Have you ever looked up from helping a student or doing a task and wondered how your classroom became so loud so quickly? One minute, your students are excitedly discussing their designs or helping a teammate debug code. Next, someone is calling across the room for tape. Another group is
There is something exciting about teaching a special area class. Whether you teach STEM, technology, library, art, music, or another enrichment subject, you have the opportunity to create memorable experiences your students look forward to each week. The challenge, though, is that most of us don’t see our classes every
Starting a new elementary STEM class or program can feel exciting and completely overwhelming at the same time. You may be staring at a pile of random supplies, a blank lesson plan, a new schedule, and a room full of students who are ready to build something immediately. You want
When I first became a STEM teacher, I remember looking around my STEM classroom and feeling like every teacher on social media seemed to have the perfect setup. Robots were rolling across tables. Giant makerspace carts overflowing with supplies. Bins filled with every building material imaginable. Meanwhile, I was standing
You know that moment when you’re told to “incorporate more STEM and technology,” but no one actually shows you how to do it? You sit there thinking about your schedule, your supplies, and your students, and it quickly turns into one more thing on your plate instead of something exciting
Between lesson planning, meetings, and everything else on your plate, adding a STEM night to your to-do list can feel like just one more overwhelming task. But with the right structure in place, it can actually become one of the most rewarding and manageable events of the year. A well-planned
If you’ve ever handed your students a handful of LEGOs, you know the magic that happens next. Their faces light up, imaginations take off, and the classroom hums with excitement. What I love most about using LEGOs (or any snap-together building blocks) in the classroom is that they make learning
When I think about coding for kids, I can’t help but get excited about the possibilities. Coding isn’t just about typing lines of code or creating flashy games. It’s about helping our kids develop problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and creativity. As STEM and technology teachers, we know that giving our
When I first started teaching STEM and Technology to my students, I quickly realized that I needed more than just fun challenges and cool tech tools. I needed to help my students become better teammates. That’s when team building activities became one of my favorite tools to build community and
Catch a Leprechaun? Challenge Accepted! Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, mischievous little leprechauns sneak around causing trouble, leaving behind tiny footprints, and, of course, hiding their pots of gold. What if this year, your students had the chance to catch one? That’s where my Leprechaun Trap Challenge comes in.
When it comes to STEM challenges, I’m always on the hunt for hands-on activities that get my students collaborating and thinking creatively. One type of challenge that is a favorite among my students is when they get to build a zipline! This challenge is also one of my favorites because
Coding can seem like an overwhelming or complicated skill set to a lot of our kiddos. They think only the smart kids can do it. My favorite thing is to prove to them they can all be coders! We just need to start with the basics. I discovered that setting
