Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

As a STEM teacher, what types of professional development should you be looking for? And, honestly, what is actually out there that will be helpful? In today’s episode, I’m going to be sharing with you some resources and different ideas to help you with your professional development as a STEM teacher for 2024. 

Listener Message [00:00:56]:

Hi, Naomi. This is Evelyn. I was emailing back and forth with you not too long ago, just the other day. And I was wondering if you would have any insight on what the best professional development for STEM is, in terms of teachers just like you who are teaching pre-k through 5th to attend. I’m very new to STEM, just like you, and I would love to do some paid professional development that my school is actually willing to pay for. And so I’m researching right now, but I was wondering what it is that you would recommend.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:30]:

Thank you so much for submitting your audio question. I appreciate this so much. I love it when you guys ask me questions like this or when it’s an audio message because they do actually pop up in my email, and it is just so fun to listen to your guys’ voices. Because I am here in my home office, my little dog Frederick is staring at me. And so it’s just so different when I can hear your voice and interact with you. So thank you so much. If you wanna record a message like this, if you have a question for me, you can do that from your phone. Just head on over to naomimeridith.com/voice.

Naomi Meredith [00:02:11]:

When I was teaching in a school so I teach them in lots of different ways. But when I was in a school, and I moved from being a classroom teacher for 6 years and into the k through 5 STEM space, I had a whole different appreciation for specials teachers when it came to professional development. And, really, a huge thing with professional development is it is targeted towards classroom teachers, which makes sense. That’s the majority of the staff where they’re working in their homeroom and working on all of those standards and learning goals, which, as a STEM teacher, you should be doing too, but in your own different way. But it often was really frustrating because none of the professional development was things that I wanted to learn about in STEM specifically. Like, is there something that will help me plan a STEM lesson that is engaging for the time that I have with students? What is the new technology out there I should be learning about? What are some topics that are important in STEM to make sure that my lessons are relevant and modern? Who are some other STEM teachers that I can connect with and learn from since I’m the only one in the building? You might have similar experiences as I did, and so I am coming at you with a list of things that you can do in 2024 starting this summer, and feel prepared to go into your next school year for whatever adventures you have in STEM. For this podcast episode, I have things broken up into 3 categories. For these categories and the things that I mentioned, everything is going to be linked in the show notes for you.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:01]:

So feel free to take notes, but also you can head over to those where things are clickable and easy for you to find. So, let’s jump in. The first set of professional development opportunities to consider is conferences. And I don’t know if you have seen the episode of Abbott Elementary. My teacher, Honey, and I love watching that show. But on one of the episodes, Janine and I forget her good bud that she really is friends with. She and the other guy, they are they go to a teacher conference, and they are so excited. They’re making a list of all of the things that they want to go see, and they’re super pumped up about all the things about the conference, the swag bags, and talking with other teachers.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:50]:

They are all about it. And then there’s a couple of other teachers at their school as well who are more seasoned which is fine, but they’re really not about the conferences. And that really is me. I love going to conferences. I love talking to people and connecting. And my teacher, Honey, not so much. So and he teaches Spanish, so he wouldn’t be going to a STEM conference with me anyway. And so, if you are able to do something in person, I am going to mention some really cool conferences to keep an eye out for if you’re able to go, but also check to see if there are local things as well.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:26]:

For this episode, I couldn’t list every single conference opportunity that is out there in every single state. But if you are able to do something in person, I highly recommend it because the virtual stuff is really great, which I am gonna talk about, and I love the use of technology. Hence, this podcast, I am so grateful for technology, but there’s something different about being in person and chatting with people and having those conversations and the body language and their voice interaction. Conference to conference to keep your eye out for, this is in Colorado. It’s from June 19th through 21st in 2024. It is Steve Spangler’s Science Conference. You probably have heard of Steve Spangler. He’s actually a local, I guess, local semi-celebrity here in Colorado, and he’s on our news all the time.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:27]:

I haven’t met him yet, but he does a lot of cool things locally with kids. But he’s actually hosting a conference that is hands-on and interactive and fun for teachers, where it has some more of that conference, but also workshop type style where you actually get to try out some things to do with kids. So that’s here in Colorado. If you haven’t been, check it out. But that also leads into the next conference I’m going to talk about that’s also in Colorado. So you can actually stay. They go back to VACC, so stay for Steve’s and then come to the other one. I will not be at Steve’s conference, but that’s something that is definitely up my alley.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:05]:

