It’s easy to get into a routine, and sometimes routines turn into ruts in our classrooms! Because our students have different learning styles, skills, and talents, we should try to honor that as often as possible in as many ways as possible. One area we can add to our repertoire is the planning step of […]
Student Planning Methods for STEM Challenges Read More »
I love, love, love this communication activity! It’s simple, but powerful, and adjustable to any age. In fact, when I was using this with my niece (age 4) and nephew (age 12), my brother (age 36) couldn’t help himself and asked to join in. I’m dying for everyone to try this out, so I’ve created
Halloween Speak, Listen, Draw Activity Read More »
Using candy in the classroom has become a debate point, and for good reason. We should be conscious of helping students understand the importance of good nutrition, but I think you can do that and still subscribe to the “all things in moderation” philosophy. Introducing a little sweetness, on occasion, to graphing can turn an
Graphing with Skittles Read More »
STEM Challenges can be absolute MAGIC in our classrooms when done well, but we sometimes inadvertently undermine some of the best benefits! Teaching is tough. We’re responsible for so many things! Just one of those is helping students develop grit to help them be successful in their adult lives. STEM Challenges can help
STOP Making 3 Common STEM Challenge Mistakes Read More »
If you ask me, every day is a good day for a STEM challenge! The reality in most classrooms is that we’re doing a great job to get in one challenge a week. And if we’re going to choose a day, I think Fridays make the most sense for several reasons. Check out my
5 Reasons to Do STEM Challenges Every Friday Read More »
If you’re here, you might already know how passionate I am about STEM challenges. I just don’t know a surer, quicker, more enjoyable way to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and growth mindset skills like persistence, resilience, and self-reliance. But these, and other, benefits of STEM Challenges are only realized when you set up and run
PD: Successful, Substantive STEM Challenges Read More »
Parent volunteers can be such a help, but if you aren’t careful, they can also distract, detract, or even derail your STEM Challenges! It’s very important to take just a few minutes to help parents — and any other adults in your classroom — understand the student benefits of challenges and how to properly facilitate.
The Delights & Dangers of Parent Volunteers Read More »
As the summer winds down, and you’re planning to begin another school year, the feelings are usually mixed, aren’t they? The anticipation of a fresh start is energizing, but the end of wearing pajamas all day just ’cause you can feels like a loss to be mourned! My advice: focus on the positive. The beginning
Top 10 Reasons to Start the School Year with STEM Challenges Read More »
If you’re looking for a straight-forward challenge with the simplest of materials, Card Towers will be right up your alley! This one is a classic, but I’ve got a few ideas to make some tweaks to fire up the imagination and engagement! And this is a special post for the blog/vlog because it means I’ve finally caught
STEM Challenge: Card Towers Read More »
As I look back on my life, there were several seminal moments that lead to me becoming completely obsessed with the power of STEM Challenges. We’re nearing the 47th anniversary of one of those moments. While I wasn’t actually alive for the Apollo 13 mission (launched April 11, 1970), the 1995 movie that dramatized it
Apollo 13: The Ultimate STEM Challenge Read More »
