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back to school night ideas

5 Back to School Night Ideas for STEM Teachers [ep. 13]

5 Back to School Night Ideas for STEM Teachers [ep. 13]

back to school night ideas

Check out the full episode on 5 Back to School Night Ideas for STEM Teachers:  

Watch the video version of this episode here on YouTube:

Episode Summary

Back to school night for STEM teachers and classroom teachers can look very different and so are the expectations for each school. As a STEM teacher, what should you set up for Back to School Night? In today’s episode, I will be sharing 5 Back to School Night ideas that STEM teachers can incorporate into their classrooms.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn 5 Back to School Night ideas for STEM teachers:

  • Create a hand-on building station
  • Make a digital meet-the-teacher letter and collage
  • Create your clubs’ signups or summaries about the clubs you’re hoping to host
  • Share your wish list and donation list
  • Create a STEM affirmation station

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

00:00

Back to school night can look different for STEM teachers compared to classroom teachers. So what in the world should you actually set up? In today's episode, I will be sharing with you five easy things that you can add to your STEM classroom for back to school night. 


00:49

Each school has a different style when it comes to back to school night expectations for STEM teachers. It has always changed for me and my STEM classroom. So try what tips work best for you, and even consider using some of these tips for parent-teacher conferences or doing the same thing, and you have it ready to go for these situations throughout the school year. 


01:15

Idea number one is creating a simple hands-on building station. You can set out things like mixed LEGO bricks, planks, hashtag blocks, playdough, and other easy things that encourage the kids to be hands-on with the materials. This is also a great distraction for kids when they're in your space. You can chat with their families a little bit and get to know them better. You can add small images for the kids to inspire them, like an engineer inspiration board. I have one that is for back to school that my kids love doing. It can get them talking about back to school night or back to school in general and encourage them to have a fun conversation with you. 


02:02

Idea number two is to create a digital meet the teacher letter. You can create a one-page letter that lets families know a little about you, has a picture and lists some of your favorites. To take the favorites page even further, you can create a collage that visually shows all of your favorites. One way I like to do this is to make the collage on Google Slides or Canva. I use a background removing tool for the images that I find online. There is a cool website called remove.bg. It's free to use, and you can upload any image, and it will remove the background for you. It's pretty good if everything is clear in the picture. It makes it so that you don't have to do extra editing in Canva. Another option is if you create your collage in Canva, you can upload the image or use images that are available in Canva. When you click on the image, there is a tool that allows you to remove the image's background. A digital meet the teacher letter is a fun way for families to learn more about you and your favorites. You can share this all on the screen in your classroom instead of printing a copy for each family. You can also repurpose this letter and have it in your school-wide newsletter or send it on a parent communication platform your school uses or on Seesaw. 


03:42

Another idea for back to school night is to share your club signups. I have done this in the past while the signups weren't open yet. I had a summary of each club I would be hosting. We will have future episodes about clubs because I am very passionate about after-school clubs. Even as a classroom teacher, this was something that I loved doing. We will explain more about clubs in the future. But think about when you're planning your clubs and how you can have a balanced selection and involve various grade levels. Think about if you could have a Makerspace club, a robotics club, maybe a LEGO building club, or my personal favorite, a school-wide news recording Club, which I will do an episode about that in itself. You can send home that information, so parents are aware. You can include that information if you know when the signups will open. This is a great time to promote your clubs and allow parents to get to know you since you will be the one hosting the clubs with their kids. 


05:53

The fourth idea for your back to school night is to share your wish lists and donations. In episode three, we discussed creative ways to gather supplies for your STEM space. Those ideas can apply to your back to school setup. This is a great opportunity to share links or QR codes to your Amazon wish list, or a donors choose that you have set up in your classroom. Double-check your school guidelines to make sure this is something you are allowed to share. I know different schools and districts have different restrictions. So just make sure you are following your school and district policies. If you need help with setting up an Amazon wishlist, I created a short tutorial video that is up on my Youtube, Naomi Meredith. It will also be embedded in today's show notes.


Another thing that you can share and include with your Amazon wishlist or donors choose, or if you can do this instead, is having a donation for Makerspace supplies. Often these supplies don't cost anything, like cardboard and paper towel tubes. Maybe people have a roll of tape that they can donate. Back to school night is a great time to share this with parents. You can create a list, print it out, and send it home with the families. Or you can create a QR code of the digital list where parents can scan that. Another option is to give them a tiny QR code card with this information they can take home. So think about creative ways that you can get families involved. I know that it's hard as a specials teacher not always knowing who the families are. So this is a great time to chat and interact, sharing what your space is about and how they can help contribute to that area. 


07:42

The fifth idea for your back to school night is one that you can keep up all year round: having a STEM-styled affirmation station. Now Secretly, I love my affirmation station because I can check my hair and outfit in the middle of the day. Mine is outside my classroom door, so when classroom teachers come and pick up their classes, they're also fixing their hair. So the teachers and I are affirming ourselves with this affirmation station. It is for the kids, but we all know it's also for the teachers. You can go to Walmart since they have some cheap ones for about $7. Grab them here, grab some Gorilla Glue tape, and hang them on your wall. Then create little light bulbs that you can hang up around the mirror with little phrases like, “I'm an innovator, I am an entrepreneur, I am a maker.” Create a positive way to look at STEM and help bring to light the whole purpose of your class. It's not just about the tools and the toys, but the experiences for kids that you are creating. The affirmation station is a great reminder of that. 


