Luck is in the air! Being Irish, I’ve always loved St. Patty’s Day, but it is often a holiday that comes and goes in the classroom without much notice other than wearing our green. Now, I’ve created five St. Patrick’s Day activities using new STEM design challenges that will be a fantastic way to pay […]
5 Valuable Valentine’s Day STEM Activities
If you’re like me, then you hate to waste a second of precious instructional minutes. On the other hand, you also loathe feeling like the “mean” teacher when all the other classes are having Valentine’s Day parties. The perfect solution to your problem is here! Valentine’s Day STEM activities are challenges that push your students […]
Is Your Writing a Shack or a Mansion?_part 3
Part 3: Drafting This is the third in a four-part series. Click to see Part 1: Brainstorming. Click to see Part 2: Outlining. I used to assume I didn’t need to model drafting paragraphs from outlines with students in grades 5th and up. They’d been writing paragraphs for 3+ years at that point, so they surely […]
Is Your Writing a Shack or a Mansion?_part 2
Step 2: Outlines This is the second in a four-part series. Click to see Part 1: Brainstorming. Just as you need to create blueprints for a home, one has to plan the framework of an essay. Because I often teach planning and outlining before intro/opening and conclusion/closing paragraphs (OP and CP, respectively), I have students […]
Is Your Writing a Shack or a Mansion?_part 1
How many houses do you suppose you have seen in your lifetime? Would you estimate the time you have spent inside houses to be considerable? If you close your eyes, can you vividly see the details of your dream home? Can’t you almost feel the front door handle in the palm of your hand? Yet, if […]
5 Incredible Winter or Christmas STEM Activities
Looking for creative ways to keep your students engaged during this festive season and celebrate the magic of this exciting time of year? These winter and Christmas STEM activities will surely help you harness some of that holiday energy and direct it toward intentional, educational STEM challenges designed to encourage imaginative thinking and nurture your […]
5 Thanksgiving STEM Challenge Activities
Looking for creative ways to keep your students engaged during this hectic time of year and honor the history and cultural diversity behind the Thanksgiving holiday? These Thanksgiving-themed STEM activities will certainly add a dash of excitement to your classroom. Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude and growth, and what better way to embrace the […]
5 Halloween STEM Challenge Activities
5 Halloween STEM Activities to engage students throughout October!
Weak-Willed and Risk-Averse: STEMming the Tide of Fragile Cowards
Baby or college student? Professors suggest there isn’t much difference. Recently, several articles have been popping up (like this one) in which colleges or employers decry the lack of resilience in their adult students or employees. Years of ever-increasing helicopter parenting and unconditional self-esteem building has resulted in adults so shielded from any sort of […]
6 Ways to Survive Teaching Writing
Is less more, or is more more when it comes to teaching writing? When teaching writing, sometimes the most helpful thing is knowing when less is more and when more is more. Writing can be one of the hardest subjects to teach. Often, students don’t want to do it, and teachers don’t want to read […]