Blog•Apr 5, 2026
Coaching Letter #230
Isobel Stevenson’s Coaching Letter #230 explores the concept of optimization, arguing that systems inevitably trade off speed, quality, and cost and must deliberately choose a single variable to maximize. She illustrates how education has defaulted to optimizing for immediate, grade‑centric outcomes, which narrows tasks and stifles deeper thinking. By contrast, the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) model reorients optimization toward long‑term intellectual growth, tolerating short‑term struggle for lasting competence. Stevenson also promotes the 2026 Building Thinking Classrooms Conference in New Haven, priced at $585 for the main event and $275 for pre‑conference sessions.
