8 Quotes for Growth Mindset in STEM

By now, you’ve all heard of growth mindset but how does this relate to the STEM and technology setting? One million percent A LOT! In fact, here are 8 quotes for growth mindset to promote during your next STEM challenge.

There are Amazon affiliate links in this post. When you purchase through my link, it’s no extra cost to you but I get a kick back in return.

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset

Before we dive into how this connects to STEM, let’s get some definitions. What is a fixed mindset? What is a growth mindset?

This video Mindset from Carol Dweck | Animated Core Message breaks this topic down. Could possibly even work for older students!

A fixed mindset is the belief that you have a certain amount of intelligence and can’t surpass that knowledge.

A growth mindset is thinking that you aren’t given a certain amount of intelligence, it’s something you have to work towards. With more effort and time, you can get better at something.

In turn, how does this all connect to the STEM classroom?

Quotes for Growth Mindset

With my time being a K-5 STEM teacher, I developed quotes for growth mindset that worked well in our space. These were growth mindset quotes that I would refer to on a daily basis when working on projects.

Likewise, these sayings can be applied to any regular classroom as well! STEM challenges have a place in any classroom setting. So does growth mindset!

Quotes for Growth Mindset #1: We Do Hard Things

Have you heard any of these phrases in your classroom?

”This is hard!”
”I can’t do it because it’s TOO hard!”
”The challenge is impossible. It can’t be done.”

I sure have. A LOT! STEM is supposed to be challenging. If it wasn’t, everyone would have a STEM job! Giving opportunities for students to express their creativity and critical thinking skills is life changing.

Many answers can be Googled. Nothing wrong with that! However, students need to learn how to think for themselves. In addition, finding solutions to difficult problems aids mindset growth.

Whenever I hear “This is hard!”, I give the kid a high-five and say, “Good! Then I’m doing my job!” Life is HARD. Not everything goes our way! Students need to build those soft skills when faced with a difficult situation.

Quotes for Growth Mindset #2: We are creators with technology, not consumers

Academic technology and using technology for play and two entirely different things.

I’ve heard many teachers say to me, “Well they were born using technology, so they have to be good at it!”. In turn, they see their students struggle with academic technology tasks.

Likewise, I’ve used technology most of my life, but I wasn’t born knowing how to do it. In fact, I am learning new skills daily when creating with technology. Creating with technology is something that you learn, not something you are born with.

Granted, students might have less fear when it comes to using technology. However, students still need to have opportunities that allow them to create and problem solve with technology. With those opportunities, repetition to practice those tasks will build their creating capacity even more.

Some great ways to get started in STEM are:

Seesaw (my #1 go-to! You can even get a free month of Premium by using my link here!)
Coding
3D print design
Stop Motion Animation

Quotes for Growth Mindset #3: We are problem solvers, not problem makers

Being a STEM teacher, one of my goals was to NOT be the gatekeeper of information. I would of course teach new skills and processes when learning new technology. However, I also set up processes in place to help students advocate for themselves.

How can you help your students be a problem solver in STEM?

Create anchor charts of repetitive steps for them to refer back to
Create screencast/video lessons for students to rewatch. Also works great for students who were absent!
Use the management technique “Ask 3 Before Me!” Unless it’s a crazy issue I actually do need to solve, there is usually someone in the class who remembers the steps
Promote helping each other. Tell them that it’s OK to help each other, but they need to be the YouTube tutorial. Don’t touch the other student’s device but talk them through the steps they need to take to solve the problem. I do this with other teachers as well.
Provide a list of common solutions to their problems. Add to this list as lessons progress

Quotes for Growth Mindset #4: We Make Mistakes to Help Us Grow

First of all, did you know that Wilbur and Orville Wright owned a print shop and bicycle shop before they ever got into tackling flight? Once they started inventing flying machines, it definitely took more than once to get something off the ground.

They made TONS of mistakes! Constantly! If they gave up, our airplane history would be a lot different today.

Making mistakes are OK! Not moving past that, is not ok.

In fact, a lof the pencils in my classroom lost erasers quickly and I hardly replaced them. I wanted students to leave their mistakes in their plans and designs. This helped show their growth and process.

This growth mindset quote definitely leads in nicely with our next one.

Quotes for Growth Mindset #5: We practice to make us better

Practice makes BETTER not perfect. I’m sorry to tell you this, but perfect isn’t real. It doesn’t exist. If every kid out there was perfect, I would be out of a job fast.

I’ve often seen students who want to get things exactly right the first time. That’s fine, but what’s not fine is when they get upset when they don’t.

When introducing new challenges, I don’t expect students to be a master at the skill right away, but I do expect practice. This goes back to our problem solving strategies discussed above.

Just like any professional in anything (sports, technology, cooking…) they PRACTICE. ALL.THE.TIME. Students should know that this should be the norm for anything they want to be successful at in life. Practice is a good thing.

Quotes for Growth Mindset #6: We create work that we are proud of

Have you ever made something and you can’t wait to show everyone what you did? This doesn’t have to be school related either; a new room you decorated, a cake you baked, the hair you washed and blow dried (that’s my personal fav.)…

On the flip side, have you ever created something that you didn’t really try at and don’t really care if anyone sees? I’m guilty.

