High School District 121 told the board they are using 'building thinking classrooms' strategies—group whiteboard work, rotating roles and teacher facilitation—after multi‑year professional development; board members praised engagement and asked staff to track outcomes for broader adoption.
Greg Janzick, lead teacher at the Old Plain campus, and Keith Krompow, lead teacher at the Almond campus, presented the Board of Education of Warren Township High School District 121 with the district's multi‑year rollout of Building Thinking Classrooms on Feb. 17.
Janzick said the work began after a group of teachers attended national conferences in October 2023 and that the district supported follow‑up study and purchases to implement the approach. "We did a quick book study, started in October 2023," he said, describing teacher trips to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and subsequent site visits that helped inform classroom practice.
Krompow described how classrooms use visibly random groups of three or four students working at four‑by‑four whiteboards, with students rotating responsibilities so each student serves as scribe, speaker or observer. "We're more of a facilitator," Krompow said, explaining that teachers circulate and prompt deeper thinking rather than delivering long lectures.
Board members asked about barriers and evidence. Presenters acknowledged adoption is uneven; they cited constraints such as full classes and classroom size but said many teachers—roughly 20 across both campuses—have participated in PD and that engagement during tasks is high. "Anecdotally, participation is 90‑plus percent," Krompow said. The presenters also described district purchases of mounted whiteboards and a plan to use department professional learning time (PLTs) to align tasks across units.
The board expressed support for the instructional shift. One member said hearing about classroom practice at a board meeting helps "focus us on our purpose, which is teaching and learning." Several members encouraged tracking outcomes and presenting data or student testimony at future meetings.
The presentation concluded with the board thanking the teachers and noting district investment in materials and PD. The district did not adopt a new policy or allocate additional recurring funds during the meeting; board members asked staff to continue monitoring implementation and to bring evaluation details back to a future meeting.