08:55

Today's episode is short because your back to school night prep shouldn't be overwhelming. These are some fun ideas you can set up and repurpose at various times throughout the school year and annually. The five back to school night ideas that we discussed are creating a hands-on building station, making a digital meet-the-teacher letter and collage, creating your clubs' signups or summaries about the clubs that you're hoping to host, sharing your wish lists and donation lists, and creating a STEM affirmation station. All of this will be linked in my show notes for today's episode. You can even see pictures of some of these ideas to give you some inspiration to make your planning so much easier for this special day.

 

Video: How to Make a STEM Affirmation Station

 

back to school night ideas

back to school night ideas

back to school night ideas

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!

technology-skills-for-elementary-students

Top 7 Technology Skills for Elementary Students [ep. 10]

Top 7 Technology Skills for Elementary Students [ep. 10]

technology-skills-for-elementary-students

Check out the full episode on the top 7 technology skills for elementary students:  

 

Watch the video version of this episode here on YouTube:

Episode Summary

Although most of our students are comfortable with technology, we still need to teach them rules and routines when it comes to using technology in the classroom.

What are the main technology rules and skills we should teach our elementary students?

In today’s episode, I will be sharing the top seven tech skills to teach your students, whether it is back to school, coming back from a long break, or your class is in need of a refresh.

In this episode, you’ll learn the top 7 technology skills for elementary students:

  • #1-Reviewing general technology rules
  • #2-Caring for your headphones
  • #3-Understanding schoolwide technology norms
  • #4-Being a problem solver and troubleshooting with technology
  • #5-Learning how to clean devices
  • #6-Knowing your username and password
  • #7-Logging into various platforms that will be used throughout the year

Resources Mentioned:

Free Technology Skills Badges & Mini Lesson

Classroom Rules for Technology 

Technology Troubleshooting Tips for Students

Episode Transcript: 

00:00

We all know by now that our students are comfortable with technology may be a little bit too comfortable. But, like everything we teach in our classrooms, we still need to set up those rules and routines regarding using technology. So, here are the top seven tech skills to focus on with your students, whether it is back to school, coming back from long breaks, or if your class needs a little bit of a refresh. 


00:31

I can't believe that we are already here on episode 10. I am just so excited about what this podcast has already grown into and all the positive feedback you have shared with me as listeners and people on social media. I knew this podcast was needed but didn't realize how needed it was. I am just so thankful for all of you that you are listening to me each week and letting me help you with your STEM routines in your classroom. With that, I wanted to read one of the reviews I received on Apple podcasts. I read these; they just light me up and help me keep going. So thank you so much to Bree Smith 13. Here's what Bree had to say, “Just what I needed. I am so excited about this podcast. I've seen Naomi speak at conferences and follow her on social media. She has wonderful ideas, tips, and resources for implementing STEM in a meaningful and purposeful way. Now, instead of having to spend all the time researching STEM ideas and lessons, I can just listen to your podcast on my way to work.” Thank you so much for this review! It means the world to me. If you want to share a review, go ahead and do that on your podcasting platform. I love to see what you guys think of the podcast. These reviews help other teachers like you find this because I know there are few elementary STEM podcasts. So we can reach more teachers, and I can help create content for exactly what you need. 


01:44

So let's dive into this episode. There is a purpose when using technology for academics, fun, and entertainment. Sometimes it's hard for our students to differentiate between the two. It doesn't always mean that their technology skills will always transfer to the classroom in those academic settings. They probably can learn all those academic skills more quickly, but we just can't assume that kids know how to use technology in school. These skills need to be reviewed and explicitly taught throughout the year so that students are using technology appropriately and for their intended purposes. 


03:25

This episode will be slightly different from the others; it will be more of a list style. If you read blogs, it's called a listicle. I'm not sure what it's called for a podcast, a podcast listicle, maybe a popsicle. I'm not sure, but in this episode, I will list seven skills you can teach your students. These would all be mini lessons to teach your class throughout the day or one a day, depending on the time you have with kids. Now, I created a freebie for this, and it is in my TPT shop completely free. Inside this freebie is a list of videos that I made. You can see my beautiful face and teach these mini lessons to your kids. You could show these videos to the kids, or you can watch them and teach them on your own. For each of those videos, there's a badge that you can print or share digitally with students to help them keep track of the lessons they have learned. There is also a little organizer, a little placeholder for those badges that kids can put in digitally or printed. This will help them remember the lessons and ensure they use technology appropriately in your classroom for success. 


04:40

The first tech skill you want to teach your kids is your basic technology rules in the classroom. Don't have more than 10 rules. Having more than 10 rules can be a lot for you and the students to remember. The rules should be your basic rules when using technology in the classroom, no matter what the tool is. So this can be things like we always carry devices with two hands. So that could be related to laptops or robots. I also like to include the rule we're respectful of everybody's work. This includes helping each other when you're working on the same device and commenting on other students' work. That's important as well, that digital citizenship piece. So think about the classroom rules you want to have in your classroom and teach those to your kids. 


