Middle school students often struggle to connect abstract math concepts to real understanding. Educators also struggle to know how to implement hand-on manipulatives in their allotted instructional time. This session will equip teachers with practical strategies for integrating hands-on manipulatives alongside i-Ready instruction to build conceptual understanding, increase engagement, and support diverse learners. Participants will explore how manipulatives can reinforce i-Ready lessons, support intervention groups, and bridge gaps between digital and physical learning experiences.
My name is Jessica Grauberger and I am a 6th Grade teacher at Chisholm Trail. I have been teaching Middle School Math for 10 years in the Olathe School District.
Wednesday May 27, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am CDT Room 521
Student talk is essential for building deep mathematical understanding, yet many middle school classrooms struggle to move beyond silent work or one-word responses. In order to deeply understand Math, we must talk about it! This session will show teachers how to use built-in i-Ready engagement routines and instructional strategies to spark meaningful math conversations. Participants will learn how to turn i-Ready lessons into opportunities for discourse, reasoning, and collaboration—helping students explain their thinking, justify answers, and learn from one another.
My name is Jessica Grauberger and I am a 6th Grade teacher at Chisholm Trail. I have been teaching Middle School Math for 10 years in the Olathe School District.
Wednesday May 27, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm CDT Room 521
Student talk is essential for building deep mathematical understanding, yet many middle school classrooms struggle to move beyond silent work or one-word responses. In order to deeply understand Math, we must talk about it! This session will show teachers how to use built-in i-Ready engagement routines and instructional strategies to spark meaningful math conversations. Participants will learn how to turn i-Ready lessons into opportunities for discourse, reasoning, and collaboration—helping students explain their thinking, justify answers, and learn from one another.
My name is Jessica Grauberger and I am a 6th Grade teacher at Chisholm Trail. I have been teaching Middle School Math for 10 years in the Olathe School District.
Wednesday May 27, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm CDT Room 521
This session will provide an overview of findings from the 2025 Kansas Teacher Retention Survey, conducted during the second quarter of the school year. With a strong response rate from Olathe educators, the data offers a highly representative view of the secondary teacher experience across USD 233. Participants will receive a brief foundation of the research approach, followed by a summary of key district-level findings related to teacher experience, engagement, and factors influencing retention. The session will then transition into a facilitated focus group, where secondary educators will have the opportunity to reflect on the data, share perspectives, and provide context that helps deepen understanding of the results. The goal of this session is to pair quantitative findings with educator voice to better understand what is shaping the secondary teaching experience in USD 233.
This session is specific to i-Ready Math and intended for Olathe Middle School Math Teachers, Resource Teachers, Administrators, Coaches - Grades 6-8
Description: After a full year of implementation, it’s time to take a closer look. In this session, we’ll revisit an upcoming i-Ready Classroom Mathematics units with a deeper lens- clarifying learning goals, unpacking the math, and making sense of the instructional progression. Building on your first-year experience, we’ll refine planning decisions to better support student understanding and long-term growth.Outcomes:
Revisit and refine unit-level math goals based on Year 1 insights
Analyze the progression of concepts, models, and strategies more deeply
Adjust pacing to better support student thinking and assessment
Use curriculum resources more intentionally and efficiently
If you’d like to continue the work and reflection from this session, consider joining an i-Ready workshop session or exploring the self-paced continuation option.
This session is specific to i-Ready Math and intended for Olathe Middle School Math Teachers, Resource Teachers, Administrators, Coaches - Grades 6-8
Description: Too much help? Students disengage. Too little? Students shut down. So where’s the sweet spot? In this session, we’ll explore how to strike the right balance to keep students thinking, grappling, and growing. Through hands-on work with i-Ready Classroom Mathematics tasks, we’ll unpack what productive struggle really means- and how to make it a consistent part of your classroom culture.Outcomes:
Reflect on beliefs about struggle and student learning
Recognize the difference between productive and unproductive struggle
Explore strategies to support students without removing the thinking
Strengthen classroom norms that position struggle as part of success
If you’d like to continue the work and reflection from this session, consider joining an i-Ready workshop session or exploring the self-paced continuation option.
This session is specific to i-Ready Math and intended for Olathe Middle School Math Teachers, Resource Teachers, Administrators, Coaches - Grades 6-8
Description: After a full year of implementation, it’s time to take a closer look. In this session, we’ll revisit an upcoming i-Ready Classroom Mathematics units with a deeper lens- clarifying learning goals, unpacking the math, and making sense of the instructional progression. Building on your first-year experience, we’ll refine planning decisions to better support student understanding and long-term growth.Outcomes:
Revisit and refine unit-level math goals based on Year 1 insights
Analyze the progression of concepts, models, and strategies more deeply
Adjust pacing to better support student thinking and assessment
Use curriculum resources more intentionally and efficiently
If you’d like to continue the work and reflection from this session, consider joining an i-Ready workshop session or exploring the self-paced continuation option.
Curious about teaching a new middle school elective? This session provides an overview of pre-built courses, units, and lessons for required semester electives and leadership classes, helping teachers understand the structure and confidently implement engaging, ready-to-use materials with their students.
This session is specific to i-Ready Math and intended for Olathe Middle School Math Teachers, Resource Teachers, Administrators, Coaches - Grades 6-8
Description: Too much help? Students disengage. Too little? Students shut down. So where’s the sweet spot? In this session, we’ll explore how to strike the right balance to keep students thinking, grappling, and growing. Through hands-on work with i-Ready Classroom Mathematics tasks, we’ll unpack what productive struggle really means- and how to make it a consistent part of your classroom culture.Outcomes:
Reflect on beliefs about struggle and student learning
Recognize the difference between productive and unproductive struggle
Explore strategies to support students without removing the thinking
Strengthen classroom norms that position struggle as part of success
If you’d like to continue the work and reflection from this session, consider joining an i-Ready workshop session or exploring the self-paced continuation option.