If you are creating something, why not start of being proud of what you are doing? I would often ask my students who would rush through their projects, “Is this something that you are proud of making? Is this showing the world the best that you can do?”

Often responses were a sad little, “No” and they would go back and make changes that showed what they were truly capable of.

STEM challenges are not a race. They take time and effort. And with that, create something that you are proud to share with others.

Quotes for Growth Mindset #7: We Dream Big and Take Risks

One of my biggest dreams growing up was to become a teacher. In my reality, knew that my parents wouldn’t be able to support me financially, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I applied for college without knowing how I would pay for it.

Going to school full-time and working multiple jobs, I graduated college in 4 years. Debt free and teaching license in hand.

Encourage dreams in STEM. Listen to those dreams. The challenges you do in class might inspire students to try projects at home.

Host clubs that spark a passion students never knew they had. Clubs are a great way to meet the needs of students in a different way.

Let students know that your class is a safe space to take a risk and try something new in a project. Often, the coolest ideas come out of this.

Quotes for Growth Mindset #8: We Look at the World in New Ways

Being creative and innovative is looking at the world in new ways. You are trying things that might not be obvious to others.

Think about the STEM challenges you put forth in your class. Are they giving students opportunities for multiple outcomes? Or, do your challenges only have one answer?

It’s ok to teach students the same skills to help them be successful on a project. For example, I teach all of my students how to log into Seesaw and take a photo of their work. (You can get a free month of Premium by using my link here!) However, the photos of their work should all look different.

Make sure there are projects and challenges that allow students to be creative and explore possible solutions.

Posters of Growth Mindset Quotes

I have all of these growth mindset sayings posted in my STEM classroom year round. They are located in a place where it’s easy to see and refer to.

Since they are low-ink friendly, I printed mine on bright Astro Bright paper and cut them out by hand. Easy!

You can print and cut them for your class as well. Find these Growth Mindset Quotes for STEM here.

In conclusion, which growth mindset quotes do you already use? What else would you add to this list? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

For People Wondering “What Does a STEM Teacher Do?”

by Naomi Meredith

So what does a STEM teacher do all week?

One of the biggest questions I get is what does a STEM teacher do all week? I know that the role of being a K-5 STEM teacher looks different in every school. Let me share my typical week with you and I’m sure you’ll find some things that we have in common.

After 6 years teaching in the general education classroom, I took my experiences and applied them to K-5 STEM teacher.

Since this would be my third school, third district. I would teach over 600 students a month! This was a learning curve, but the right amount of challenge that I was looking for.

Monday:

First, comes Monday. My first year in this position, I taught extension Gifted and Talented groups for 3rd-5th grades. I extended the learning of GT students identified in Science.

With my Gifted and Talented groups, we worked on Project Based Learning experiences. We accomplished two projects. Each project connected to what they were learning in class.

The following year, Mondays looked different. I would teach 2 grade levels all day, 7-8 classes, and students would come into my room for a Bonus STEM class. Classroom teachers would get extra plan time while I taught their kids in STEM. This extra time was amazing since this allowed me to have them finish up projects from previous weeks, build background knowledge on upcoming projects or even introduce fun, one day lessons like Doodle For Google.

What is co-teaching like?

Tuesday:

Next, is Tuesday. This day was reserved for me to co-teach with other teachers in their classroom and also work on school-wide technology management. With my prior classroom experience, I was able to help teachers integrate technology and STEM naturally into their lessons.

Importantly, lessons would look different, depending on the teacher’s needs. Some needed more guidance where I would teach the lesson and they would observe and help with classroom management throughout the lesson. This would allow teachers to see how a lesson with technology integration could be taught, and be carried on during the days I am not there.

Try this co-teaching lesson

A popular lesson that I taught with grade 3rd-5th grade was the basics of Google tools, like Google Docs, Drive and Slides. These lessons were in the form of a scavenger hunt where students have to find the tool and try it before moving on to the next task. You can find these scavenger hunts for your classes here.

Other teachers who were more comfortable with their technology, my role was more of me teaching the lesson with them side by side. We would both take active roles when teaching the lesson as well as sharing equal parts when working with students.

Often on this Tuesday, planning for future lessons would take place. This allowed the opportunity for me to share resources with grade level teams and plan ahead for the next time I would be in their classrooms.

I also would reserve time to work on basic technology management in our building. Some of those tasks included setting up new device carts, communicating with the Help Desk to troubleshoot device issues and entering classrooms to assist with technology adjustments.

STEM teacher job description

Wednesday-Friday:

Meanwhile, the last part of my week might be what you would see in your typical STEM teacher job description. These three days were when I saw students for their STEM specials rotation. I taught Kindergarten-5th grade specials, with 4 week rotations.

In the beginning, many lessons were basic. They focused on building basic technology skills. They also focused on STEM practices that we would continue to use throughout the year.

Some of those skills included:

logging in and using district student platform for web based applications
navigating Seesaw
using the Engineering Design Process
basic coding processes
collaborating and working with others
creating projects with constraints.
learning how to work through failure and make changes to projects without giving up

After School Roles

Along with class time, I run after-school clubs. I will switch up the clubs throughout the year. One of my most successful clubs was using Stop Motion Animation. The after-school clubs are free for students. I think running clubs are important. Students can find new passions. As a teacher, you can try new content and tools. It’s a win for everyone!

