Back to School with Math Expressions: Which Summer Workshop Is Right for You?
Shannon Kiebler 
Teaching Math Expressions? Explore two free workshops to strengthen your classroom routines and understand Minnesota's new math standards.
Teaching Math Expressions at the beginning of the school year is exciting...but it can also feel overwhelming.
There's something special about a brand-new school year. Fresh school supplies. A clean classroom. New students. A chance to refine what worked well last year and rethink what didn't. Every August feels like a fresh start, and that's one of the things I love most about teaching.
But if you've taught with Math Expressions for any length of time, you also know that the weeks before students arrive can feel like a race against the clock.
You want your classroom organized. Your routines in place. Your manipulatives ready. You want to think through your first Math Expressions lessons, review your pacing, and make sure you're setting your students up for success from Day One. If you're in Minnesota, you may also be wondering how the new math standards fit into everything you're already doing.
It's a lot. But there is hope.
The goal isn't to do more before school starts. It's to spend your time on the things that will make teaching easier once students arrive.
When I started planning this year's Summer Series, I realized there were several topics I wanted to teach– classroom routines, planning your first Math Expressions lessons, mathematical discourse, and Minnesota's new math standards. Every one of those topics felt important because every one of them has the potential to make your year easier.
Rather than deciding on my own, I asked our community what would be most helpful.
The response surprised me.
Teachers weren't asking for one workshop.
They were asking for two very different kinds of support.
Some wanted practical ideas for creating a stronger start with Math Expressions to include better routines, smoother systems, and a clear plan for those first few weeks of school.
Others wanted help understanding Minnesota's new math standards and how those changes connect to the Math Expressions curriculum they're already using every day.
Honestly, I couldn't choose between them either.
So this year, I decided not to.
Instead, we're offering two workshops each designed to solve a different challenge, but both built around the same goal: helping you head into the school year with more clarity and a practical plan.
Back to School with Math Expressions
If your biggest goal is creating a smoother start to the school year, this workshop is for you.
After working with Math Expressions teachers for years, I've noticed that the educators who feel the most successful in October aren't necessarily the ones who spent the most time preparing in August. They're the ones who spent their time preparing the right things.
They've established classroom routines that students understand. They've intentionally planned how they'll use the resources already built into Math Expressions. They've created opportunities for students to talk about math, think mathematically, and become active participants in the learning process.
Those decisions may seem small during the first few weeks of school, but they have a lasting impact throughout the year.
In Back to School with Math Expressions, we'll focus on practical classroom routines, instructional systems, planning strategies, and ready-to-use resources that fit naturally within the curriculum so you can spend less time reinventing the wheel and more time doing what you do best: teaching.
Minnesota Math Standards with Math Expressions
If you're teaching in Minnesota, this school year brings another important question: What actually needs to change?
That's exactly what this workshop is designed to answer.
The truth is, not everything is changing. Many mathematical concepts remain the same. Some benchmarks have shifted grade levels. Others have been revised, expanded, or are unique to Minnesota.
The challenge is knowing which is which.
Instead of asking teachers to spend their summer comparing standards documents and curriculum guides, I did the work for you.
I've completed a lesson-by-lesson, benchmark-by-benchmark alignment of Math Expressions to the new Minnesota Math Standards. Together, we'll look at what's already aligned, where additional support is needed, and which expectations are truly unique to Minnesota so you can make informed instructional decisions without starting from scratch.
My goal isn't to give you more work.
It's to give you a roadmap.
Which Workshop Is Right for You?
If you're looking for practical ways to strengthen your Math Expressions classroom, join me for Back to School with Math Expressions.
If you're preparing for Minnesota's new math standards, Minnesota Math Standards with Math Expressions will give you the clarity you're looking for.
And if you're a Minnesota teacher using Math Expressions...you’re welcome to join both!
Teaching has never been about having all the answers before the first day of school. It's about continuing to learn, refine, and grow alongside your students. My hope is that these workshops help you spend less time wondering what to do next and more time feeling confident about the decisions you're making for your classroom.
I'd love to have you join me this summer.
Math Expressions Teachers and Leaders, Join Us!
Whether you're preparing your classroom, planning your Math Expressions year, or navigating Minnesota's new math standards, there's a workshop designed with you in mind.
📝 Back to School with Math Expressions
Build stronger routines, better systems, and a clear plan for the first weeks of school.
Save your spot to the BTS workshop here
🍎 Minnesota Math Standards with Math Expressions
Understand what's changing, where Math Expressions already aligns, and what steps to take before the school year begins.
Reserve your free spot to these FREE workshops just for Math Expressions educators. I can't wait to see you!
Categories: : back to school