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Managing Your Makerspace in the Classroom [ep.6 ]

Managing Your Makerspace in the Classroom [ep.6]

makerspace-in-the-classroom

Check out the full episode on managing your Makerspace in the Classroom:  

Watch the video version of the episode here on YouTube:

Episode Summary

Setting up and organizing a classroom Makerspace is half the battle. The second half is managing the supplies and ensuring students can be independent when using them in their work. 

Now that you’ve set up your Makerspace, how do you manage it?

In this episode, I will be sharing with you my Makerspace management hacks that have been a game changer in my Kindergarten through 5th STEM classroom.

Whether you are a STEM teacher, classroom teacher, or library specialist; this episode will make this process more manageable and easier for you!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Management hacks for a Makerspace in Kindergarten through 5th STEM classrooms
  • Steps to complete before, during, and after implementing the Makerspace menu and money
  • How to incorporate math when implementing Makerspace supplies
  • How to make your Makerspace supplies last for more than one lesson

Resources Mentioned:

Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.

Episode Transcript:

Introduction

Setting up and organizing a classroom Makerspace is half the battle. The second half is managing the supplies and ensuring students can be independent when using them in their work.

I will be sharing with you my management hacks that have been a game changer in my Kindergarten through 5th STEM classroom, which makes managing your Makerspace a lot of fun. Yes, the kids are very excited to build, but this system is so much fun, and the students get even more excited about this part of the Makerspace unit. I can’t wait to share all these tips with you in this episode. 

Are you tired of running out of Makerspace supplies after one lesson with a class?

Are you wanting kids to be independent with their supplies but not sure how?

Or how can you add more of an element of math when implementing Makerspace supplies?

I totally get it. It can be a lot to manage with a small class of 25 or even all the kids in the school. 

Do you want to know my secret? It’s having a Makerspace menu and money assistance!

In this episode, I will explain the steps you need to do before, during, and after the lesson using the Makerspace menu and money. This will answer all of those questions. And again, it is so much fun, and you’re really going to love it too.

What to Do Before Teaching a Makerspace Lesson:

First, let’s talk about what you’ll need to do before teaching a Makerspace lesson and a little prep work before diving in. If you haven’t already, make sure to listen to episode five, where I talk about how you can organize your Makerspace and gather materials for your space so that you are ready to go. This is a big part of ensuring you have enough materials.

Now when you’re asking for donations, something that I like to ask for is grocery bags. You might already have a ton at home, making shopping for supplies much easier. Also, when in between classes, students will keep their supplies in these grocery bags along with their money, their plans, and the small things they have built. The grocery bags are going to go inside a big box. I like to use the IKEA fabric boxes.

The next time they come into your room, you just pull out the box, and everything will be right there for them. Of course, you’re setting this up based on a lesson you want to teach using the Makerspace. I don’t use this system for every single lesson. I didn’t use the money system in my first Makerspace lesson, STEM survival camp – episode 4. I actually will only pull out the supplies that they need. So this is something that you probably want to work up to.

As you get started, it will take some trial and error, but again, you’re setting this system up for success. You can use it for multiple grades and multiple times throughout the year.

About a week or month before the lesson starts, depending on your time, you want to print out all of the money and have those different denominations you want students to use. Now our money is all green in real life, but I like to print out the Makerspace money, the different denominations, in different colors. It’s really helpful having those visual cues when students are counting things out.

When I’m counting things with them, we can easily see which money is what. It’s almost like having Monopoly money in your room, but it’s your Makerspace money, and they know it’s fake, adding to the excitement.

Once I have printed and cut out all the money, I like to store all of the money in my bank, which is just those simple little photo boxes you can get at Michaels or Amazon. I have three: one for the $1, the $5, and the $10 bills. I pull those out when I’m ready and lock them up when I’m done. It’s just an easy way to have a bank account. I also would really love to have one of those waitressing aprons. I still haven’t bought one, but that’d also be helpful.

You can have your bank out while walking around the classroom so students can pay you on the go. During these times, having a little apron could be helpful.

Next, set up a budget you want students to have when designing their project. I keep my budget around $25 to $35 per project. If students work alone, they will have a $25 budget. If they’re working in a group of two or three, they must share the $25. So make that very clear with the kids. It can be a bit confusing initially but think about the budgets you want to make.

I like to pre-make their little wallets. Now again, nothing fancy. Just grab those little snack-sized Ziploc bags and make the wallets. You could also have an older student help you create these money wallets.

If you have the wallets created ahead of time, this will save you time the week of starting the Makerspace project and keep you from scrambling to put together money for your students. Also, in this setup project, edit your Makerspace menu based on the materials you have and want the students to use.

For certain projects, some kids might have specialty items. For example, during a first-grade project, they needed to have glow sticks to show their bioluminescent animals. I didn’t want any other grades to shop for those things, so they were listed under specialty items for the first-grade class.

On your menu, you can have all the regular items from which all kids can shop. At the bottom of the menu, you could have a section discussing specialty items that only certain grade levels can buy. This is important because if you are planning your lessons with the standards, there are specific things that their projects may require.

I won’t put specialty items in the regular Makerspace. I put the specialty items in a bin that I will pull out separately because they are special. Make sure you organize your supplies that way.

What to Do During a Makerspace Lesson

Now you are ready for the fun part.

How will you use this time with the Makerspace money and menu during the week?

Trust me, you’re going to love this so much!

Of course, you have to have your project in mind. You’re going to introduce the project to the students. We’ll talk more about planning in other episodes.

Have the students build a background about the problem they’re trying to solve. They can research using different mediums, epic books, podcasts, videos, pictures, and books you have available in the classroom. 

Next, I will introduce the Makerspace menu. Even if we have used the Makerspace menu before, we will go over it again just to ensure we’re clear on how to use it. I will talk to them about their budget, what supplies are on the menu, where supplies are located, what items are free, and which items are not available.

I include free items like paper, glue sticks, crayons, markers, and materials for cutting and designing. We’ll talk about where everything is in the classroom so they know where to find it and how to use it.

Then they will ask any questions they may have. Part of that planning process is creating a thoughtful plan by drawing and labeling the design. The other part of the planning process is they need to create their shopping list.

The shopping list will help students think about how they want their project to look based on how much money they can spend. I use the same process for all my kids. I usually start this in Second grade, so second through fifth grade will use this system, and then I’ll use a modified system for First and Kindergarten.

My students thoughtfully plan their designs and create their shopping lists. They have to write down all the items they would like to buy, how much of each item and how much it will cost. Then, on their paper, they’re going to total up all those amounts and then write down how much money they might have left.

Once they have thought out their plan and shopping list, they must show them to me. You might have a better way of doing this, but this has worked well for me to make sure that there are some checks and balances in this system. This system ensures kids aren’t just rushing into my Makerspace.

When taking things out, students will show me those things, and I’ll give them some feedback. If they’re missing things or not, I will always check their math right away. Once they come back with their supplies, we add up their items’ costs.

Don’t worry too much about the math; you can, but you’ll check what they’re adding up anyway and even do more mental math with them. Once they’re good to go, I tell my students, “yep, you have a great plan. Yes, you have enough money. Here is your shopping bag.”

Then the students will go into my Makerspace. Everything is at the students’ height and labeled with pictures and words. They will shop for all their supplies, put everything in their shopping bags and grab what they need.