05:26

In episode seven, I shared some Back to School activities you can use in your classroom. One of those was a fun activity that you can use to help review and teach the rules in your classroom. So if you haven't checked it out, go back and have a listen. This activity will make your rule reveal much more fun concerning this tech skill. This may or may not be a rule, but a general routine in your classroom is to show kids how to store and plug in the devices properly. Whatever they are using, kids need to have this responsibility in your classroom. I recommend giving students a number in your classroom that you can use for various activities and their devices. So just number kids one through 24 plus. That would be so nice to have a class of 24, right? But number them one through 24 plus and then have the devices go in that slot that matches with their number that can make things a lot easier whether you have the kids for specials or in your regular classroom. 


06:27

So teach the proper care of how to carry, store, and plug in those devices, whatever kind that you have. Also, make sure you're following any district or school guidelines. Our school computers have some little quirks to them when putting them away and the logging out process. Make sure to teach those to your kids as well. 


06:49

The second tech skill you want to share with students is taking care of their headphones and wrapping up the cords. Those cords, I don't know how many I have untangled over the years. Teaching the kids how to care for those headphones and cords is important. I have a couple of ways to store headphones in my STEM classroom, making it easy for the students to grab. I have those shoe organizers from Walmart or Amazon that have clear pockets. Once students wrap up the headphones, they can put them in the pocket. It's great because it's long, but it can fit the needs of all heights and students of all ages, which is great. I have some other headphones on this side that I just wrap up and put in gallon ziplock bags. These are just extra headphones from storage spaces; sometimes, students will leave fancy headphones behind. I will hold on to those first just in case a few students might need headphones in their classroom for the school year. 


07:51

A little tip, I know this isn't headphones, but I do have a bunch of computer mice with tails. That's what I call them, at least a bunch of computer mice with cords. I have another hanging shoe rack for the computer mice. Now, you're probably wondering why in the world I would have computer mice when I'm not even in a computer lab. I love having computer mice on hand because some students prefer using a mouse. I prefer using a mouse. So I completely understand that some students prefer it. This is especially true when we get into coding or 3D printing lessons. A computer mouse is a lot more efficient than a touchpad. So this is a great asset to have on hand. You could go out and purchase them or even reach out to local businesses if they have extra computer mice with the tails that they could donate to your classroom. So again, teach your students how to care for these things in your classroom and where to store them when they are finished. 


08:49

The third tech skill to teach your students is your school-wide norms when using technology in your building. This might be site-specific, and you probably want to modify the lesson I have linked in the freebie. What are your school's expectations when using technology in your school building? Is there a specific checkout system for that? Our kids bring the devices to and from school, or the students using devices from their classroom bring them into the STEM classroom. 


09:21

A big thing that I like to tell my students is that we're not changing the backgrounds. That is just so tempting for them. I know some teachers are okay with that. Now, you might be the technology lead in your building, just like I am. I'm our K through five STEM teacher, but I'm also our school-wide tech person. So whether that's your role or the tech teacher's role, think about those school-wide technology norms that all teachers follow so that you can relay that information to the students. 


09:58

The fourth tech skill you want to share with your students is troubleshooting tips and tricks that they can use. In general, with most pieces of technology, this is extremely helpful to teach all students instead of just having one or two tech experts in your classroom. I don't like having that role in a class because I think all students can learn. Some kids are more comfortable with technology, but these are all basic things that all kids should know, even teachers. So teach kids those basic skills like refreshing a page, closing a page out or closing something out when it doesn't work, turning something on and off, and unplugging and plugging back in a device. So it's those basic troubleshooting techniques that can work with most pieces of technology that are helpful to teach kids and keep referring to throughout the year. Whenever there's a technology problem in the classroom, instead of me touching on the issue, I always ask, “Well, what did you do? Talk me through the steps you took.” So if they didn't try anything, we could think of a solution to solve the problem. My role is to teach them how to troubleshoot these things, not just to be their superhero. I want to help kids troubleshoot those issues. So go through those things. You'll have to go through them all the time, but trust me, it will be so worth it throughout the year when you have kids who are problem solvers and not problem makers. 


11:30

The fifth technology skill you want to share with students is cleaning devices. Another important part of digital citizenship is ensuring that we care for those devices and use them the right way, but also clean them periodically so that they look good and are the best they can be. You could make a cleaning video with students and have this on your school-wide news. I've done that in the past. You can email the video to teachers, so everyone knows the proper cleaning methods for your school devices. When I have students come to STEM, I try my best to have kids help clean devices at the end of the week, so they're ready to go for the next group of kids. If they bring in their own devices from their classroom, they will also clean them with me. So again, this is a great skill to teach kids to keep your technology squeaky clean and looking good. 


12:28

The sixth tech skill to teach your kids is knowing their username and password. Depending on your school, there might be one username and password used for multiple platforms, or you might have a bunch of usernames and passwords for other platforms. Now, it's okay if they don't know all of them. That can be a lot, even as an adult. I have probably at least 100 usernames and passwords. They need to know how to get that information and type it correctly. As a STEM teacher, I don't hold on to all of the kids' usernames and passwords. I know this sounds very counterintuitive. However, my role is not to be the gatekeeper of knowledge. If I always have their usernames and passwords, they're always relying on me for that information. 