Once a month, I also run a Tech & Innovation Committee. A representative from each grade will join our group. We will discuss various topics in our meetings such as:

successes
struggles
upcoming events
resources to try
trainings

Likewise, I participate in district wide planning committees. This helps me connect with other STEM teachers near me. I also can add value to events that are being planned for our district. It’s a cool way to get the inside-scoop on what’s to come next!

Don’t feel overwhelmed!

For those of you just starting out in STEM, my best advice to you is to go slow to go fast. Create a vision of what you want students to be able to do after they leave your school forever and work up to that.

As the weeks and years would pass, the students’ capacity with the above skills grew immensely. The projects kept getting better and better. Never assume that the students know how to do everything. They love using technology and working on projects, however, you really do need to be explicit and have repetition with your processes to make things flow with your short time together.

From there, my lessons for classes became more robust and connected with content they were currently learning in class or were going to learn that school year. I wanted to ensure that my class was meaningful, but also had purpose behind it. I felt like my STEM classroom was a way to bring their general education content to life and they can make connections to their learning in hands-on ways.

STEM teacher resources

Moreover, three days isn’t a lot of time for a project! Over the years, I learned ways to make our short time together fun and meaningful; for both the students and I. While the amount of STEM teacher resources out there are growing, I know how it can be tricky to know where to get started. I lived it! I was constantly creating my own curriculum and content to meet the needs of my students and make their class time impactful. In fact, you can even see what I typically taught my first week of STEM each school year.

In addition, I put together for you all of my go-to resources that I created for my STEM classroom. This is the starter kit that I wish someone created for me!

These are simple things to get started:

In conclusion, what does your role as a STEM teacher look like? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

Thanksgiving Elementary STEM Activity to Support ‘The Great Turkey Race’

by Naomi Meredith

When the holiday season comes upon us, that can be tough in a lot of ways, especially as a teacher. I have found through my teaching experience, having hands-on and engaging tasks for my students during this time can help reign in all the extra energy, but still be meaningful.

STEM activities are a great way to lift student engagement. In fact, my growing STEM & Stories collection integrates books and a corresponding STEM activity that works for multiple grade levels.

Let’s dive into how STEM is integrated after reading the story The Great Turkey Race by Steve Metzger.

**All links are clickable to purchase through my affiliate link. No extra cost to you, but I get a little bonus if you purchase through it!**

Before you do this activity with your kids, there is a tiny bit of prep work you’ll need to do to make sure this activity goes smoothly. The goal of this STEM challenge is for students to build a fence for the turkeys to hop over. *Spoiler Alert* This is how the turkeys get away at the end of the book!*

Since this activity is all about the fence design, having the catapults built ahead of time is super helpful. One thing that I like to do for my STEM classes for their supplies is to create Building Kits. It’s just a Ziploc bag with their pre-portioned supplies, but it definitely sounds more official! This gives the kids more time to build if everything is already organized.

Gluing a pom pom to the back of each turkey gives it more weight to help it launch over the fence and help them stand up.

Also, decide how you want to share the student response sheets. Of course you can print, but having the option to share digitally is a great bonus. I used the digital version of the student sheets in Seesaw since I did this activity with over 75 Kindergarteners in one day. That’s a lot of paper I saved and parents got to see their work right away!

Here are all the extras you will need for this Thanksgiving STEM activity along with the Engineering Design Process Student sheets that I’ve already created for you.

-Dry Spaghetti

–Modeling Clay {works better than Play Doh since it won’t dry out. This Crayola one is good and inexpensive}

–Clothespins

–Recycled plastic bottle caps or small plastic cups

–Medium Sized

–Big popsicle sticks

–Pom Poms

After reading the story The Great Turkey Race by Steve Metzger {or listening to it online on YouTube}, students will do a little bit of research on engineers and how they solve problems effectively. Afterwards, they’ll plan how they will design a fence for their turkeys to hop over. Their planning can be done either on paper or digitally.

They can also utilize the Engineering Design Process checklist to help them keep track of their progress along the way through this challenge. This is also helpful if you need to extend this activity into multiple days or even during different time blocks in one day.

Once students’ designs are built, they can launch their turkeys over the fence. Some preferred to launch all 3 at once, like the book, or do one turkey at a time. While launching, you will notice students making adjustments to their bridges to make them taller, shorter or even wider.

Teaching the students to build their fences already standing up instead of having them flat on the table THEN standing them up is a lot easier and they won’t break apart as quickly.

Of course, reflection is essential for continuing a growth mindset, and students can write, draw or even record using a tool like Seesaw, how the Engineering Design Process through this STEM activity worked for them.

My STEM students always get so proud of their creations and want to take their work home. Since I teach K-5, I often need to reuse materials and students physically keeping their work isn’t always an option. However, using Seesaw, I often have students take a video or photo of their work so they can continue that conversation at home with their families.

Seesaw is always free. However, you can get bonus features with Seesaw Plus through my link.

