00:00

Are you a former classroom teacher who has switched to the STEM space? Or maybe you are thinking about switching to STEM, but you are unsure that you are qualified for this position? I get it. Making a change in the teaching world can be scary, especially in a topic like STEM, which has abundant resources but really limited support for teachers. 

00:27

In today's episode, I will be sharing with you why classroom teachers make great STEM teachers and how your past experiences are an asset in the STEM space. 

01:10

Like many of you, I am also a former classroom teacher turned current K through five STEM teacher. I taught in the general education classroom for six years. My first two years were in second grade, and my next four were in third grade. I loved the classroom setting. In addition, I had the opportunity to attend many conferences in my area, including ITSE when they came to Denver and InnEdCo. With these experiences and other online trainings, I found a spark and passion for technology in STEM and hands-on learning. I also loved the school I was teaching at when I was teaching third grade. It was an amazing school, but sadly, my district didn't pay very well. I knew if I went to a neighboring district, I could teach third grade again but make significantly more. However, I was even more interested in having a STEM position and furthering my teaching career differently. Luckily for me, there was a position for a K through five STEM teacher. 

02:19

Today, I am here to tell you why your experience in the classroom is an asset in the STEM space. I am so grateful for my six years in the classroom before this STEM position because there are a lot of skills I don't think I would have gained without that prior experience. Now, if you aren't a former classroom teacher and you're listening to this, and you're sad that you don't have previous experience as a classroom teacher, don't worry. It is okay. I will say that many teachers I have talked to by email, through my online courses, and social media have been in the classroom before, and then they are thrown into this role of STEM. So, much like I was, I'm here to tell you that that experience is super valuable. 

02:19

If you go back to Episode One, I talked about my interview for the STEM position, how I thought I didn't even get the job, and how I was very sad about that. Well, here I am. I am a K through five STEM teacher. When I got this job, I got a newly remodeled classroom, a school and district that was new to me, and zero curriculum. I know how it can be very overwhelming to have this brand new experience. You may feel scared and like an impostor or think you're not qualified for this position. 

03:49

Here are three major reasons why your previous classroom teaching experience will help you when you step into a STEM role. First, when teaching in the general classroom before your STEM role, you have the power of your classroom management skills. This is an extreme asset that you will be so lucky that you have when you teach multiple classes a day. With your teaching background, you understand that structure, systems, and routines are important in your classroom setting. The same is true in the STEM special space. Even though it is a fun and amazing creative class, having those rules and routines will greatly improve your classroom's success. 

04:36

In my STEM teacher 101 Course, I share with you a checklist of ideas of things to go over with your K through five STEM classes that you'll enjoy implementing in your new position. Also, with your classroom management strategies and teaching experience, you understand that behavior management is extremely important. You understand the importance of building relationships with students, parent communication, and communication with the classroom teachers, which we'll talk about in a little bit. 

05:11

Back in Episode Eight, we talked about behavior management strategies. So go back and take a listen. With your experience, you will understand where I'm coming from. In addition to your prior experience, you know how to be flexible and adapt. We know in teaching that it can get crazy. It won't always go as planned, even if you have a plan. So you have to be creative and quick on your toes. Whether this comes to the lesson you're teaching, a fire drill that is happening, or you might have to write sub plans at the last minute, you have that experience that will be extremely helpful in your STEM space. You'll be so grateful for all those tips and tricks you've learned along the way that you can be successful in this new classroom setting. 

06:01

Another great benefit of being a classroom teacher before becoming a STEM teacher is you know how to lesson plan. I didn't realize how big of an asset this was until, again, I was given a classroom with a handful of tools and zero curriculum. Having a well-thought-out lesson plan that is aligned to standards is still important in the STEM space, and if you already know how to do it, you're going to be so grateful for all the different types of lesson plan templates and ideas that you have come up with over the years. Then, you can pull from that experience to help you plan your STEM lesson. 

06:39

Now, you might not have had the same amazing tools as before, but you have experience with lesson planning that will make a great and important impact on your students. You also understand what the flow of a lesson should be. So, instead of having kids run into your classroom and get started right away, you know the importance of having a short mini-lesson to teach the skills that students will be using in their lesson and giving students that independent work time with conferencing along the way. 

07:12

We will do future episodes about specific lesson planning, but you are way more prepared than you think. So trust your instincts and teaching skills, and remember that you are in this position for a reason. You have the skills it takes to be a STEM teacher. Along with that, you also know how to research ideas and collaborate with other teachers. I highly recommend reaching out to other STEM teachers in your district or neighboring districts. You can meet collaboratively to gather ideas and bounce things off one another. 

07:48

It can get a little lonely in the STEM space if you are the only STEM teacher in your building. Although I am the only STEM teacher in my building, I have an amazing team of other specialist teachers, but we do teach different subjects. We can help each other a little bit, but what we're doing is completely different. So it is a little tricky when it comes to wanting to bounce ideas off of each other. They're not always the go-to people for those specific lessons. If you can, reach out to other teachers in your district. I also recommend joining my free Facebook group, the Elementary STEM Coach group. I'll link that in the show notes. In my free Facebook group, you can chat with other teachers from all over the world and bounce off ideas in there. Also, in the STEM teacher one-on-one course, there's even a more private course, so you guys can talk about the things you're learning together and dive in deeper. 

08:42

The third way that classroom teachers make excellent STEM teachers is you understand a classroom teacher's viewpoint because you were one. I was very surprised by how fast the time went coming into the STEM space. I grew more of an appreciation for this specials teachers. You know that the time the kids are away in specials or whatever you call them, we call them specials in my school, but you know that time away is so sacred to you as a classroom teacher. So you, on the other side, understand where classroom teachers are coming from and how you can protect their time, engage your students and provide them the best experience, even though that time is super limited. 

09:31

You also understand how to talk to classroom teachers about specific academic or behavior needs. You know that time is really quick. You've been that classroom teacher dropping off your students. So you are on the other side now, so you know when you should talk to them immediately or discuss an issue with them later. It's having that partnership with the classroom teachers instead of being isolated part of the day. You have a full perspective of what the whole day as a teacher looks like since you've been a classroom teacher, and you know what's happening in specials. I feel like the conversations I have with specials teachers who were classroom teachers and those who have only been specialist teachers are completely different. It even impacts how we think about the schedules in the buildings and the different types of duties that we have outside of the classroom. It shifts your perspective, and it is a huge difference. So don't worry. You being in the classroom is definitely a good thing. 

10:33

Today was a quick episode but needed to help you stay encouraged and know that you are in the right place. You have that spark in you. STEM is the next path of your education journey, so don't get discouraged. You have the skills to do it, especially if you have already been hired. You have something in you that your hiring committee sees in you, and you are going in the right direction. 

11:01

Here's a recap of the three reasons why classroom teachers make great STEM teachers: you have classroom management experience, know how to lesson plan, and understand a classroom teacher's point of view. I am so grateful that I get to help support you with my podcast and provide various types of resources for you. This is why I am on a mission to help change STEM education. I would love to help you even further with my self-paced course, STEM teacher 101. Within this course, you will get access to a private community where you can chat with other STEM teachers who are also in the same position as you and dive deeper into certain topics. Also, you will receive the materials to help you build a strong foundation through your systems and routines in the STEM space, learn integrated planning models that can change the way you teach STEM, and bring higher-level thinking to your classroom. This will be all linked in the show notes for you, so you can check it out and join us today. Again, I am so glad that you are here. You are on the right path! I will chat with you in the next episode.