13:27

In episode nine, I talked about how I have students in grades second through fifth who bring their devices from their classroom. They use them so they can connect that the same device can do the same things that we do in STEM and their classroom. The big thing I tell kids and their teachers is that if they bring their device and still need support with their username and password, they need to get that information from their classroom. It's taken a lot of training in my school to ensure students have access to their usernames and passwords independently instead of relying on the teacher to pull those out for the kids. So this has helped students be independent and responsible for their username and password and know where to gather that information. Some classes have them taped in their pencil boxes, homework folders, or planners. Wherever that information is in their classroom, the classes will bring that in if needed, so I'm not the gatekeeper of all the knowledge. I just can't keep track of that information, so do what works best for you. Teaching kids their usernames and passwords and how to get that information and login will be a great success. 


14:52

The final tech skill to teach your students is how to log in. Now, you could make a separate badge for specific platforms you like using with kids. For example, I use Seesaw with all of my classes, so I might want to show them a couple of ways that we can log into Seesaw. You might use Google Classroom, Schoology, or epic books and make a separate badge for each platform. You can keep adding in badges throughout the year. Working on those systems and routines using those same tools repeatedly will help build the independence and responsibility of the students. I don't always expect kids to be the experts at logging into unique platforms, such as when we're using LEGO education tools or 3D printing. That will come with time. Instead, I want to be explicit in teaching those platforms that we will repeatedly use so that they know that's a resource they can get to and be successful for our projects.


15:57

Let's review the seven tech skills you want to teach your kids and be explicit about what we discussed in today's episode. Number one, going over those general technology rules. Number two, caring for your headphones. Number three is understanding school-wide technology norms. Number four, being a problem solver and troubleshooting with technology. Number five is learning how to clean devices. Number six is knowing your username and password and how to gather that information. Number seven, logging into various platforms that will be used consistently throughout the year. Of course, you can add in more skills, but these are the skills I have taught with my K through five STEM students throughout the years and when I have co-taught in their classrooms. You can refer back to these things and have that consistent language with kids so that they can be successful when using academic technology in your classroom. 


17:07

Also, don't forget to get the freebie for this episode. It can be found in my TPT shop using this link: Naomi meredith.com/tpttechskills. In this freebie, you can get all the badges that relate to the skills that we talked about in today's episode, video sample lessons of me teaching that you can share with your students or watch on the side and teach the lesson yourself, and a system where students can collect those badges either digitally or in the printed form. Thank you so much again for listening to today's episode! I can't wait to chat with you on the next one.

 

technology-skills-for-elementary-students

technology-skills-for-elementary-students

technology-skills-for-elementary-students

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!

how-to-manage-transitions-in-the-classroom

How to Manage Transitions in the Classroom [ep. 9]

How to Manage Transitions in the Classroom [ep. 9]

how-to-manage-transitions-in-the-classroom

Check out the full episode on How to Manage Transitions in the Classroom:  

 

Watch the video version of the episode here on YouTube:

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

 

Episode Summary

Being a STEM teacher is so much fun, but going from teaching in a general education classroom to a STEM classroom usually means time goes by faster.

Your transitions between classes might only be a few minutes long or nonexistent. While you can't change the time that you are given, you can change how you use your time throughout the workday.

In this episode, I will be sharing with you strategies on how to manage your transitions in the classroom so you can accomplish what you have planned with your students and have those awesome STEM lessons. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Three strategies to help you manage your transitions in the classroom:

  • #1-Time management and boundaries as a teacher
  • #2-Setting up systems and routines
  • #3-Find ways to build student independence and responsibility

Resources Mentioned:

Design Your Digital Classroom Summit: Google Style

STEM & Makerspace Labels | 180+ Labels

Episode Transcript: 

00:00

Let's face it, being a STEM  teacher is so much fun, but you may have realized that compared to the general education classroom, time goes by even faster. Your transitions in between classes might only be a few minutes long or nonexistent. While you can't change the time that you are given, you can change how you use your time throughout the workday effectively.


00:26

 In this episode, I will be sharing with you strategies to help you manage your transitions throughout the day so you can accomplish what you have planned with students and have those awesome fantastic STEM lessons. 


00:48

Both behavior management and overall classroom management go hand in hand before even getting into the meat of your STEM lessons. Back in episode eight, we talked about behavior management in the classroom. If you haven't checked out episode 8, make sure to go back and watch or listen. 


01:29

Being a former classroom teacher myself, I was so surprised by how fast the time went in my classroom. I went from teaching third grade all day with all the subjects to being a K through Five STEM teacher teaching six classes a day, with only a few minutes in between each class to transition from one to the next. Everything flew by so fast, and I had no idea what had happened. 


01:59

Along the way, I have learned some tips and tricks and altered what I used in the general education classroom to make it work for the STEM space. Now, I am able to accomplish what I have planned for the most part in my K through Five STEM classroom. 


02:15

Here are three major tips that have helped me. I know that you're going to benefit from these tips, have an awesome year, and make what works best for you. 


02:25

The first tip for setting up effective transitions in the classroom begins with you as the teacher, and that is setting up your own time management and boundaries. I am a recovering yes person. I used to say yes to everything. I'm not saying that I am mean, but I have learned that saying no for myself is absolutely okay. So what do I mean by that? Well, first of all, I use my plan time to actually plan. I love chatting with people, don't get me wrong, I love my friends. I love getting to see everybody come through my room. 


03:04

Now, my planning time is so sacred to me. I use that time to research lessons that are coming up for the next unit, going through materials that I might need for a lesson, testing out robots, researching things, or planning my after school clubs. I'm really using that time to focus. 