This was such a great Thanksgiving activity. If I were a regular classroom teacher again, this would be something that I would definitely implement or even do during a fall party. You can grab a visual teacher lesson plan all of the printable and digital student sheets, here. There is also a bonus anchor chart for taking clear photos of your work as a student guide.

How do you integrate STEM and literacy in engaging ways? Let me know and send me a message on Instagram @marvelousmsm

Stay marvelous!

Naomi from Marvelous Ms. Meredith

Software & Hardware: Teaching the Difference in the Elementary Classroom

by Naomi Meredith

I love the curiosity in elementary students, especially when it comes to technology and how things work. Naturally, the kids were super into this lesson.

Here is a snapshot on how I taught the difference between software and hardware in my STEM classroom. I taught this to Kindergarten and 1st grade over the span of 3 days for 40 minute classes. Of course, this can be adapted for your class and what works best for your kids.

You can grab this entire {FREE} lesson, all packaged together nicely for you from my TeachersPayTeachers Store, Marvelous Ms M

Day 1

-Watched video on BrainPop Jr.- Computers

-Introduced vocabulary- Hardware & Software

-1st Grade students built their own mini paper computer from Hello Ruby

-Kindergarten students built their own mini tablet that I created for them which you can grab for your class here!

I did two different devices for a couple of reasons. I tried the computer with a Kindergarten class and the pieces were harder for them to cut and put together. It was a perfect fit for Kindergarten!

Also, if I were to teach this same lesson again next year, I didn’t want to repeat the activity they were doing and I could just review the vocabulary.

As a tip when trying with your class, it works best if students color first, then cut out and glue.

My kids loved being able to customize their very own paper tablet. You can get the template for your kids here!

Day 2

-Watched video by SciShow Kids- How Do Computers Work?

-Reviewed vocabulary- Hardware & Software

-Finish building paper computers/tablets

-Students can shared their learning by taking a picture in Seesaw and voice over the parts of the computer including the software and hardware. You can see my example I made while teaching below.

*You can get an extra free month of Seesaw Plus by using my exclusive link here!

Day 3

-Watched video by Socratica Kids- What are Computers for Kids

-Reviewed vocabulary- Hardware & Software

-Completed digital activity: Software & Hardware Sort. I had my kids complete this through Seesaw, but you can use whatever digital platform that works for your class. I created this for free to use with your students.

This was a quick lesson, but the kids LOVED it and having their own personal computer while instilling the important vocabulary: hardware and software.

Make sure to grab the free lesson that includes vocabulary and a digital activity above to use with you kids. You can also find the Build Your Own {Paper} Tablet to use with your kids as well.

Stay marvelous!

Naomi from Marvelous Ms. Meredith

20 Ways to Use Your Apple Watch in the Classroom

by Naomi Meredith

Ok, so I totally understand that buying a smartwatch, specifically an Apple Watch isn’t a cheap investment. I haven’t bought an expensive piece of technology since I first started teaching since I’ve been lucky to have access to technology in all the schools I’ve taught.

Well…I caved in an talked myself into buying an Apple Watch…and I justified it by all the ways in which I can use it in my classroom.

And as the good friend I am, I am going to convince you all the reasons why you need it too.

Let’s walk through a typical teaching day and how your watch can make your day a bit better.

If you click on the pink words in each list item, I linked to a video or quick post to show you how to set that up for yourself!

There are Amazon affiliate links included in this post. When you purchase through my link, image & text, it’s no added cost to you and I get a little kickback in return. Win-win!

1. The night before you get ready for school, have your watch charging on your nightstand and put it in Nightstand Mode. You can quickly see how much time you have before bed and also set an alarm to wake you up after your beauty rest.

2. After you shower, make blow drying your hair less daunting (if it’s not a dry shampoo day of course) and connect your wireless headphones and listen to some music to make it go by faster. Trust me. This has been a game changer for me!

3. The original watch bands are super cute, but it’s nice to have different options that match your outfits. Below are a few of my favorites. {my affiliate links}

4. You’re ready for the day and need a morning pick me up. Use the Starbucks app on your watch and quickly pay for your drink.

5. With coffee in hand and once you’re settled into your classroom, turn into a podcast while you sort and organize materials for the day. I’m really loving the STEM Everyday Podcast & Teacherprenuers, Raise Your Hand!

6. As the students are starting to settle into their seats, start a relaxing playlist by connecting to your Apple TV by using the remote feature on your watch. Don’t have an Apple TV? Try connecting to a bluetooth speaker instead.

7. Be informed quickly while teaching by having email notifications pop up on your phone. While you can’t reply back, this helps you stay connected during the teaching day (I would suggest turning off school notifications before heading home to give yourself some space.)

8. When it’s time to take the kids to specials so you can run around during your planning time, there is no need to bring your phone with you. As long as your phone is connected to the school’s wifi, then your watch will follow suit. {Bonus points if you have the watch with cellular service!}

9. Use Google Calendars? I sure do at school and at home. You can actually sync up your Google Calendar with your Apple Calendar so all of your events will pop up on your phone. Super helpful if you have days with a different schedule, your watch will buzz and remind you when an event is coming up!