Once they’re done shopping, they will come back in line to wait their turn. I talk to my students about how real stores work, and you may have to wait your turn. I also remind them that they don’t come and put things in my face.

Once they wait their turn, I’ll take everything out of their bag. I make sure to have the Makerspace menu on the TV for them to view. If you use the same menu for the second through fifth graders, your students will start memorizing the prices, and there won’t be a question about the costs.

I’ll take everything out of their bags and then tell them their total. For example, I will tell a student, “you have two plates and a ball that cost five dollars and three dollars. So five plus three is…,” and I have them answer me. This allows us to work on a little bit of those fast facts and mental math.

Once they have added that up, they’ll count their money and pay me. Then I’ll put it in the cash register. They can always come back and shop for more items or make returns. While students are shopping, some kids may still be working on their plans, which is okay. This system differentiates itself and helps kids be independent and work on their needs.

It’s really fun having this whole system in your classroom, where they feel like they’re in charge of their projects. I am checking in with all of them to see and discuss their designs, which is exciting.

So the shopping part will take place at the end of day two. So let’s say you have five days for this project; this will happen at the end of day two. Day three is the biggest shopping day, and kids might be returning a few things here and there on days four and five. Some kids might be purchasing a couple of things like a straw. That’s why having a little apron helps.

There’s this whole flow in the classroom. It’s super exciting and energetic. The kids take charge as they get going with this project, and I’m not managing so much.

Students will always ask questions about returns. They will want to know if they can return something. I tell them yes, as long as the item can be reused.

For instance, if they bought a straw that has only been bent a little, it can be reused. But if they bought a straw and cut it into tiny pieces, they can’t get their money back. I also don’t let them get their money back for tape or hot glue gun use unless they didn’t use it. I don’t give them their money back even if they use a little bit. But for most things, they can have their money back.

Tape and the hot glue gun are expensive items that they can purchase. They can have the option of buying a little bit of tape for $5. I don’t think they actually can buy a little bit of hot glue gun. They can buy a small amount of tape for five dollars, unlimited use of tape for ten dollars, or unlimited use of the hot glue gun for $10. That’s about half of their budget.

The kids are so funny! Some will not want to spend anything and only use free items. Nothing happens if they don’t spend their money. I could have an incentive, and some kids spend it all right away.

What’s awesome about this process is when kids are in that planning stage. They will start bringing stuff from home as they build and want more things. I don’t ask them to bring things from home. They don’t have to since I have plenty of materials unless we need more grocery bags.

Some kids will even think about how they can use their breakfast trays. I had some girls who wanted a specific size bucket for their design, so they decided to use the bowls they used for breakfast that morning. They rinsed out their cereal bowl at the end of breakfast at school and brought it to class for their project. Your students may even get creative with the trash and recyclables they’re using already.

What to Do After a Makerspace Lesson

On the last day of the lesson, make sure you leave enough time for kids to clean up all of their materials. That is part of taking care of the space and the whole process of the Makerspace menu. Give them about 10 minutes to put back any supplies they didn’t use, return any money they didn’t use, and any projects they don’t want to keep.

They can take apart the unused projects and put back items that can be reused. Again, some kids will bring things from home, and they’ll let me keep the rest, which is awesome because I’m restocked for the next group of kids. Having the students clean at the end must be added to the system. Don’t say, “Okay, good job, you’re done. Bye,” and your room is a disaster.

Part of the Makerspace experience is cleaning up. I tell my students, “I don’t care if you make a mess, but I care if you don’t clean it up.”

Conclusion

I know this sounds like a lot, so I wanted to make this setup even easier for you. I have made you a Makerspace bundle for getting started that comes with the Makerspace menu and money that I just shared with you about.

The bundle includes 180 plus supply labels with words, pictures, and different colors to match your classroom theme. The Makerspace bundle also consists of an editable donation letter, anchor charts, and getting started lessons. This will all be linked in the show notes, or you can grab it using this link Naomi meredith.com/tptMakerspacebundle.

Thank you so much for joining me today! I can’t wait to hear how this system works in your classroom.

makerspace-in-the-classroom
makerspace-in-the-classroom

makerspace-in-the-classroom

makerspace-in-the-classroom

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STEM Favorites that You’ll Enjoy: 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

makerspace-in-schools

Top Tips for Creating a Makerspace in Schools [ep.5 ]

Top Tips for Creating a Makerspace in Schools [ep.5 ]

Check out the full episode on Makerspace in Schools:  

 

Watch the video version of the episode here on YouTube:

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Having a classroom Makerspace is a wonderful opportunity to help students think of the world in new ways and design creative solutions with simple materials. 

How do you get started creating one? 

In this episode, I’ll be sharing with you my top tips when setting up your Makerspace. 

Whether you are a STEM teacher, classroom teacher, or library specialist; this episode will make this process more manageable and easier for you!

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • Setting up your space & storage
  • Organizational systems for supplies
  • Gathering Makerspace donations

Resources Mentioned:

Makerspace Organization Options



Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you but I receive a small commission in return.

Episode Transcript: 

0:00
Having a classroom Makerspace is a wonderful opportunity for students to think about the world in new ways, and design creative solutions with simple materials.

0:10
But how do you get started creating one? In this episode, I will be sharing with you my top tips for setting up your classroom Makerspace.

0:19
Whether you’re a STEM teacher, a classroom teacher or library specialist, this episode will give you actionable tips to make the process more manageable and easier for you.

0:29
I am so excited to talk about this topic today; setting up your Makerspace. I have to be honest, this has taken a lot of trial and error in my own classroom to figure out systems and routines that worked for all grade levels, K-5.

1:27
I definitely had moments where during the lesson things weren’t working out, whether it was where I put the supplies, what supplies was being used… (I definitely have some stories to tell you about that!) These are my tips and tricks to help you get started right away so you can have a great foundation in your own classroom and not have to go through all of the mistakes that I made.

1:51
I will be sharing with you three major tips and breaking down each of those tips so that you can have a great Makerspace year.

2:00
The first thing when getting started with your Makerspace is decide on the storage and space, you’re going to house everything.

2:08
Now this is definitely up to you and a case by case situation; all classrooms are different. I was very lucky! Ehen I got my brand new job, I was gifted a brand new classroom. I felt like I had won the lottery! But I know that’s not the case for everybody.

2:23
Some people may prefer having one designated small location where it has all the Makerspace supplies. Some might have materials spread out along the room. Whatever you decide, make it work best for you. Now, we will talk about organization later on in this episode, but really figure out what space do you have to work with.

2:43
You can make it all work, just work with what you got!

2:46
Once you have that figured out, decide if you are going to have a grab-and-go method where students are going to grab their materials from that location or locations and take it back to their seat, or if you are going to pull out bins as needed for the project. There are benefits to both and I actually use both methods for different times of the year.

3:08
I will start off the year K-5 by pulling out bins of specific materials I want the students to be using. My Makerspace is spread out along my classroom, and everything is organized at kid-height. I will have specialty items in the closet for specific projects put away in my cabinet, but the majority of materials are out on the floor.

3:30
Even when you think about when you’re shopping at a store, you might ask, “Do you have anything in the back?”, I usually don’t have a whole lot hiding in my closets. I just don’t have room for extra things!

3:41
Everything is out in my classroom at kid-height. I get started by pulling out the bins so whatever specific materials that students will need for their project, they will grab the items that they’re allowed, or however many I say they can get, and then bring those items back to their seats.