03:24

With that, I am really lucky what time my planning time is in the day. Mine is first thing before I see any students. So I actually get to school really early before my contract time. That's just me. I'm not saying to do this. But I get to school really early. So the building is nice and quiet, and then it flows right into my planned time so I can get a big chunk of my work done. For me, at the end of the day, I am really brain dead. So at the end of the school day, I'm not as effective with my time. I will save things that I know I don't need a lot of brainpower for. Those first couple of hours of my day before I even teach kids, I get that stuff done so when it is the end of the day and the end of my contract hours, I can leave and feel successful for how I used my time.


04:12

When it comes to lesson planning, I really try to leverage digital tools in my classroom. No, the kids are not on technology all day, but I really try to think about how can I use technology to make my lesson planning and materials even easier. One tool that I love to use in my classroom is Seesaw. I use Seesaw K through Five to help students share what they're doing by taking videos, pictures, recording their voice and drawing what they are working on. This is also another great platform because I can share digital engineering design notebooks with them for each of the challenges and we will go through and work on those throughout the week. 


04:54

Another alternative, or one I might use sometimes as well, is Google Classroom which has a lot of similarities as Seesaw, but I feel like Seesaw in the STEM space can do a lot more since it has picture and video capabilities within the same platform. Another platform I also love to use when it comes to research is epic books. This is also a another free for teachers tool. I love using this because I can create collections with my students, share it with them digitally, and use it for each grade level. If you are going to use epic books with your students, create one class account and name all of the students in the epic books class with a number. So then you only have one class code to worry about. A lot of the classroom teachers have started using epic books as well, which is amazing. I don't use their class code. I just have students use my class code. It's a good skill for them to learn how to toggle between two different classes anyway. So that's my little hack if you want to try to use epic books in your classroom. 


06:02

Another boundary that I like to set in my classroom that has really helped with the transitions throughout the day is that the end of each class, I actually close my door. This is also partially a safety thing as well. I might need to go to the restroom in those couple minutes of time in between classes, so closing my door just ensures that I don't have students running into my room when I'm not there. There are lots of different materials that they can get into.  That way, if a class comes early, I still have that time to set up any last minute materials, change out what is on my screen and be ready to go as well. Sometimes you might also be speaking with another student for behavior, so just having your door closed can be really helpful. 


06:48

In episode one, we talked about things that you should work on when you're a STEM teacher. One of the main things we talked about was systems and routines. One of those routines is where do you want students to line up at the end of class. Now based on the layout of my building, what works with my classroom is I have kind of like a dead hallway right outside my door. I used to have students line up in my classroom against the shelves near the classroom door. However, this became a problem because when students needed to put their supplies and work away, the students who were all cleaned up were in the way so it just created a lot of chaos in traffic. 


07:25

Instead, I have students line up right outside my door in this dead hallway. There aren't any other classrooms right there, but they line up in this hallway, and they are ready to go for their teacher. They can be ready for the hallway, especially when I have an overlap of class, then the class who I just finished with is in the hallway and the new class can come right in. So this has really helped with the transitions, especially when teachers are early or late picking up the kids are in the hallway and they're ready to go. Really think about these time management hacks and different types of boundaries that you can set for yourself so that when you don't have students, you can really be productive in those pockets of time and not have to stress throughout the day because the bulk of your work is done. You have all these little tips and tricks to help you be productive. 


08:48

The second biggest thing to help you with the transitions in your classroom are your systems and routines. You are going to hear me talk about systems and routines all of the time because these are the backbone of my productivity in and outside of the classroom. I wouldn't say I'm the most clean person and if you know me, you know me. I am fairly organized when it comes to physical products and also digital things. This helps me do all the things as much as possible. The same is true in your classroom. 


10:09

In episode five, we talked about Makerspace organization. So even the way that you set up materials that are presented in your classroom can help prevent you from scrambling for projects. Once I have my Makerspace set up, I don't really touch it ever again. The only thing I have to do with my Makerspace is restock supplies when I receive them. So it is set up for the whole year. I can even pull out drawers for specific projects with specific things that kids might need. But this has really helped with those transition times where I'm not scrambling in my cabinets looking for specific things. I have everything out ready to go labeled with pictures and words. So being prepared even before the unit even happens, like a Makerspace, is extremely helpful along those same lines when you're thinking about planning your lessons. Yes, a Makerspace has a lot of materials, but think about your lessons going forward. How can you use the least amount of materials as possible? It eases up on your cleanup time with students and the amount of time you need to explain things for kids. Kids can be productive when they have to be creative with constraints, which is a really great challenge for them to learn. 


11:26

I like to give kids this example: when I bought my townhome years ago, I didn't have unlimited money or unlimited supplies to make it beautiful. I had to be creative with what I got. So that's a great lesson to teach kids. And again, it will really help with transition time. 


11:47

Also with those transitions, think about those routines in your classroom that will stay the same all year long. I have a lot of different units that I like to teach kids, which is the whole point of STEM: to expose them to lots of different areas of what STEM can be in their world. However, those routines that stay the same are how the kids enter my classroom and sit on the floor, how they go sit at their seats, how they gather supplies, and where supplies go at the end of class, and, of course, lining up. I keep these things the same throughout the year so we can be productive. The kids know what to expect in a general sense, and the only thing that is new that they have to worry about is the awesome lesson that they're going to attack. 