10. Speaking of reminders, when you’re running around during your plan time, tell your watch Siri to keep track of those reminders for you! {Stop writing on your hands; you know who you are!}

11. On your way to pick up those kids from specials, check your Activities on your watch and see how many movement calories you got in. It might even remind you to breathe every once and awhile during the day.

12. I love having my watch be my personal assistant with reminders, but sometimes I like being the one in control of my checklists with Google Keep. You can’t add anything to your lists with the watch, but you can make yourself feel better about yourself by checking things off your teacher checklists throughout the day. Look at this awesome video by Hello Teacher Lady to make your Google Keep Headers look pretty!

13. Instead of sending a kids to another room to run an errand and ask a question, use the Walkie Talkie feature on your watch to check in with your other watch teacher-buddies to get a quick answer. {Remember: EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU!}

14. Even if you have a weather person job in your classroom, your kids are still going to ask you what the weather will be like for recess (at least in Colorado they do since the weather is so unpredictable all the time). Use the weather app on your watch to do a quick check and inform the class.

15. If it’s a nice day at recess, take a class picture before you come in. Don’t have anyone to help you? Place your phone on a steady surface and control the camera shutter from your iPhone. You can actually be included in the class photo this time!

16. The school day is almost over before you know it! To help students to manage their time and quickly clean up, use the timer feature on your watch to keep track of that pace.

17. After school, use the maps feature to help you find the nearest Target & Micheal’s on the way home to grab some last minute classroom stuff. Your watch will politely buzz on your wrist when it’s time to turn. So cute!

18. Use the Apple wallet to show your Micheal’s card to help you get discounts and go ahead with Apple Pay while you’re there.

19. Head to the gym before going home. You need some YOU time girl! Close up the green exercise circle on your Activities rings. My gym actually has an Apple Wallet feature where I check in using my watch. I also turn off my Notifications for an hour so I can relax and really focus on my time there.

20. Get home, make some dinner and relax. While you’re at it, check your watch for the time. That’s the whole reason that you bought a watch, riiiiiight?!?

Let me know how else you use your Apple watch in your classroom and send me a message on Instagram @marvelousmsm

Stay marvelous!

Naomi from Marvelous Ms. Meredith

List of STEM Books for Elementary

by Naomi Meredith

List of STEM Books for Elementary

Below is a growing list of STEM books for Elementary. It’s sorted into categories, in alphabetical order, to help refine your search.

Whether you are a classroom teacher who is integrating STEM or if you are teaching STEM as a class, you already know the importance of books and literacy to enhance your instruction.

When applicable, there are also lesson plans that pair well with the book.

These books are linked to my Amazon Affiliate. When you purchase through my link, no added cost to you but I receive a small commission in return.

STEM Books for Elementary: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Artificial Intelligence and Me : The 5 Big Ideas that Kids Should Know by AI & Me
Human Interaction: How We Work with Artificial Intelligence by AI & Me
Machine Learning: How AI Learns by AI & Me
Perception: How AI Sees the World by AI & Me
Representation & Reasoning: How AI Makes Choices by AI & Me
Understanding Coding with Raspberry Pi by Patricia Harris

STEM Books for Elementary: CHAPTER BOOKS

Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants: The Questioneers Book #2 by Andrea Beaty
Hidden Figures: Young Reader’s Edition by Margot Lee Shetterly
Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters: The Questioneers Book #1 By Andrea Beaty
Super Ungifted by Gordon Korman
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown
Ungifted by Gordon Korman

STEM Books for Elementary: CODING

Coding Games in Scratch: A Step-by-Step Visual Guide to Building Your Own Computer Games by DK Children
How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk
My First Coding Book by DK Children

STEM Books for Elementary: CREATIVITY

Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
I’m Not Just a Scribble by Diane Alber
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis
Perfect Square by Michael Hall
Scribble Stones by Diane Alber

STEM Books for Elementary: ENGINEERING

LEGO Chain Reactions by Klutz Press
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Ready, Set, Build by Meg Fleming
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Rosie Revere’s Big Project Book for Bold Engineers by Andrea Beaty

STEM Books for Elementary: ENVIRONMENT

Heal the Earth by Julian Lennon
Love the Earth by Julian Lennon
Thank You, Earth: A Love Letter To Our Planet by April Sayre
Touch the Earth by Julian Lennon

STEM Books for Elementary: GROWTH MINDSET

After the Fall by Dan Santat
A World Without Failures by Esther Pia Cordova
I Can’t Do That, Yet By Esther Pia Cordova
I Have an Idea! By Herve Tullet
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett
The Most Magnificent Thing By Ashley Spires
What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada
What Do You Do With An Idea? by Kobi Yamada
What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
Where Oliver Fits by Cale Atkinson

STEM Books for Elementary: INVENTORS

Gary and the Great Inventors: It’s Laundry Day! By Akura Marshall
Have You Thanked an Inventor Today? By Patrice McLaurin
Have You Thanked a Kidventor Today? By Patrice McLaurin
Dream, Invent, Create: Engineer the World by Start Engineering
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton

STEM Books for Elementary: MAKERSPACE

Made by Maxine by Ruth Spiro
Out of the Box: 25 Cardboard Engineering Projects for Makers by Jemma Westing
Sew Mini Gardens by Klutz Press