3:58
For younger students, if this is hard for them to remember how many, even if you write it on the board, a simple tip that I have for this. Grab a little sticky note, write a number. Let’s say I want them to have three straws, I’ll write the number three. Then I’ll draw three dots on the sticky note and put the sticky note on the bin.

4:16
This is something I will definitely use even if the students are grabbing things from the locations in my Makerspace it helps so much so that helps build their independence. Then, they’re not relying on me asking, “How many straws can I get?” This simple little trick has just been a great hack in my classroom.

4:34
Another major thing when setting up your Makerspace in your classroom is have designated locations for projects. Now I know this is actually one of the most tricky things in classrooms because some teachers even see all the kids in the whole school the entire week!

4:51
You definitely want to make sure you have space for all of those projects. (Now I do have a tip that will make storage a lot easier later on in this episode; and you’re definitely going to thank me later for this one!)

5:03
Think about where those projects are going to be stored. I like to have on my open shelves, a shelf for each grade level. I just have the grade level written down on an index card with an arrow pointing to the shelf. For smaller supplies, I have a big fabric box from IKEA, the fold- out boxes, I can take apart and pop up whenever I need. Students will place their loose materials in a grocery bag or Ziploc bag with their plan inside. Then, the bags will go in the bucket at the end of class.

5:35
This is really helpful after I teach the mini lesson in our group meeting area, I’ll pull out that bucket I might even pull out all the bags and lay them in a row on the floor to help students get their materials faster. This little trick has just worked for so many different types of Makerspace projects.

5:53
Not only are you setting up those materials, but set up a place where the projects can be stored when the class is done for the day.

5:59
The second major tip when setting up your Makerspace is the organization of your materials. Now keep in mind, I was given a brand new classroom, so some of the furniture is very expensive in there. I will look up other things that are very similar that can help with your organization as well.

6:26
Before I start asking for donations, I like to have my organization system set up first. That way I know how much of things that I can ask for and actually hold on to. This is really important! Instead of asking for supplies, let’s get organized first! When you are organizing all of your bins and drawers and buckets, make sure to label all of your things with pictures and with words. (We talked about this in Episode 1 when you’re creating your systems and routines.)

6:55
This is a great tip and helpful for all learners because that way they know where things go, they might even learn new vocabulary of what things are called. Also as a teacher, you will know where everything goes too! I swear, you will find things on the floor no matter how much you have a class clean up. This will help you know where everything goes in the classroom.

7:15
Even further with your organization, I like to have different categories and locations for those different types of materials. I have a cardboard station where all of the little cardboard pieces will be; thin cardboard that will cut into pieces, cardboard tubes, eggs cartons… anything that is cardboard related will go in one section (and those are labeled, of course!)

7:40
The other station is the paper station. I will have all of the construction paper set up for them, lined paper for planning, scratch paper for building and for planning, and graph paper. All of those can be found together to make it a lot easier for what they’re looking for.

7:56
Finally, are the Makerspace items, the other little fun things that they can build with; the pom poms, popsicle sticks, cups….all of those are found in the same location. In another part of the classroom, I have all of the crayons, glue sticks and scissors.

8:12
Now when I first got started, I thought it was a really good idea to have a big bucket of crayons and place it on each table group for kids to use. The older kids had no problem with this.

8:24
I distinctly remember it was my first week teaching STEM, and I had 1st grade. It had been a while since I had 1st grade and taught them. I taught 1st grade when I was student teaching and then 2nd grade my first couple of years when I was teaching, So it had been a little bit of a while. I hear crying and think, “Oh great… Who’s crying? Why are they crying??”

8:46
I go over to the table and the kids are telling me, “Oh! He’s not sharing the crayons.!” I say, “Well, okay. You need to share the crayons! The crayons are here for everybody!”

8:55
Instead of giving the crayons back, he decided to put the crayons that he had taken in his mouth, chew them up and spit the crayons into the bucket. So nobody could use the crayons at that point…. and then there were more tears.

9:11
I knew I had to change my structure of even just how crayons were in my classroom.

9:16
For some time, I did use little supply boxes. In each box there was a pack of crayons, scissors, glue sticks, 2 pencils and an eraser.

9:25
I also found out quickly the lids kept coming off of those buckets and they weren’t the best quality. The pencils were getting mixed up and the Kindergarteners were really excited that they had scissors in their box. (I don’t think they had scissors in their supply buckets in their classroom always out.)

9:42
So, here has worked best for my crayons, glue sticks and scissors and markers. I have them in one area of the classroom. These actually get used more than my Makerspace. I have the crayons in little metal tins with a little handle and buckets can go on each table. This is really great when students are helping pass out supplies, they can carry these buckets. Or if I’m passing them out really quick in between transitions, this has worked great. Two students can share one bucket which is way better than a giant bucket in the middle of the table.

10:17
Then I have an another container for the glue sticks and the scissors. Sometimes I might only need crayons for a Makerspace activity or for something else, students might only want crayons.

10:31
Now it’s also helpful having the scissors and glue sticks separate because the younger students love playing with the scissors and you don’t want anybody accidentally cutting their hair. (Not saying that ever happened to me! Wink, wink.)

10:49
Markers are in little drawers that are organized by color. If students want to use markers for a project, they can go grab the colors that they need. On each of the tables in the classroom, I keep this out year round, are metal buckets with two big erasers and sharpened pencils for all the kids to use whenever they want. Those simple materials are really easy to grab whenever needed.

11:13
Finally, when setting up your Makerspace after you have figured out the space, you have everything ready to be organized, you’re ready to collect items. In Episode 3, we talked more about how to get creative when gathering supplies. There’s some tips and tricks to help you be creative when collecting supplies. Also at the end, I talk about a spreadsheet you can download for free, where I inventoried my whole classroom Makerspace supplies included, that will help you get an idea for what you might want to collect for your classroom.

11:48
I did mention you want to create a space where you students can put their projects. This if you don’t get anything else from this episode, this is something I want you to remember; small items make small projects They take less time to build, they take up less storage space, they take up less use of materials.

12:12
On the flip side, big items make big projects, they take longer to build, they make bigger groups, and they use more items to build. Also think about the amount of tape! (You know how I feel about tape!)

12:27
I learned this the hard way. I let students create whatever size project they wanted and I didn’t have room for anything. I ran out of supplies so fast, that I didn’t even have enough for the same classes in one day. When I shifted my mindset to where projects can be smaller, be a prototype and accomplish the same task, it’s okay! It really changed how materials are being used in my classroom.

12:56
When I’m asking for donations, I actually don’t ask for large pieces of cardboard, big milk jugs, water bottles, I don’t have room to store that. They’re awesome to build with, however, in my classroom space, I don’t have room for that. I really aim for smaller items that can easily be stored and I can get a lot of it. Again, I have those smaller projects and I have more room to store them.

13:21
If you’re thinking about a size, what is a good size? Think about a large gallon sized Ziploc bag. I try to aim students, if possible, to create something that could fit in that bag. Now there are some exceptions to some of the projects, but we’re not making ginormous things that have nowhere to go in the classroom.

13:42
Creating a donation letter can be very helpful. Instead of sending a mass email out to families, maybe you could think about sending that donation letter to one grade level a month and you can build connections with those families. Each month could be a different grade level. In turn, if you have a specific project that you are going to do with a grade level, you could send out a donation letter to that grade level and very specific items that are specific to that project.

14:10
You probably will get a better response with a smaller group and that way, and then you can really target what you need for the project.