12:33

Finally, to help with the transitions in your classroom is how you can have students be responsible and independent within that time with you. You don't necessarily have to do classroom jobs. I know a lot of STEM teachers try implementing this in their room, which I think is amazing. For me that hasn't been super successful. I might have kids help me with specific projects for the time being, but as a whole, I really want students to be responsible within our space and create opportunities for them to be independent and have ownership over their work. So here are some ways that I like to do that. 


13:08

One big thing is to really keep my goals for my lesson at one or two things I want students to attain. It can get overwhelming in STEM very quickly and you will want to throw a lot at the kids. When you're throwing a lot at them, it's hard for them to manage what they really need to focus on. So when I have students at the beginning of class, we have our short mini lesson. I will show them the one or two things I really want them to focus on, review really quickly what we did the day before, if it's applicable, and then I'll go into our lesson and ask any questions. So keep that mini lesson really short. 


13:47

We can have future episodes about how I like to structure my STEM lesson and how I teach that. But for now, when you're thinking about how you are focusing your kids, and those transitions, have one to two goals in mind for that lesson. Also, for that student independence and responsibility, you want to have specific rules for specific materials. We've talked about this in past episodes as well. Again, a lot of these relate to each other. But if you have those specific things you want students to do when they're using materials like robots, for example, this is going to help students know how to use that tool successfully, and how to use it the right way so that other students in the future can use it and things aren't getting broken. 


14:32

Also think about things that students might be able to bring from the outside into your classroom to help with those transitions and the independence. My classroom, before it got remodeled, used to be a computer lab and there were a lot of desktop computers lining the classroom. Now I've told you before I was so lucky that when I got this job being a K through five STEM teacher, I was gifted a brand new classroom and a brand new job at the same time. I didn't have any computers left in my room once it was converted to a classroom. A way that I've been able to problem solve this, and it's actually worked really well with that independence, is students in second through fifth grade actually bring their devices from their classroom when they have STEM. We might use them, we might not, but it's really great to have kids bring those in, because they are used to logging into them. They know where their usernames and passwords are in their classroom. It subconsciously helps students connect that this same device that is used in STEM is the same one used in their classroom. These skills can actually transfer back and forth. STEM isn't really an isolated subject. It might feel that way, since they are going to a different location to learn the skills. This has just been a great little hack as well. 


15:47

Another thing that I like to do with the younger kids, and also the older ones, too, depending on what the project is, is I have a cart of iPads that I can use. You can use Kindles for the same thing. But I have a cart of iPads that I like to use when using Seesaw and specific apps that are related to maybe LEGO education or different coding apps or even robots. This has made logging in a lot easier when I use the iPads for Seesaw. With seesaw, you could use a QR code to quickly log in. This has also helped with that independence. If you can, try to use some tools that classroom teachers might be using because students might be familiar with those things back in their regular classroom. They can apply the skills in a new way. 


16:34

When I send my engineering design notebooks for the older kids, I like to share them in the form of Google slides through Seesaw. That way, students are still practicing their Google skills, but they're using it within the STEM space and they might actually learn something new that they can use back in their regular classroom. So really trying to make those connections within their other learning opportunities in your classroom can be so beneficial and really help with that transition time. This way you're not always reteaching something new. 


17:04

These transitions in your classroom are definitely going to take time as you figure out your students and how you like the flow of your classroom. These three major tips definitely are going to help set you up for success. If you are diligent with them, and really making them work for you, you are going to have even more time than you can ever imagine. 


17:27

So as a recap, here are those three big things that we talked about to help you with those classroom transitions: First, is time management and boundaries as a teacher. Next, is setting up those systems and routines. And third, find ways to build student independence and responsibility. Thank you so much again for listening to this episode. I can't wait to chat with you soon.

 

how-to-manage-transitions-in-the-classroom

how-to-manage-transitions-in-the-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!

teacher-behavior-management-strategies

STEM Teacher Behavior Management Strategies [ep.8 ]

STEM Teacher Behavior Management Strategies [ep. 8]

teacher-behavior-management-strategies

Check out the full episode on STEM Teacher Behavior Management Strategies:  

Watch the video version of the episode here on YouTube:

 

Episode Summary

As STEM teachers, we teach multiple classes daily, meaning we see, on average, 100 plus kids. In addition to incorporating STEM activities daily, we must also have behavior management strategies.

What are some of the best behavior management strategies for a STEM teacher?

In today's episode, I'll be sharing my top three STEM teacher behavior management strategies.

Whether you are a STEM teacher, classroom teacher, or library specialist, this episode will provide you with three behavior management strategies to implement with your students.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • My top three STEM behavior management strategies
      • Build relationships with the kids, their parents, and their teachers
      • Establish the class rules and goals
      • Create rules for specific materials
  • Examples of how I implement these strategies in my classroom

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

00:00

In my first year teaching STEM, I was the most nervous about behavior management. As a former classroom teacher of about 25 kids, I was now going to be teaching six different classes a day, which averaged to about 150 kids. That was a huge change. However, through my years in elementary STEM, I have found what works best with behavior management. Yes, you are a specialist teacher, but this is still extremely important, especially when you see that many kids in one day. In today's episode, I will share my top STEM teacher behavior management strategies. 