STEM Books for Elementary: MATH

Circle by Mac Barnett
How To Be a Math Genius Your Brilliant Brain and How to Train it By DK Children
How to Measure Everything by DK Children
Square by Mac Barnett
Triangle by Mac Barnett

STEM Books for Elementary: PEOPLE IN STEM

Ada Lovelace: Little People, Big Dreams by Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Jane Goodall: Little People, Big Dreams by Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Stephen Hawking: Little People, Big Dreams by Isabel Sanchez Vegara

STEM Books for Elementary: ROBOTICS

Boy and Bot by Ame Dyckman
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

STEM Books for Elementary: SCIENCE

CeCe Loves Science by Kimberly Derting
CeCe Loves Science and Adventure by Kimberly Derting
LEGO Animal Atlas: Discover Animals of the World by DK Children
What Floats in a Moat? by Lynne Berry

STEM Books for Elementary: STOP MOTION ANIMATION

Make Your Own Movie-LEGO Klutz
Stop Motion 101: Basics for the Elementary Classroom by Naomi Meredith
The LEGO Animation Book: Make Your Own LEGO Movies! By No Starch Press

Awesome PRIME DAY Finds {7/15 & 16}

by Naomi Meredith

I like my clothes the same way that I like my STEM & tech supplies…

1. Cheap & High-quality
2. Colorful
3. Purposeful

Here are some cool finds for Prime Day that are worth checking out! DM me on Instagram, @marvelousmsm if there is anything else I should add to the list for everyone else!

These are my Amazon affiliate links. When you purchase through my link, image & text, it’s no added cost to you and I get a little kickback in return. Win-win!

Prices are likely to change when clicked on to view actual #primeday deals

1. Cricut Explore Air 2 Fuchsia Bundle with Basic Tool Set and Two Vinyl Samplers

2. Osmo Genius Kit for iPad

3. Magnetic Blocks STEM Educational Toys Magnet Building Block Tiles Set for Boys and Girls by Coodoo

4. K’NEX Education – STEM Explorations: Swing Ride Building Set

5. CCinaCiao Robotic Science Kits, DC Motors Electronic Assembly Kit, DIY Solar Car Kits, STEM Kits for Boys and Girls, Kids Science Experiment Kits(2 Kits)

6. NextX Building Construction Toy 300 PCS Creative Plastic Engineering Toys 3D Puzzle Toys Educational Building Blocks For Kids

7. Bristle Interlocking Building Blocks

8. Headphones, Stereo Foldable Headset for iOS Android Smartphone Laptop Tablet PC Computer (Rose Gold)

9. Large Building Blocks, 135 Pieces Kids Toddler Educational Toy

10. Play-Doh Modeling Compound 24-Pack Case of Colors

11. School Smart Dotted Dice Set – Assorted Colors – Set of 36

12. Sphero SPRK+ App-Enabled Robot

How to Teach STEM During Back to School

by Naomi Meredith

How to Teach STEM During Back to School

Are you in a new STEM position and overwhelmed by the thought of what you are going to do the first month of school in your STEM class? Keep it simple with these practical back to school ideas for how to teach STEM.

Tips & Tricks for how to teach STEM

When I was preparing for my first year teaching STEM, I had no idea what to teach either. I teach my specials rotation Wednesday-Friday for students K-5. I have 4 rotations with over 600 kids. So I basically see each class 3 times/month. You can see more in detail what my week is like by reading about it here.

Having the background in the general education classroom before teaching STEM helped me realize that a lot of the back to school stuff applied to my new space, just in a different way.

Here is what I did and it really helped me have a successful rest of the school year and I think that it will help you too!

How to Teach STEM: Classroom Rules & Expectations

Every classroom needs to have a clear management system so students can feel safe and be successful in your space. Even if you don’t have the students all day, this definitely still applies in your classroom, if not more, since you have limited time!

If you’re coming from a general ed classroom like me, ask yourself those same questions that students need to know:

How do you want students to come into your classroom? Where do you want students to sit when they first come into your classroom?
When students leave the room & for the restroom, what are the policies?
How should students respond and behave during a lesson?
What are your expectations during whole group, group work and partner work?
How much time are you going to allow for a mini-lesson, student work time, clean up & reflection? (I need to work on my reflection piece for sure!)
Where do students line up at the end of class?
Is there some type of class reward for good behavior? What about individual students?

Along with that, these have been my go-to classroom rules in my STEM classroom and they also work well in regular classrooms when students are handling technology.

how-to-teach-stem — Click on the image to grab these posters for your classroom!

technology-class-rules — Teaching specials again and just reviewing rules with the kids? Think of how to make it a game like this one; which team can put together the puzzle pieces of the classroom rules the quickest?

For specific projects, new rules & expectations often need to be introduced during the year. For example, during the first month of STEM, robots aren’t typically introduced. However when they are brought out later in the year, additional rules need to be established to ensure the robots are cared for properly.

Classroom Materials

This one took me a few months to get the materials in places that made the most sense. Like I said, I teach K-5 and it will definitely take some trial and error to have a system that works for all grades.