14:17
Also for specialty items, sometimes I’ll just send out a staff email and see if anybody has that at home. For example, I needed bubble wrap for a projec. I sent out an email and the next day, all these people brought in bubble wrap for me.

14:31
I might even ask students in the class during a project for items. I needed more grocery bags to store our supplies. I didn’t have a lot at home (I really try to use reusable bags; not perfect, but I really try!) and we ran out of grocery bags in our classroom. I told the kids, “Hey, whoever brings in grocery bags tomorrow, I’ll give you some Makerspace money that you can spend on your project!”

14:54
(Now if you’re wondering what Makerspace money is, we’re going to talk about that in a future episode. So hold your horses; that is a whole thing that we will dive into.!)

15:03
There’s a lot of creative ways that you can gather materials and donations and easily get things for your classroom.

15:09
I also have a few places for dropping off materials. In my building, I have a box by my classroom and in the front of the building. I would love to add another box in the teacher’s lounge. So just really great high traffic areas where students and families can drop things off that can be used in my room.

15:27
Another way to gather supplies in your classroom is to have students deconstruct. Now some students are obsessed about taking things home, which is awesome. Some kids really don’t care. They loved the building process, but they don’t have a desire to take it home. So after they take a picture, and Flipgrid, Seesaw or any other platform that you’re thinking of, students can take apart their projects and then put away the supplies like be can be reused for other projects. This is a great little in the moment mini lesson to talk about conservation and materials as well.

16:00
On the last day of your projects, while students are deconstructing, just make sure you leave enough time for them to put everything away and clean out those bags. I will also reuse bags when possible if they don’t have any holes or they’re not broken. The more that you can reuse in this space, it’s just really great. You can get more life out of all those materials.

16:22
As a recap, here are the three major things when setting up your Makerspace for success, so that you have a great system that will work all year long.

16:32
First, is to set up that space and storage and where everything is going to go.

16:37
Next, set up an organization system for all those different types of materials.

16:42
Finally, think about ways that you can gather Makerspace donations.

16:47
To make this setup even easier. I made you a Makerspace Bundle for getting started that comes with 180+supply labels with words and pictures, different colors, an editable donation letter and Makerspace Menu with money (which we will talk about in the next episode), anchor charts for specific supplies and getting started lessons.

17:11
This will be linked in the show notes or you can grab it using this direct link: naomimeredith.com/tptmakerspacebundle.

17:20
Thank you so much for joining me today for all of these Makerspace tips. I can’t wait to see you in the next episode!

makerspace-in-schools-2makerspace-in-schools

makerspace-in-schools

stem-donation-letter

makerspace-labels

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

STEM Favorites that You’ll Enjoy: 

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

stem-survival-camp

Welcome to STEM Survival Camp! [ep. 4]

Welcome to STEM Survival Camp! [ep. 4]

stem-survival-camp

Check out the full episode on STEM Survival Camp:  

 

Watch the video version here on YouTube: 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Are you looking for a fun way to start off your STEM school year that will build community, promote creativity and utilize resources from the outdoors? 

Welcome to STEM Survival Camp!

This unique experience will hook your students immediately to start off your school year. You’ll learn about STEM Survival’s camp origin story, behind the scenes set up and the unique challenges that each grade level can participate in, K-5. 

Grab your favorite camp shirt and let’s get started!

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • STEM Survival’s camp origin story
  • Behind the scenes set up
  • Unique challenges that each grade level can participate in, K-5

Resources Mentioned:


Episode Transcript: 

Are you looking for a fun way to start off your STEM school year that will promote creativity, build community and utilize resources from the outdoors? Welcome teachers to STEM Survival Camp! This unique experience will hook your students immediately to start off your school year. Grab your favorite camp shirt, and let’s get started.

Now I definitely think that STEM Survival Camp is a cute name. You’re probably wondering, where in the world did this come from? I am definitely not one to be known as a survivalist (and I have no desire to be a survivalist!) But I know that this was an exciting unit for my students.

I had typically started off my STEM school year with digital citizenship lessons, which are still important and I still teach in my STEM space. However, it was the Fall of 2020 (which we know what that means), and I needed a unit that could in a moment’s notice be taken online, and all my students I was teaching for the week had access to supplies.

During the summer, my Teacher-Honey and I were obsessed about watching the show ‘Alone’. If you haven’t watched the show ‘Alone’, here’s basically what it is. There are 10 nature survivalists who are experts in their field. They are taken off to these extreme conditions to survive alone. And they literally are alone! They are taught how to use the cameras. So there isn’t a camera crew on the side telling them what to do. They’re all alone, they’re sent to these remote conditions, and they have to survive off the land as long as possible. They’re hunting, they’re building their shelters, they’re staying entertained if they’re there for a long time.

Now they get 10 items to bring with them of their choice and obviously, a certain amount of clothing. But it is so extreme and so entertaining. And it was the inspiration for STEM Survival Camp!

Now if you don’t know me by now, I am one who loves a good theme, and I think it can be actually very beneficial for students to plan themematic units, that are tied to standards; this can really pump up the engagement.

Not only were students entering STEM Survival Camp, we had to do a little bit of a room transformation. So luckily, my Teacher-Honey had some camping gear because I definitely don’t own any of this stuff. Now let me paint the picture of this room transformation. (I will link all of this on the show notes so if you want to check out all the pictures of what STEM Survival Camp looks like in my classroom, definitely check that out. It’ll be at naomimeredith.com/episode4.

In the corner, my classroom I set up a little small tent that kids actually weren’t allowed to go in. (I told them that the zipper was broken and they believed me!) The tent was just decoration. I set up the little small tent, there was a little camping chair, and I made a little campfire out of paper towel tubes and paper. I actually keep the campfire every year and I tell the kids that I’ve been keeping the fire warm for them. Nobody thinks that joke is funny except me. So I set up a little corner with this tent.

There are also signs around the classroom. There’s a big sign made on that fake wooden paper that says ‘Welcome to STEM Survival Camp!’. Then my classroom has one whole wall that is glass. On the glass wall, I built these paper mountains that were cute and cartoony. My wall also has sliding glass doors. So on the side that’s connected to the library, I built a whole little RV camper out of paper. When the door slid open, it was like you were stepping into the RV.

Not only did I decorate my room, I decorated myself! I went on Amazon and bought a few camp shirts, which was super fun. Then I also told the kids to get excited! If they had any camp shirts from the summer, I had them wear them throughout the week. I would take their picture over by the little tent and then it will go in our digital picture frame that I have ever since I first started teaching STEM.

This picture frame shows our ‘STEM Style’ so when kids wear anything that connects to science, technology, engineering and math, I will put their picture on the digital picture frame. The kids love seeing themselves from over the years and also making the connections as to what their shirts demonstrate.

Another fun thing we did during the STEM Survival Camp is I said wear camo on Fridays. A lot of kids would come in, and we would take the class picture with those wearing their camo. So getting the kids excited, and building that community community with that short time I had with them was so much fun.

Now, you’re probably wondering what each of the challenges were for each of the grade levels. When I got started with STEM Survival Camp, I had known the kids already for a couple of years, and I was ready working up to having different challenges for each grade grade level. If this is something that you want to do in your classroom, you can definitely combine challenges. So K & 1 can do the same, 2&3 and 4&5. I’m going to go through what I did for each grade level.