01:10

Before stepping into the STEM space, I was a classroom teacher for six years. Behavior management was a huge asset of mine and something really important to me. I knew that if I had a strong climate and culture in my classroom, including a strong system, routines, and behavior management strategies, the kids and I could do anything all year long. It came down to setting up those structures at the beginning of the year and being consistent throughout. 


01:41

That is the same for your role as a STEM teacher. However, just because you are in this special space doesn't mean you can put behavior management aside. In fact, if you are coming from the classroom, you know how important this is. You don't want to be sitting in your classroom as a teacher and get a phone call from specials that someone in your class isn't doing what they're supposed to do. 


02:05

As a specialist teacher, you shouldn't be doing that. Instead, you should be communicating with the classroom teachers. It's your role to have control of the classroom while still creating a meaningful and engaging experience for your students. Here are my three top tips for getting started in your classroom. You will find what works best with your management style and the kids you teach. If you are consistent and have these routines, you will have a more successful time with all of the future lessons you teach. 

 

02:41

First, you need to build those relationships with the kids. It doesn't matter where you teach; relationships are the biggest thing that you need to focus on. This is reiterated in the book, The Innovators Mindset by George C.  This is an excellent book. I highly recommend you read it or listen to the audio version like I did. In the book, he emphasizes building those relationships. I completely agree. That's probably the main reason why you got into teaching anyway. When it comes down to it, build those relationships with the kids. Now it is a bit different since you're not a homeroom teacher per se. There are a lot of creative ways that you can do this. Now, it is pretty cool when you are a specialist teacher, and you see the kids yearly because you see growth in the kids. You have that special bond that a classroom teacher might not have unless they live with their kids. So the first thing is to engage with the kids. When you have those other outside duties, whether it's door duty, bus duty, or crosswalk, engage with those kids and get to know them. You probably will see the same kids at the same time of the day. So really build those relationships outside of your STEM space. That is a great way to interact with many kids at once. 


04:04

Another big thing when you're ready to work up to that is after school clubs. I've always been obsessed with school clubs also as a classroom teacher. This was another great way to build relationships with kids and work on passions that they enjoy and passions I like. So we had a common interest. Having after school clubs is an awesome way to engage with kids, try new things and do things that are engaging but not always academic. Now we will be talking about after school clubs and future episodes, but just keep in mind that after school clubs are a great way to engage with kids. 


04:42

Another fun way that I like to build relationships with my students in my classroom is the STEM style. In Episode Four, STEM survival camp, I mentioned STEM style. It is a quick thing I do when kids have a shirt representing science, technology, engineering, or Math. I'll take a quick picture and put it on my digital picture frame. It feeds through all the pictures that I have ever taken. It's fun when kids see their past selves from a few years ago or their friends in another class. Then, they must guess how their shirt connects with science, technology, engineering, and math. It's so cute because when the kids have STEM, they also start wearing the shirts. I have some of these shirts too. It's a great talking point and gets them to think about STEM differently. 


05:31

Reaching out to parents can look a lot different in the specials role, but it still is important that my teammates and I, the other specialists and teachers, reach out to parents. We have a collaborative team newsletter. We do a simple set of Google Slides and share the link in our school newsletter and on a different platform.  Each slide is a different month of the year. We explain what we did throughout the month and have our contact information. This is a great way for us to work together as a team and be reflective on our work. Also, parents will know we do some things in STEM that are fun, but we have challenging and exciting things that we're working on. 


06:16

Another way that I like to communicate with parents and also the students in my class is Seesaw. I could do a whole episode about Seesaw. I am literally obsessed. If you haven't checked it out, go check out Seesaw connect 2022, where I talk about STEM survival camp and the engineering design process completely free. You can also watch it whenever you want in my monthly membership. I love using Seesaw because students can take pictures, and videos, record audio of their work, and comment on one another's work. Of course, I can comment, but parents connected to their child's account can also see these amazing things happening in our classroom and communicate. I've had a lot of parents chat with me on there and write comments about how excited their kid was to talk about their work. Seeing a picture of it, they understand what their kid is trying to explain. 


07:09

As I said, STEM has some cool materials. Sometimes it's hard for kids to explain what they did in STEM. Having those visuals is awesome. I do use Seesaw K through five. It is free for teachers, and your school could buy Seesaw for schools. I highly recommend this tool because it is so interactive. You can accomplish a lot within this platform, and that two-way communication allows you to build those relationships. 


08:18

As you continue to build those relationships, you want to have a standard set of class rules for your STEM space. This is something that you're going to want to keep the same for K through Five and keep them very simple. In episode seven, I shared with you some back to school STEM activities, and one of those is having a game review puzzle where kids are putting the pieces together of your classroom rules. So make sure to check out that episode if you haven't listened. Have those main classroom rules that all the kids are used to when they come into your space and keep them simple. I have my main four rules that students in the class have to follow as a whole class. 


09:40

At my school, we do something called Tiger paws, where classes can earn a paw for great behavior from teachers, including specialist teachers. I have my four main rules as things that, as a whole class, they do have to accomplish to earn their tiger paws. You can check all of these out in the show notes for this episode, but the four main things that I ensure the class has accomplished are: Did we finish today's work? Did we work together and try our best? Did we stay on task? Were we very respectful of everyone's work? We go over these at the end of each day, and if it's a yes, for all of those, they get their class Tiger paw. If it's a no, we will discuss why. 