For example, I thought having a bucket of crayons and scissors would work well with 1st grade. For some reason, this wasn’t the best fit and there were a bunch of sharing issues.

As a solution, I came up with STEM Supply buckets which have the basic tools and student might need during a project. If they need the supplies, they can grab their own box. This really helped build independence with my students of all ages.

In turn if germs are an issue, think of having students bringing their supplies boxes with them. That can help limit the amount of hands touching all of the supplies during the day.

stem-classroom-supplies — Individual essential supplies to complete STEM projects. (click on image to grab labels.)

Think about ways materials can be organized so students can get the tools that they need successfully without having to relying on the teacher constantly. I know baby ducks are super cute when they follow their mommies, but it’s not super cute when students follow their teachers all around the classroom.

Teach students how they can get their supplies, and put them away, for each class time and also which ones might not be needed for certain times.

If there are a lot of pieces required for a specific task, consider taking pictures of what it should look like cleaned up. Pictures go a long way and it’s a lot easier to explain rather than verbally.

Handling Technology & Passwords

I got really lucky and was fortunate enough to have a brand-new, renovated classroom to start my first year teaching STEM. The room before used to be a computer lab with desktop computers lining the walls. Those devices eventually got reassigned to other areas of the school building. There are a few laptops and iPads left in the classroom for various projects.

My classrooms 2nd-5th mainly use laptops for their projects. There are many times that I want students to bring their student device with them. I will schedule groups of emails to go out to my classroom teachers the week I have their class to let them know to have their students carry their student device to my room (with 2 hands of course) and/or roll down their class cart.

I actually don’t keep passwords on hand. Quickly, students learned that if they didn’t have theirs memorized yet, they kept a sticky note on their computer as a reminder of their credentials. For my younger students (K&1), I rarely need student passwords during STEM class. During co-teaching, that might be a different story which you can read about here.

This is an alternative option to charging classroom devices if your school is on a budget.

This is a system that has worked well in my building and has visually helped the students see that a lot of the work that we do in class isn’t just “stuck” in the STEM classroom and can be completed in other locations in the building.

Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship should be taught all year long in any classroom setting. However, especially if it’s your first year in your STEM position, digital citizenship is the perfect place to start the first month. This will help you gauge what your students know and don’t know about the topic. I go more into detail on how I teach digital citizenship, which you can read here.

Two favorite digital citizenship resources are Google Interland and Common Sense Media.

Team Building STEM Challenges

At the beginning of the school year, teachers are working hard to build up their classroom community and how all the students in the room can get along and be successful. You will be a huge help by doing different team challenges in your classroom as well the first month you have kids.

Not only will this help students get to know one another in new ways, it will help you get to know them as well! There are millions of ideas on Pinterest. Start a new board with STEM Challenges or you can just follow mine here.

Fail Forward

We all know that the first month of school is crucial to help build the rest of the school year. Keep in mind though, it definitely won’t be perfect.

Here are some fails my first month of teaching STEM.

I didn’t know that school’s wifi password and people kept asking me for it. Which makes sense since I’m the STEM teacher…
Half of my classroom walls weren’t finished. They were temporary with an awkward door so I ended up making it a graffiti wall for students to sign when they were done with digital citizenship.
I had a first grader eat crayons the second day of class and spit them back in the group crayon bucket. I guess he already ate all his other crayons back in class…
A kindergartener wound up in the 5th grade hallway even though my classroom is directly across from hers.
I had these awesome fancy mats for students to sit on that sounded like pool noodles being slapped on wet concrete when they were put on the floor. Multiply this sound by 150…

How to Teach STEM- Resources for Getting Started

To help you even more, here are all of my go-to materials to aid you in your STEM position; my STEM Starter Kit Bundle. Over 25 different resources to get your classroom started on the right foot!

Activities for back to school included in this bundle:

Other blog posts you might enjoy:

Valuable Classroom Setup Tips for Your Elementary Lab by Science and STEAM Team

In conclusion, what do you typically teach the first month of STEM? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

Getting Started with Stop Motion in the Classroom

by Naomi Meredith

Stop Motion is one of the oldest filming techniques and was viewed as magic of its time. Do you remember Gumby or A Year Without a Santa Claus? Both are examples of intricate stop motion.

So why try stop motion with your students?

It brings stationary objects & topics to life
You only need minimal tools
Teaches patience & problem solving

Even when I have done stop motion with my classes, they even think that their own work is magic as well! I even used paper as the only prop for filming. Students had to create a video to teach others about a given topic. Here is my favorite about the human heart. {No sound.} They took over 200 pictures with tiny movements to make this possible.

Below are some typical questions that I’ve been asked when getting started with Stop Motion.

What devices & software do you suggest to use with this resource?

I would start with iPads or an iPhone. However, the same app can be purchased for Mac & Windows. I use the Stop Motion Studio {Free & Paid iOS app}, however, this resource can apply to any other stop motion app that you might already have.

What if I only have a few devices in my classroom?

Limited supplies shouldn’t limit what you can do with kids. This can be a great opportunity to create stations in your classroom. I do this ALL the time with my STEM classes. I teach you a few others ways to make this happen successfully in your room?