But I will be at this next one, and the next one is ISTE, which is a huge national conference. This is actually ISTE. They have it in different places, but it was in Denver another time before. And I was teaching 3rd grade at the time. I remember this. I went down with one of my good friends I taught with, actually, Becca, who you’ve heard on this podcast. We went down to the conference together. We were able to go, and it was such a pivotal moment for me that this conference really sparked so much in me to what technology and innovation and hands-on learning means with kids and something I found I was really passionate about and wanted to learn more.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:51]:

And so there’s just so many cool things, soaked up all this different information, and it’s really cool looking back when I attended ST at the time and where I’m at now where, yes, I get to be at sessions and still continue to learn, but I’m really excited to talk to people. You may or may not know this, Mommy. I love to chat with people. It’s, like, one of my faves. So, I love to chat, and I’m so excited to go to this. I will be there all the days. And the board that I’m on for INEDCO Innovative Education Colorado, we typically put on a conference every summer as well. But because of ISTE, we are actually partnering with ISTE and supporting them with other things with the conference.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:36]:

Not a whole lot, but some items that we are involved in. And one of those is we are running playground sessions. So, if you go to ISTE and you look up playgrounds, I actually went toward the space a couple of weeks ago. It’s like it’s a newer build in this convention center, but if you go find the playgrounds, there’s regional, there’s other types of playgrounds. But if you look for the local playgrounds that are Colorado based, it’s in this huge room. I might be hanging out over there or asking somebody with an INEDCO shirt. They’ll know. They can text me.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:12]:

If you wanna meet, I would love to meet you. So, if you end up going, please let me know. Some of you have actually reached out to me on Instagram and asked if I’m going and if I’m presenting. So yes and no on the presenting part. I will be presenting some playground sessions, so they are more interactive, you get a chat with me, so not like a go, sit, and listen to type of thing. However, we were all told on the board that we all needed to have a couple of presentations in our back pocket if anything were to happen. So I could be doing, like, a pop up presentation. So keep an eye out.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:49]:

I definitely am active on social media. Message me on there. But this is just an amazing conference. It’s all things innovation, not just technology. It has evolved over the years, but what does this type of learning look like in schools? What should we be talking about? A big thing I know is that there are a lot of sessions about our AI. So, keep an eye out. I would love to chat. Like I said, this is a great conference and so much fun.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:17]:

And Denver is a lot is a blast. It’s actually at a really cool location, and there’s a big bear looking into the building. So you’ll have a lot of fun. Alright. If you wanna kick continue to book up your summer, here’s another one shortly after ISTE, but you gotta make your way to Florida. That is a long flight from Colorado, and it is the Spaceport Area Conference. And so all things space, oh my gosh. I would love to go to this, but I can’t fit in that many conferences.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:44]:

I wish I could. But it’s at the Kennedy Space Center, and it’s all things space. And this just sounds so amazing. And it is really important to see these things in real life. And even as a teacher, you have these experiences, especially if you’re in a location that is doing such important work like space, you can take those experiences back to your students. So those are some fun ideas to get you started. Definitely look up again things that are local for you, because it is a game changer when you get to be in person with other people who are passionate about the things that you are doing. Likewise, there are a bunch of virtual summits that come out during the spring and into the summer.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:28]:

And it’s really good to mix these into because this type of learning, you can definitely do on the go and in your own time. One thing I like to do with virtual summits, because typically they’re prerecorded and there are some live elements, is if I, register for these types of summits, I like to watch the sessions, like, when I’m on a cardio machine. So that way, I’m still getting a workout in but also learning. That is a huge hack that I definitely have done. And if I’m not finished or wanna listen to another one, when I’m done showering, and I’m getting ready, blow dry my hair, I will have some earbuds in and tune in to that session. So if you’re like, I don’t have time to learn. I don’t have time to learn. That it was it’s a huge game changer.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:13]:

I do this all the time still. So if you’re looking for ways to fit in those conferences and it’s like, oh, it’s one more thing, combine it with something else that you’re already doing. So, some virtual summits, there’s a bunch out there. One that came out today, at the time of this podcast recording, just in time for teacher appreciation week, is the Spring International STEAM Summit by Wonder Workshop. This summit is absolutely free. I actually was our keynote speaker last year, which was a super fun experience. The fun thing, too, I was actually at home, but it was live, so that was very different. I couldn’t see everybody’s faces.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:51]:

So maybe one day, I will be doing a keynote in front of a bunch of people live. We shall see. You heard it here on the podcast. But it’s really cool. You don’t have to have Dash the robot to be able to attend. There are a lot of sessions about that. I will be speaking about Wondermark workshop-themed stations that you can do, as well also why you would do STEM stations. But there are some other sessions as well that other people are presenting about that are all things STEM or STEAM.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:20]:

So really fun to check it out. There’s a smaller list of presenters, which is okay because you probably can listen to all of them within a week or 2. So, definitely check it out. The live call kicks off tonight. It will be recorded. Make sure to register because there are some incentives and some prizes. Also, this is a time when they like to announce a lot of cool things that are up and coming, so make sure to find me there. Another summit that is a fun one with similar vibes, some are about the product, some aren’t, is Seesaw Connect.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:55]:

Again, make sure to register. It says that spots are filling up where not everyone will be able to attend, which is new this year, so make sure you sign up. But it is free as well. And I’m also presenting at this one all about STEM Music Park, one of my favorite units to teach. I think I say that all the time that it’s my favorite unit to teach because they are. But this one’s really cool too. Again, it is prerecorded, the same kinda thing with some cool incentives, different ways to learn about STEM, and even ways to implement Seesaw in your classroom. This was a tool that I used all the time as a classroom teacher and then used it consistently and all the time when I taught STEM.

Naomi Meredith [00:14:36]:

So, if you want to learn more about what Seesaw is, this would be a great introduction to that. I have had some people wondering, well, how do I even connect this together? And so, just a really cool conference as well. That one isn’t until August, so you have some time. Oh, and it’s a summit, not a conference. And then another one that truly is on the go that is all podcast style, and I love that some of these summits are doing this where it’s audio only, there’s no video whatsoever, is this back to school audio summit. When I get more information, and maybe even by the time this episode comes out, I will have the links. But this one’s really cool where it’s a lot of different things about education, for elementary and and things that, again, can get you pumped up for the next school year. I am actually talking about things that are STEM-related that actually work for classroom teachers or homeschool parents as well.

Naomi Meredith [00:15:31]:

And during this summit, there are actually new things that come out each month. So things will come out in May, June, July. I think it’s actually June, July, August. June, July, and August, new topics will be coming out in this audio summit. I’m not sure if it’s free or paid. If it is paid, it’s not very much. I’m so sorry I’m vague on the details, because I don’t have all of them yet. But I am presenting 3 different things that can help you with your prep during the summer.

Naomi Meredith [00:15:59]:

And mine are about STEM, so, make sure to check those out. And the last set of things when it comes to professional development resources are things that I create for you. This podcast is called The Elementary STEM Coach for a reason, and I have those lesson ideas for you ways to help support you in your classroom. I create professional development. And so there’s a lot of different options that are a lot like, more involved, less involved, whatever you’re looking for. First of all, is this podcast, but make sure that you use the time you listen to this podcast each week. Turn in those hours. And you don’t need to go through them, like, oh my gosh.

Naomi Meredith [00:16:41]:

How many minutes is this episode? What does this apply to? I’ve already done that work for you. So, I go in and update this spreadsheet. I sort all of my podcast episodes and categories, and I have all of the time stamps for you and a certificate that you can turn in for this professional learning. You’re still learning. Hopefully, it’s fun. I tell the kids at my skating STEM field trip that I’m not so bad. I’m pretty fun. So hopefully, you’ll laugh a little bit with me.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:09]:

I have no idea. But keep track of that time. You can turn that in. I put this together for you, and I want this podcast to be useful. Along with that, a lot of you like to take the time in the summer to read books, where you really feel like you can chill, you can get that reading in, do some longer walks, and listen to audio. And I know that reading is so important in so many ways for fun and for learning. I’m always reading 3 books at one time. I always have a fiction book going for fun, a nonfiction book, whether that is for my business, just like business learning, or for my STEM teacher bookshelf.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:48]:

So I’ll switch off between reading and audio for those two options, but I always have 3 going on at once. I don’t watch a whole lot of TV by myself. I prefer books. I’m such a nerd. But in the STEM teacher bookshelf it’s super low-key where we’ve modified the structure a bit where there is a Facebook group where we’ll chat about some topics, some updates, some questions to answer maybe. And then, instead of a live call, because I know you’re busy and we all live in different time zones, there are 2 private podcast episodes that come out each month. They are raw unedited. You get to hear all the things.