All of these challenges had limited supplies, and they had to be created within constraints of those supplies. This wasn’t an open ended Makerspace challenge either. They were able to use all the materials that I supplied for them, some, or none, (with the exception for the fourth grade one, which will make sense in a second.)

Each of these [challenges] also gives them the opportunity to collect items from the outdoors. Once we got to that create phase, we had some rules about how to gather supplies when we are outside.

5th grade’s challenge was the ‘Build the Shelter. They had to create a shelter that would withstand the elements. (These were tiny shelters as well not big enough for a kid!) They were given a few supplies for me, just like the show ‘Alone’, they were given their certain supplies, and then anything that they found outdoors. This was a great chance for them to find creative sticks or rocks that could make their shelter even stronger.

The elements that they had to test or shelter against was snow, which was glitter. Now I’m the rare teacher who likes glitter;I don’t mind a little bit of sparkle in my classroom! You might want to use something else but I I controlled the glitter and I was cool with it being on the floor because my room got got a little bit of sass!

There was a water station and students put their shelter in an empty bucket. The bucket next to it was filled with water and had a sponge and they squeeze the sponge on top. We had the wind station where there was a box fan and they could test it with different levels of the fan.

4th grade’s challenge was the one that didn’t necessarily use items from the outdoors, but it did teach them a survival skill. There’s was to create a hiking backpack. After designing a thoughtful plan, they actually sewed their little tiny backpack that was small enough that can be used for their toys. We did use real needles and thread to make that experience come to life. It was so cute how excited they were to have a little tiny working prototype of their backpack.

3rd grade was to create a ‘Game from the Land’. If you watch the show ‘Alone’, the people who are there for a long time are bored out of their minds, and they start creating games to play with themselves to stay entertained. Luckily, the kids had people to play their games with them. But using the few materials I gave them and anything they collected outdoors, they created a game that they could play.

Some thought of some yard games that they had played during the summer and created a variation of that. Some were finding interesting rocks that could be a dice, they were looking for very cool shapes that had flat sides, and they could write on the rock to create their dice. It was pretty cool to see their creativity come to life in that way.

2nd grade’s challenge was ‘Protect the Food’. They created a small prototype to keep the food safe from different kinds of animals in the environment. We talked about that there are animals that climb, crawl, fly, and even thinking about whether how their food could be safe from those elements, but also easy enough for a human to get.

Some kids created obstacle courses for the animals so that they couldn’t get the food some created contraptions that kept the food safe. This was a fun way to have them think about different animals that would be in the environment.

1st grade’s challenge was ‘Build a Fishing Pole’. This is a very common one when you’re watching ‘Alone’, almost all of the contestants create some sort of fishing rod. Once we got to the part of collecting items from outside we talked about safety carrying sticks; We always carry our sticks to our side, we are always walking with our sticks. We use body measurements so the sticks weren’t too long, (from a student’s wrist to their elbow, that was the maximum length that a stick could be) and then they could collect five or less sticks.

I did give some items where they could connect the sticks together. Then there were little fish that I made ahead of time with paper that they could fish for and test their design.

Kindergarten’s challenge was ‘Cross the River’. Again, on this show ‘Alone’, a lot of the contestants need to figure out a way to get across the river, sometimes they want to build their shelter over there, a lot of times get other food, maybe the weather is coming in. This was a cool way to experiment with the Kindergarteners about sinking and floating, and things that actually stay in the water. They had little buckets that I filled with water on the last day, but they’re able to experiment with different things they collected from outside.

We talked about maybe stepping stones could be a way to get across the water across the water, maybe creating a little raft and maybe making a swinging rope. They experimented with ways to cross the tiny river.

Now this one, at first was a little bit confusing for kindergarten, some of them thought that they were actually crossing a river, and I had to make sure like to make it clear, you’re not crossing the riverl it’s a small version of crossing the river. They’re so cute! They honestly love playing with the water. You can do the water part outside depending on where your classroom is set up and if it’s easy to get access to water.

All of these challenges are a great way to chat with your kids get to know them get excited about STEM. Of course, these are things that they could do at home as well.

Luckily, I didn’t actually have to go remote when this got started. This was so popular after that Fall 2020, it came back and it’s coming back again! Kids get very excited about STEM Survival Camp and they’re starting to collect their camp shirts to wear and bring in and show me all the things that they did over the summer.

Even as a STEM teacher, you still can build community and excitement in your classroom and build relationships with your students. This STEM Survival Camp unit is a great way to get started.

If you want to hear more in detail about how I use the Engineering Design Process throughout this STEM Survival Camp experience, I will be presenting at the free Seesaw Connect 2022 conference, and that is running from July 25 through August 14, 2022.

I also have that same presentation posted in my monthly STEM Teacher Ultimate Resource membership. You can definitely check it out there at any time without any time constraints.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

STEM Favorites that You’ll Enjoy: 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

need-for-a-stem-classroom

What Do You Need for a STEM Classroom? [ep. 3]

What Do You Need for a STEM Classroom? [ep.3]

Check out the full episode on what you need for a STEM classroom:  

 

Watch the video version here on YouTube:

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Are you in charge of setting up the STEM space in your school? Have you been gifted a classroom with a collection of supplies but not sure what to keep, what to toss and what to buy? 

And let’s mention budget; what should you be buying within different budgets and balancing that between consumable and non-consumable items? 

Let’s break down what you actually need for your STEM classroom and create a system that will work best for you.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Tips and tricks gathering materials when setting up your STEM space: 

    • #1- List those current assets 
    • #2-Create a budget 
    • #3- Be creative when gathering materials 
    • #4- Plan ahead

Resources Mentioned:

Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you but I receive a small commission in return.

Episode Transcript: 

Are you in charge of setting up the STEM space in your school? Have you been gifted a classroom with a collection of supplies but not sure what to keep, what to toss and what to buy? 

And let’s mention budget; what should you be buying within different budgets and balancing that between consumable and non-consumable items? 

Let’s break down what you actually need for your STEM classroom and create a system that will work best for you. 


The first step when setting up your STEM space is to list your current assets. Now you might be starting with a blank canvas, so you have nothing to list; you can skip this step! But you might want to keep it in mind for next year so don’t write me off completely! First, pull out everything that you have in your space and notice: 

-What are some things you absolutely want to keep? 

-What are some things that you can toss or recycle? (like an old Boombox or CD player. I’m sorry you’re definitely not going to use that!) 

-What are some things you can donate within the district? 

-Are there items that are actually not age appropriate? 

Maybe the items are actually too young for your students and you can get them to other schools or preschools that are within your district. Maybe even your ILC/SPED programs in your school would like them. 

You might even have items that are actually too advanced for your students; that could be a possibility for an after school club. Or they actually might be better suited for your middle school or high school programs. 

I actually had a lot of these types of supplies when I entered my STeM space that were purchased by other STEM and tech teachers who were in my school [before me]. I was able to donate those to our middle schools and they could definitely get more use out of them. 

Once you have the items that you know you’re definitely going to keep, think about what type of balance of materials. Are you overloaded with robots? Are you overloaded with coding materials (like I was) and are you in need of more building materials? Or maybe vice versa! Maybe you have a lot of Makerspace items and don’t have any robots at all! 

Definitely think about the balance because when you move forward with these supplies, this is going to help you keep in mind the types of lessons that you want to be planning. Again, you definitely want your lessons to have a balance. 

Once you are aware of all of the assets that you definitely have in your classroom, next you need to think about creating a budget.