I teach in a Gen Ed classroom, is Stop Motion for me?

Y.E.S., YES!!! Technology & STEM should not be limited to just in the “specials” class. This can honestly be used across all content areas.

Are there ways to differentiate?

Definitely. Partnerships help with differentiating A LOT! Often times, my students who struggle with regular classroom instruction thrive with using technology. I would encourage the use of pairs to help with typical problem solving issues as well. Again, using guided tech groups are a great way to meet student learning needs. I find that working with students with technology in smaller settings is highly successful.

What is the youngest that you can start stop motion?

I think that you can go as young as kindergarten, depending on the task. With explicit instructions, the use of guided tech groups, you can definitely use this with all ages. I WOULD NOT suggest whole group with really young students. They can sometimes become lost with multiple steps.

Want more inspiration and guidance? Check out my Stop Motion 101 Resource.

With over 100+ pages of content, I have put together the ins-and-outs of this tech tool from the teacher’s side, ways to implement in all content areas, detailed lesson plans, student resources, examples, vocabulary are more!

Click here to download it for yourself!

Stay marvelous!

Naomi from Marvelous Ms. Meredith

7 Online Tech Professional Development Courses You Should Try

by Naomi Meredith

Are you a classroom teacher looking to increase the use of technology in your classroom but need more training? Are you a tech or STEM teacher wanting to continue your practice? I’ve been in both positions and found that online trainings were a great option for me.

Here are 7 online technology professional developments that I suggest to continue your classroom technology knowledge! When you click on the name of each one, it will redirect you to their site. These aren’t listed in any particular order.

Note: I am not endorsed by any of these companies. These are just ones that I have done and found over the years and believe in that are worth sharing!

1. BrainPop 101 {Free, if you have a teacher BrainPop account. No digital badge, but a printable certificate} Everyone loves the videos that BrainPop produces. Have you tried all of their other amazing features that are to the right of each video? Primary sources, coding, quizzes… There is even a teacher dashboard to explore!

When logged into your teacher BrainPop account, towards the top right of the home screen, it says BrainPop 101. It will walk you through all of their features aside from videos and interact with them in an authentic way. You will also get a certificate of completion with one-hour of Professional Development Credit.

2. Common Sense Educator {Free, once you create your free teacher account. Receive a digital badge.} Common Sense Media is an amazing resource to help you stay updated with today’s technology, movies and social media. They also have great parent resources and talking points for all sorts of relevant topics that relate to the above. My favorite is their free digital citizenship curriculum.

This training is more so how you use their curriculum with students and share the information with others. If you are already using their stuff, this is a great refresher to narrow down on how you are using their resource effectively with kids and other teachers in your building.

3. Code.org Courses{Free, once you create your free account.} I linked to the page that shares the progression of coding amongst grade-levels and the professional development opportunity that you would want to choose from. As a coding novice, this was a great learning experience for me to learn the basics of coding and be able to be a guide for my students in my classroom.

Find the big letters for your classroom by clicking here or on the picture.

4. Google Certified Educator: Levels 1 & 2 {Level 1: $10, Level 2: $25. Must have some sort of Google account to log in; either school or personal.Receive a digital badge & printable certificate once you pass the tests.} These badges you have to pay for, but the content and the training beforehand are excellent. While I use Google tools all the time within my teaching and personal practice, I still learned a lot!

You can review the training material for as long as you want before taking the tests. I try and do a session a day since it gets pretty lengthy. Whenever you feel comfortable, you can sign-up and pay to take your test. They do take a few hours, so much sure to block enough time for yourself! I honestly thought the tests were fun since they are application based and you have to show what you know in real-life situations by using Google to solve teacher’s problems.

5. Seesaw Ambassador {Free, application based. If chosen, will receive digital badge after training}. If you are already using Seesaw a lot with your kids and want to know more tips and tricks and effective ways to share your knowledge with other teachers, this program is worth looking in to.

If you aren’t accepted or need to wait to get in, Seesaw has other AMAZING professional development webinars, PD in your PJs. They also save a bunch of them on their YouTube Channel that you can rewatch later.

I have some quick Seesaw Tips & Tricks that I think you’ll enjoy by clicking here or on my picture.

6. Microsoft Online Courses {Free, after logging in with Microsoft account. Some courses earn digital badges.} If your school uses Microsoft tools, this is a great resource for ongoing professional development and how to use those tools educationally. This is one that I am diving into more myself. I grew up using Microsoft tools at home, but haven’t used it much with students. Being at my new-to-me district that uses Microsoft, this is an area that I am growing in!

7.Epic! Books Master Teacher {Free, application based. If chosen, will receive digital badge after training}. Again, this one is a lot like the Seesaw Ambassador program. If you already use Epic! Books in your classroom and want to learn more and have input within the Master Teacher Private Facebook group, this is a good program for you. I have led many teacher professional developments at my school about this tool and have learned great ideas by being a part of this group.

Click for some resources that I have created specifically for Epic! books

Want to learn how to create and add your digital badges to your email signature? Click here for my video tutorial and template! Once you’re done, share with me and send me a message on Instagram @marvelousmsm

Stay marvelous!

Naomi from Marvelous Ms. Meredith