Naomi Meredith [00:18:24]:

If my dog barks, he barks, and we’re that’s where we’re at. But at the beginning of the month, you get a private podcast episode where I talk about the book, why the book was chosen, and things to look for in your comprehension guide that I create for every book. And then at the end of the month, I will recap anything that happened in the Facebook group, some things to look forward to, and it resets from there. So you get to listen and learn on the go. Low key, I don’t want it to be stressful. I really do try to choose books for the summer that have audio options when possible. So this springtime, there is a lot of audio, because if you’re busy or cleaning your classroom, this is a great time to listen to books and get that learning in. And then this summer, I’m very, very thoughtful about the books and why I choose them for certain times, and you get to hear about why I chose the books for that time of month.

Naomi Meredith [00:19:17]:

So fun, low key membership. Would love to see you there. Also, if you’re looking for very targeted learning and you wanna get something done, something prepped, you’ve been googling, you’re like, I don’t know what to do. I have some on-demand workshops. At the time, they were live, but you actually get to hear back the recordings. You can watch or listen. And I have different workshops to target different things that you were hoping to create. One that is very, very popular well, they’re actually all really popular in their own way based on what you’re looking for.

Naomi Meredith [00:19:51]:

A lot of you have mentioned I wanna do a school-wide news club. I might not wanna start at midyear. Where do I get started? Get this all prepped now, and I give you every single template and every single new thing you need in my school-wide virtual news workshop. In 2 hours, you will set up your whole news from start to finish. And I met with a teacher, and I’m saying this off the cuff, and you know who you are because I met with you on Zoom, and she did this workshop and implemented the news at her school. And then her students actually showcased their news at an awards thing in their district about technology. And the kids actually presented to me over Zoom their presentation and how they got started with their news and how it’s going at their school. And it was so sweet.

Naomi Meredith [00:20:43]:

They even gave me a shout out. Like, that is so cute. But they were so proud of themselves, and I was proud of them, and they were I was not even in their classroom. I was over Zoom. So this is so, so amazing. So, a lot of you have reached out with emails saying, I implemented this news. It’s going really well. So, if you just want everything laid out, I got you covered.

Naomi Meredith [00:21:05]:

Same thing with lesson planning. If you’re taking a deep dive into your lessons, I have 2 separate workshops, shops, a k through 2 STEM planning workshop, and a 3 through 5 STEM planning workshop. There is a bundle. You can grab those together. But I do plan differently for each grade level. So, with the people I had live, we collaboratively planned units together, but you actually get to hear the thought process and the thinking out loud, which I think is very valuable. Also, if you’re helping to put on a unique STEM event, I have a workshop all about STEM career day, where, again, I give you all the templates, all the emails, and everything you need to do to set up this event where students can see people in real life who are doing amazing things in STEM. And finally, if you are just starting from scratch, you’re new to this position, you just found me, or you went through a year or 2, and you just need to really focus on your program and the systems and routines, how can you plan? What are some ways that students can collaborate together? How can I set up my classroom? I have that all for you in my STEM Teacher 101 course, where there is video.

Naomi Meredith [00:22:12]:

Again, audio. I’m very big on having both. But I will walk you through setting up your classroom. What should you look for? What routines do you need to have in place? How do you plan a stem lesson? What should you be doing to set that foundation? So this is really gonna build that foundation up for you, and you can do it in a weekend. It’s not anything crazy, but you also have some handouts and some getting started things for you as well. So, as a recap, I gave you a lot of different options when it comes to professional development opportunities as a STEM teacher for 2024. Now, the things that I offer you are always there. But for 2024 we talked about how you can go to conferences in person, some different options for there.

Naomi Meredith [00:22:58]:

Check out some virtual summits that can be really fun, and also all the different things that I have created just for you based on request. Thank you so much again. I know this is a lot of information and resources, but, of course, check out the show notes so you can grab all the links and let me know how and what you end up choosing to support your STEM journey.