Budgets are really tricky, especially in the STEM space. Some teachers don’t have a budget, some have a little bit, some have a lot. There are opportunities to gather materials whether you have money or not; we will be talking about how to be creative with the funds you may or may not have. 

First, you want to know how much money that you have available and when you actually need to spend it. Some schools are really particular about when money needs to be spent at certain times of the year. Some of them are flexible and let the funds carry over year after year. Find out what this means for your school and how and when you need to spend your budget. 

Once you know how much you do (or do not have), this is a great time for you to create a donation opportunity. Amazon has a great selection for you to get started on a wishlist. You can easily get that set up and keep adding items throughout the year. You can share with your families and friends outside of your school. 

Donors Choose is also another awesome website where you can create a grant opportunity and they walk you through step by step how to create that grant. They actually will gather the supplies once the funds are fully funded. The process is so easy; I’ve definitely had things funded in the past and now paying it forward into other classrooms and helping fund their projects as well. 

Another way that you can be flexible with your budget that actually won’t cost you anything is to reach out to other STEM and science teachers within your district. They might have items that they have purchased already and they might be willing to let you borrow them for a unit. This can really help you as well to try things out if you do or do not or actually want to buy them! Likewise, you might also have items that another teacher would love to try as well and you guys can do a little bit of a swap. I have a few friends in my district where we do this and it’s such a great opportunity to help out their students that they have enough supplies and vice versa.

That last suggestion actually goes into this next tip; be creative with materials. There are a lot of ways to build up the supplies in your classroom that doesn’t cost anything. 

Think about consumables and non-consumables in your classroom. What I mean by this is consumables are the things that once students use them, they are used up; you can’t use them again. 

No matter what your budget is, you want to somehow get your hands on lots of tape. Kids LOVE tape. I think it’s the new pencils; I’m pretty sure kids eat tape. Definitely set aside a budget for that! I set limits on tape, I make baby tape rolls (where I wrap a certain amount and wrap it around a popsicle stick and that’s their tape limit), but I swear I don’t know where this tape goes. They love it! 

Think about those consumable items that students love, and how you can have a budget for that. 

Sometimes you might want to purchase things that are a little bit more expensive because you know are going to last a longer amount of time. 

My best example is when I’m thinking about robots. There are the code-and-go mice and the BeeBots. They are very similar robots; they pretty much do the same thing. When teaching over 500 kids, the code-and-go mice are not the most durable. The code-and-go mice are awesome for a home robot and I suggest this for students if they love coding at home. This is a great robot. It’s about twenty bucks or so.

I do purchase the BeeBots. or even the BlueBots. The BlueBots even cooler; they can connect to iPads using Bluetooth. If you can invest in BlueBots and have iPads to connect to, I definitely recommend those. 

Either way, the BeeBots and BlueBots are a great investment of my money. I will buy one or two each year based on my budget because I know that they’re going to last. They’re durable and also they don’t use batteries. They have a rechargeable battery so they are worth the investment.

When purchasing, especially when it comes to those non-consumable items that will eventually become out of date, you don’t always need a class set. A big part of STEM is being able to collaborate and use those materials as a team. So if you’re buying one for every kid, where’s the collaboration!? 

Think about how you could buy items where it works for about half of the class, where they can work in pairs. Could they work in groups of 3 or even even smaller; how could they work in a station rotation? If you’re unsure about a material you would like to buy, start small, enough for where it could be a station rotation, and build up from there. 

Don’t go all in when you’re none getting started! You might not even like the tool or have found you don’t even have time to use it. 

Another way to build up your materials is to ask for donations. You can get very creative when you’re asking for those donations! You know at the beginning and end of the school years when teachers are cleaning out their closets teachers are getting rid of stuff and you’re so tempted to not look but you don’t need anything? 

Okay, as a STEM teacher, go look! You will be amazed by how many science supplies you will find from past science kits, math manipulatives that kids can build with, even lined paper which is great for planning. You can find a ton of stuff in your own school building! 

Even sent out an email. Some teachers have kids who are growing up and they want to get rid of a big bucket of LEGO (take them up on it)! There are resources in your own building that you can definitely pull upon. 

If you know you’re going to start a Makerspace project, set out a box in your teachers lounge. Have teachers put in the boxes from their breakfasts and lunch meals that they’re heating up in their microwaves and save that cardboard for your projects. That is the best cardboard to use by the way; all kids can cut it with regular scissors. 

Be creative with the things that already are happening within your school building! 

Another way that you can be creative when gathering your materials is to have a LEGO Donation Day. Have kids bring in those little snack bags filled with some basic LEGO bricks. If you have about 500 or so kids in your school, that’s a lot of basic bricks that you can add to your collection! That would be a really cool thing to do for your Back to School Night! 

Have kids bring you in a snack size bag filled with the LEGO and maybe you give them a cool sticker in return or another little behavior incentive for thanking them for their donation. 

Also consider reaching out to local businesses. Businesses are looking for ways to have tax write offs, especially when it comes to STEM education. This is a big opportunity that businesses are just waiting for. They might have materials from their company they would love to give you. Or even if you write a grant, in return, they’ll purchase items that you’re looking for. 

Finally ,when you are building up the supplies in your STEM classroom, you want to plan ahead. You won’t get everything that you want your first year. [If you do, I want to come to your class because it would be amazing!] Having an ongoing list of supplies that you would love to have. 

This is great because what if a business reaches out to you and they ask?, “What do you need?” You will have a list of things you already know that you would want and you can hand it over. Same with PTOs or parents; you will be prepared with that list also for your planning ahead. 

Also, plan for repairs you’re going to set all those systems routines and rules for all of the things in your classroom, but things will break. Now less things will break if you do have those systems and routines and rules, and you won’t have as many repairs. But, accidents happen, things break with wear and tear. If you can set aside a budget or what you’re going to do if things do break, have a plan for that.

Let’s have a recap of now that you have all of these tips and tricks for setting up your STEM space. 

#1- List those current assets 

#2-Create a budget 

#3- Be creative when gathering materials 

#4- Plan ahead. 

Now that you have this system for setting up the supplies in your classroom that you can use year after year, you probably want to know, “What exactly do I need right now? Just tell me exactly the things I need to buy!” 

I actually went through and inventoried my whole classroom and created a spreadsheet of the must have items that work well in K-5.  You can download that whole inventory spreadsheet for free here: naomimeredith.com/stemsupplylist

Thank you so much for ah thank you so much for hanging out with me today I will chat with you in the next episode.

 

need-for-a-stem-classroom
Have a Makerspace donation box outside of your classroom and near the front entrance of your school.

need-for-a-stem-classroom

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

what-stem-education

What STEM Education means in the Elementary Classroom [ep. 2]

What STEM Education means in the Elementary Classroom [ep.2]

what-stem-education

Check out the full episode on what STEM education means:  

 

Watch the video version of this episode here: 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Have you ever had people ask you, “What do you do?” And you say, “I’m a STEM teacher!” Then they respond with, “Well, what is STEM? And you explain, “Well, it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math!” Then after that, they say, “Well, how is that different from what they’re already learning in the regular classroom?” 

Have you had those conversations? 

I definitely have. 

In this episode, we’re going to get a clear understanding of what STEM education means, in the elementary setting, debunk common misconceptions, and build a strong foundation for your own classroom.

