When it comes to Building Thinking Classrooms, few voices carry as much weight as Peter Liljedahl. As the author of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K–12, he has spent decades researching best practices and helping teachers transform how students learn, think, and collaborate.
Recently, Peter took The Thinking Desk for a test drive in real classrooms, and the results are worth watching.
Seeing the Desk in Action
Peter visited a classroom in St. Helena where students were actively solving problems, collaborating, and using the Thinking Desks as vertical, non-permanent surfaces, exactly the conditions he advocates in his BTC framework.
In his video responses, Peter highlights:
How the desk supports movement and flexibility that traditional furniture doesn’t allow.
How vertical surfaces make student thinking visible, helping teachers quickly understand where students are in their problem-solving.
How the furniture itself needs to encourage mistakes, which are essential for deep understanding.
He even notes that the desk removes environmental barriers, letting teachers focus on what matters most: facilitating thinking, not managing space.
Why Peter Supports The Thinking Desk
“I’ve seen teachers struggle with space and furniture limitations for years,” Peter says. “The Thinking Desk addresses a real classroom problem; it’s built to make thinking visible and collaboration natural. This is the kind of practical tool that can accelerate the impact of Building Thinking Classrooms.”
His endorsement underscores a simple truth: changing instruction is only part of the puzzle. The physical environment must also support thinking.
Watch the Video
See Peter’s full reactions to using The Thinking Desk in a 3-minute video here.
Whether you’re a teacher looking to energize your classroom or a school leader planning for the scalable implementation of BTC, seeing The Thinking Desk in real classrooms makes the potential clear.
Bring The Thinking Desk to Your School
Transform your classroom from a traditional space into one where thinking thrives.
Learn more, see real classrooms, and request pricing here.
