DCSD MathFest 2026

Join us anytime between 7:30-8:00am for a coffee bar and networking with collegues!

We preach that ALL students can learn math, but the data is painting a devastating picture of MANY students not learning math. Why? We hang posters in our classrooms, make t-shirts, and theme conferences around the mantra. Why aren’t the posters, t-shirts, and mantras working? We cannot preach that ALL students can learn math when we teach in a way that makes learning math inaccessible to so many. Recent breakthroughs in cognitive science reveal hidden needs for students to rise and thrive to unprecedented levels of mathematical achievement. These 7 unconscious pre-requisites are the unexpected difference makers in transforming students from apathy to achievement. Join best-selling author and international speaker for a fast-paced, engaging keynote to discover the tools you need to ensure ALL students learn math.

Have you ever had a day of teaching math to students that felt more like pulling teeth. You push, pull, twist, bend, do a cartwheel, whatever – and they still don’t budge. But you are not a dentist, and you sure aren't paid like one. Whether it is trying to get them to do an assignment, participate in an activity, or contribute to a class discussion, some days it feels like you are doing all the pulling. Instead of the dentist-derived gymnastics, you'll find tremendous success (and relief) by simply tapping into the brain's natural motivation systems. In this session we will unpack the brain’s three hard-wired motivators that work to motivate any student regardless of age, subject, background, etc. We will explore dozens of strategies that can get students “ready” to learn math at any grade level.

Join us for a lunch provided by the Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment department.  

Please RSVP in SCHED to enjoy a free lunch provided by DCSD Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.
Gluten-free and vegetarian meals will be available—email [email protected] and [email protected] to confirm your preference.

Once students are “ready” to learn, we’ll turn our attention to how to design our instruction to optimize the brain’s natural way of learning. We’ll explore the leading causes of cognitive load and what MTV can teach us about how to create learning that sticks in the brain. MTV revolutionized how we experience music. The same revolution is needed in our math classrooms. In this session we’ll uncover three lessons we can take from MTV to create math lessons that align with the brain’s dominant systems for learning. It will be an interactive and engaging session full of learning, reflection, and applying new strategies to better support student learning.

Tired of spending the first 6 weeks of school reteaching all the math concepts students learned last year? Tired of spending your Monday’s reteaching last week’s content? Learning is only useful if we remember it and can apply it. In this session we’ll dive into the brain’s memory systems to solve the mystery of why students forget what we taught them last week and how to minimize forgetting to maximize retention. Prepare for a multitude of ah-ha’s as you learn the four best tools to make the math stick.