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • Elementary STEM misconceptions and how to shift those assumptions
  • Misconception #1: STEM is a step-by-step craft
  • Misconception #2: STEM is just isolated activities
  • Misconception #3: STEM is only Coding
  • Misconception #4: STEM is just playing with “cool” stuff

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Have you ever had people ask you, “What do you do?” And you say, “I’m a STEM teacher!” Then they respond with, “Well, what is STEM? And you explain, “Well, it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math!” Then after that, they say, “Well, how is that different from what they’re already learning in the regular classroom?” 

Have you had those conversations? 

I definitely have. 

In this episode, we’re going to get a clear understanding of what STEM education means, in the elementary setting, debunk common misconceptions, and build a strong foundation for your own classroom. 

According to the US Department of Commerce, STEM jobs are expected to grow by 8.9% from 2014 through 2024 (which were so close to!) In fact, STEM occupations earn 29% more than non-STEM jobs. 

While the numbers are there, we need more educators to better equip students for their futures. How can we prepare students for those futures? 

We need to understand clearly, even at the elementary school level, what STEM is and what STEM isn’t. 

Here are four major misconceptions about STEM education and how we can debunk those ideas. 

Misconception #1: STEM is a step by step craft

How many times have you seen some really awesome stem projects, you see one of the solutions, and then you see another solution, and then another one, and it looks exactly the same? 

Now, within STEM projects, some parts definitely do require step-by-step instructions. But if all of the solutions look the same, what creativity have you really inspired? 

Instead, STEM is project-based learning with multiple solutions, based on curriculum standards. STEM is an awesome opportunity for students to look at the world in a new way. 

Think about the Wright Brothers. What if they were creating what everybody else was creating? We may or may not have the airplanes that we have today! They kept thinking of new solutions and how to make it even better. From there, we have all sorts of different airplane designs that fly in our sky. 

In Elementary STEM, the standards are actually still really important. When planning your STEM lessons, become really familiar with the NGSS standards, Common Core, and even the ISTE standards for students. These definitely have a place in your classroom, where you can design lessons where students can create endless possibilities, and not just a step-by-step craft. 

Misconception #2, STEM is just isolated activities

Have you ever seen someone do a science experiment in their classroom, and then they come back with, “Oh my gosh! We just did STEM!” Maybe….?! But really, STEM is the integration of science, technology, engineering, and math all together; not one is more than the other. They are a mixture of all of those things. 

The ‘Getting Started Lessons’ that come with all of those STEM kits, robots and LEGO education kits are awesome. They’re a great way to really focus on the rules and routines when using those materials in your classroom. But you can go further from there!

So let’s think about this sample lesson plan that you could possibly do in your classroom. This is based on the third grade NGSS standards that talk about life cycles, but you can also dive into other standards that you think this would apply to as well, or shift this in a way that makes sense for you. 

So let’s say you want your students to code with the Dash robot or any type of robot. Day 1, you learn how to use the robot, and how to handle those appropriately in your classroom, how to connect to the app, how to take turns and share roles… that could be your day 1 lesson.

Day 2, have students take a little break from the robots and do a little bit of research about their favorite animal and their complete lifecycle. A great tool that I like to use for research in the STEM setting is Epic! books. It is kid-safe, has videos, audio books, read-to-me and awesome ebooks in one whole platform. I highly recommend! 

After students have done the research about their favorite animal, then they can create little cards that show a visual and labels of each stage of that life cycle. 

Day 3, they bring in their lifecycle cards (or you have them saved) and use those cards to code the robot to the different parts of the lifecycle in order or even backwards or from different parts of it. 

Now if students were researching maybe by themselves, in pairs or groups of three, they might have a whole collection of different animals to learn from! Not only are they looking at the lifecycle that they researched about, but others that students have done in this class.

With this lesson, not only are you doing just robots, but you’re integrating those standards, and other elements of STEM into one whole lesson. 

If you’re a little pressed for time, or if you need some more support for specific students, you can find a growing collection of lifecycle coding cards at naomimeredith.com/tptspringlifecycle. 

Misconception #3: STEM is only coding

Coding is extremely important, and there definitely is a place for it in the elementary STEM classroom. However, STEM  isn’t just coding. 

I often hear a lot of students at other schools or in other states, or parents talk to me and say that their kid had STEM , but they only did coding. STEM is so much more than that! 

Instead, STEM is hands-on, explorative and creates problem solving opportunities, where coding can be one of many types of solutions. 

When you’re planning out your year, make sure there’s a balance of robotics, and coding. Also, these two solutions should have equal weight compared to other solutions, like Makerspace, LEGO and 3D printing. Not all kids will like coding, not all of them will like robotics, not all of them like Makerspace or 3D printing. But make sure to have a balance and give students a variety so that they are exploring STEM  and multiple avenues. 

This can also help you when you’re making purchasing decisions, and create a balance of tools and materials you have in your classroom; a balance of coding, robotics, and building supplies.

Misconception #4, STEM is just playing with “cool stuff”

Okay, in a STEM setting, you definitely should have cool stuff; STEM is super cool! But it is way more than that. 

I often see other teachers or admins or even district personnel who come into the building parents, and they are so mesmerized by the cool tools that we’re using. They have the shiny object syndrome, and they’re like, “Oh, you just play with cool stuff all day!” 

Yes, we do “cool stuff” in STEM, but there definitely needs to be a purpose for why you are using that “cool stuff”. What standards are integrated into your unit? What lesson objectives are students accomplishing? Are they practicing critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and problem solving? 

When you are planning your lessons, you definitely still need to ask yourself, “What is the academic goal that is being used behind this tool?” If you can’t really answer that, if you’re really stretching that answer, that might be a better answer to would this tool be better used for an after-school club. 

After-school clubs are a great way to explore, experiment and try something out before you have it in your actual classroom setting and use it with a small selection of kids. You can definitely play around that way. 

Again, STEM shouldn’t be boring, but you do have a purpose in mind when you’re using these tools in your classroom. 

Recap

You are going to definitely continue to develop your philosophy behind what STEM education is and what it means in the elementary classroom setting. In fact, I am sure that’s a big reason why you are here listening or watching! You can see an infographic [on this website] I put together to highlight these four major misconceptions and how to reframe what STEM education means in your elementary classroom.

Let’s recap what those four misconceptions are and how we can debunk those. 

  • Misconception #1- STEM is a step by step craft
  • Misconception #2- STEM is just isolated activities
  • Misconception #3-STEM is only coding
  • Misconception #4- STEM is just playing with “cool stuff”

Continue to build your work around these misconceptions. With what you’re doing in the classroom, you’re definitely going to help educate others when you get asked that question, “What is STEM?” and, “What are you actually doing all day?”, you will build a foundation that is deeper for your students, more meaningful and makes those cross curricular-connections that they can apply to their classroom settings and in the real world.

what-stem-education

butterfly-life-cycle-coding
Students can use these cards or create their own to learn more about life cycles of living things and code their robot to each stage.

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

I’m a new STEM Teacher, what should I focus on? [ep. 1]

I’m a new STEM Teacher, what should I focus on? [ep. 1]

Check out the full episode on being a  new STEM Teacher :  

Watch the video version of this episode: 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

After I interviewed and found out I was going to be a K-5 STEM teacher and coach, I not only got the position, but I also would be getting a brand new remodeled classroom and a handful of supplies. I was so excited for this opportunity! However, I had no idea where to start with this brand new position,  brand new-to-me school district, and brand new room. 

Based on my experience, this episode will cover some things that I wish someone had told me to do back then (I definitely had learned the hard way!) 

Let’s dive in and set up your STEM space with success today. We’re going to be talking about 3 major things that you should do in your STEM space. Especially if you teach multiple grade levels, these are things that will help you set a foundation so you can be successful all year long. 

Also, to celebrate hitting 100 episodes, I am hosting a giveaway! One lucky winner will win a FREE 30-minute coaching session with me. Check out the resources mentioned section to learn more.

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • Creating a space that works for all grade-levels
  • Building a community that promotes growth mindset
  • Creating systems & routines that can be used all year long, for all grade levels and lesson types 

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Right after my job interview for an Elementary K-5 STEM teaching position and coach, I started to cry in my car by myself. I called my teacher-honey and I told him there is no way that I was going to get this job, I did horrible, and they were definitely not going to hire me. 

 

I had taken a half day from my current Elementary classroom position that I had for 6 years. I had a little bit of time left, and I went and got a pedicure to calm myself down before I went back to my classroom. I got to call the next day and found out that I did get the STEM position;  here I am a current K-5 STEM teacher and coach 

Not only had I gotten the position, but I also would be getting a brand new remodeled classroom and a handful supplies. I was so excited for this opportunity! However, I had no idea where to start with this brand new position,  brand new-to-me school district, and brand new room. 

Based on my experience,  here are some things that I wish someone had told me to do back then (I definitely had learned the hard way!) 

Let’s dive in and set up your STEM space with success today. We’re going to be talking about 3 major things that you should do in your  STEM space. Especially if you teach multiple grade levels, these are things that will help you set a foundation so you can be successful all year long. 

#1-Create a space that works for all grade-levels; learn the flow of the classroom

The first is to create a space that works for all grade levels. Learn the flow of your classroom and definitely see what works and what doesn’t. You are definitely going to make some changes along the way based on how things work in your classroom and based on where the furniture is set up. This will take some time to find a system that works best for you. 

Of course you want to think about if you have multiple classes coming to see you throughout the day, have a designated space for classes to line up before entering your classroom. This is extremely helpful and important because [if you again see multiple classes],  you will have an overlap of classes at times. Sometimes a class might be early, sometimes you might be a little bit late, sometimes the other teacher might be late picking them up. You definitely want to have that designated space for classes to wait until they are ready to enter the room.

Once they are ready to enter the room, think about where they are going to go when they enter your classroom. A lot of teachers like to have students sitting at their tables, but I actually don’t recommend doing this. I have students enter my classroom, K-5

in our group meeting area and in this area. This is where our TV, our whiteboard and any other supplies and materials that students will need to be successful for the lesson directions. All of that is in the designated location. As students come into the room, the come and sit in the big open space. You could definitely, based on your classroom, have a large carpet, sit spots, or numbers for kids to sit. It is extremely helpful to get all the kids together and ready and excited for the lesson. 

If you have them spread out along the room at the tables you might have supplies that they’re distracted by. They might be very far away. They might be more more focused on who they’re sitting next to! Having them in that group meeting area can really be impactful for every single lesson that you teach throughout the year.

Also when you’re thinking about the flow of your classroom, think about where the materials are going to be stored and have those accessible at kid-height. The more you can make kids’ materials at their level and ways that they can access them on their own, this will definitely give them that independence and grab what they need to be successful. 

When you have your materials stored in the classroom, I highly recommend labeling your materials with words and pictures. This is helpful for all learners, and even us teachers so you will know where the supplies go when you find them on the floor. 

Also when you have the flow of the classroom, have a designated location for students to line up at the end of class. This should be a place where it’s easy for them to get to, there aren’t extra supplies that are around to distract them, or other students projects. That way, they will be ready for the other teacher who is ready to pick them up for the day. 

Really think about this flow that will work all year long for all grade levels. This will help set up the systems and routines (which we’ll talk about in a little bit) that can be built on year after year.

#2 Build a community that promotes growth mindset

The second thing that I wish someone had told me when I was getting started is really focus on building a community with your students and promote Growth Mindset.

A big misconception that I had coming into this STEM space is that all kids are excited to be creative and build things wouldn’t you want to do that as a kid. Well I found out quickly enough that this isn’t always the case; a lot of students were actually scared of trying new things! They wanted to know exactly what the project was going to look like, and they were more shy about showing their creativity.

Promoting a growth mindset in your classroom is definitely going to take time and something to continue to build throughout the years. I don’t necessarily teach a specific growth mindset lesson. I know a lot of classroom teachers like to do that, but in the STEM space, your time definitely is limited [with kids]. I like to promote growth mindset as it comes up in the classroom.

Sometimes, I’ll even write a positive note for students to take home to share with their class and to share with their families. Some of the growth mindset sayings that I will say over and over again that are hanging up in my classroom are:

“We can do hard things.” Often I will hear kids say, “This is too hard! This is impossible! I can’t do it!” Then I go back and give them a high-five and say, “Yup!It is hard! We can do hard things! That is why you’re here and I am definitely doing my job! You are doing a great job of what you’re working on!” 

I also really like to promote, “We are creators with technology not just consumers” and “We practice to make us better.” (Not perfect because perfect doesn’t exist!) 

These are growth mindset things that I like to say over and over in our classroom. When it’s being demonstrated by students, I will pause the class and shout it out to them and really help that encouragement and build that classroom community over the years. and this is.

You can find these and the 8 growth mindset sayings I use in my classroom here: naomimeredith.com/tptgrowthmindset

#3 Create systems & routines that can be used all year long, for all grade levels and lesson types 

The third thing that you’ll want to do when setting up your classroom is to create systems and routines that can be used all year long. This is for all your grade levels and lesson types; specific materials and lessons will have their own systems. A lot of these are going to overlap with learning the classroom flow. These are those systems and routines that you’re definitely going to need. Build that classroom management now!

If you are a classroom teacher before, (like I was), all of your Back to School prep when it comes to classroom management still applies. You’re just teaching it in chunks and what is manageable for multiple grade levels. You definitely don’t want to skip this step! 

It will take time to learn your classroom, but the systems and routines will help you create a climate and culture that students can thrive in year after year.

Here are some things to think about the routines in your classroom. These aren’t a full list of things, but a lot of these same systems and routines mirror what you would do in the regular classroom. 

Think about: 

-how students are going to enter to the room

-where and how they’re going to gather supplies

-how are they going to use classroom furniture (Some classrooms might even have flexible seating. Definitely model how to use that furniture and where students are going to sit) 

-what are the routines for how students need to ask for help for projects

 -what are some signals to get the class attention (You want to probably keep consistent for all of your classes and have a few tricks that you add in throughout the year because it does get loud, pretty quick. It is controlled chaos but there are times you definitely need to get the classes attention when you’re in the middle of a project!) 

Recap

So again, we talked about things that are going to help you be successful and set up that foundation throughout the year. Here’s our recap of those 3 major things to plan and think about before diving into that content: create a space that works for all grade levels, build a community that promotes growth mindset, and create systems and routines that can be used all year long for all grade levels and lesson types.

 

Materials are organized at kid-accessible heights and labeled with words and pictures.

 

Shared meeting area at the front of the room by the TV. Other relevant posters & information are on the whiteboard. More student supplies in drawers.

 

In the middle of storing student projects on the shelves, organized by grade level. Materials not in use for this unit are stored on higher shelves.

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!