10:23

The kids will explain, or I will explain why it's a no and what we can do better next time. I remind them that tomorrow is a new day. You can keep track of these tiger paws or class incentives if you want to. Maybe they can earn a certain amount to do a class party. I've considered this idea, but I honestly don't have enough time with the limited time I have with kids. If this is interesting to you, then definitely try it. I know other teachers have done this, and it's been successful in their rooms. 


10:51

When you teach all the kids in the whole school, you will have to modify some things for specific classes. As a former classroom teacher, you know that some classes vibe together, and some don't. So you might need to have specific rules for specific classes. You might even need to adjust things that go along with the classroom and your management style. Some teachers are strict and don't allow collaboration in their classroom, and some are open-ended. Adjust to what the kids might be used to and communicate with those classroom teachers. If you can chat with them quickly before or at the end of class, you can see if there are any specific needs that you need to focus on for the day and academic goals that you can help support. 


11:44

Some classes might even have a class incentive they're trying to work on. When I was a classroom teacher, I sent my kids a grading sheet, so however they did in specials, the specials teacher could write that down on our sheets. If they got an excellent, we got a class marble. This is where they could write down students who did an excellent job and students who needed additional support. If the classroom teachers don't have this, you could start this in your classroom to help bridge the communication gap. Also, if things aren't working, ask that classroom teacher what you can do to help support the class. They might have a certain call to action that you can use with the kids.  


12:27

Finally, for your last behavior management tip, you want to have specific rules for specific materials. You have the class rules we discussed, which don't change. These rules are the same no matter what you teach, but then you have specific materials you will use throughout the year. This is what you want to change up. This can also mean specific areas in your classroom, what grade levels can use them, and specific materials and which grade levels can use them. 


12:57

One example of different rules for materials in my classroom is the tables and chairs that students can sit at and how they know where they're going to be sitting. When all classes enter my room, they come to that shared meeting area we talked about in episode one after that little mini lesson. So if I want them sitting at the tables, I have different rules for my K-One and my second through fifth-grade students. For K-One, I have six different colored cubes that match the colors I have on my six different tables. There are about the same amount of cubes of each color. So there are four yellows, orange, green, and so on. 


13:37

When I'm ready for the kids to go to their tables, I'll randomly (randomly to them. In my head, I know exactly who I'm giving the cubes to), provide them with a cube, and they have to find the matching color on their table. Now, if you're wondering how I put the colors on the table, it isn't anything fancy. It is a page protector with a sheet of construction paper on the inside. On the flip side of that paper, I have about four sticky notes with numbers written on them mixed up. Now the numbers are one through 27. I think I had one through 32 last year. A third-grade class had 32 kids in each class, but I have one through 32 written on sticky notes, one number per sticky note. Those are mixed up on the tables within that page protector. 


14:25

For my second through fifth-grade students, when I'm ready for them to go to their tables, they find their classroom number and sit at that spot. Then I can move kids based on who needs to be moved or whatever assistance they might need. This has worked well in my classroom. There's less fighting, and they know where to sit. Of course, they might work on the floor or do other things for different projects, but sometimes I might need them at a specific spot for a specific reason. 


14:50

I also have specific rules for specific materials in my classroom. For example, when we're using robots, we will go over the rules and procedures for how to use them. We review a certain type of robot and how to handle it properly. We have those classroom rules we want to review when using those specific materials. So when I'm using Dash, we will go over how to hold Dash the robot, turn it on, connect to the app, and work within our roles. All of those things are super important when we're working with specific materials. For my hot glue guns, I will only use hot glue guns with second through fifth grade, depending on how they're doing with projects. Again, we will review those specific rules when using that tool in our classroom. 


15:33

So as a recap, here are the three major points when building your behavior management strategies in your STEM space. Again, this is so important, and you want to take the time to get this set up properly in your classroom so you can do awesome projects all year. First, of course, is to build those relationships. Next is to set up those class rules and goals. Third is to have rules for specific materials. You can check out the links to show notes, the transcript for this video, and the video version of this podcast. You can find that using this link: Naomi meredith.com/episode8. Thank you so much for joining me today, and I can't wait to talk to you in the next episode.

teacher-behavior-management-strategies

teacher-behavior-management-strategies

teacher-behavior-management-strategies

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!

back-to-school-stem-challenges

5 Back to School STEM Challenges to Try [ep. 7]

5 Back to School STEM Challenges to Try [ep.7]

back-to-school-stem-challenges

Check out the full episode on 5 Back to School STEM Challenges to Try:  

 

Watch the video version of the episode here on YouTube:

Episode Summary

No matter how long you have been teaching, preparing for back to school is a lot of work. From setting up your classroom and figuring out systems and routines to attending back to school meetings and lesson planning for the first few weeks, it can feel overwhelming even for the seasoned teacher. 

With so much on your plate, what types of activities should you plan that will be meaningful to your students?

In today's episode, I will share five STEM activities you can use in your K through Five STEM classrooms. These activities are great back to school STEM challenges. Many of these activities I will be sharing with you have an element of collaboration to help build classroom community, which is important in any classroom setting.

Whether you are a STEM teacher or a classroom teacher, this episode will provide you with a variety of activities to implement in your classroom!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • 5 back to school STEM challenges
    • Classroom Rules Puzzle
    • All About Me Brick Build
    • STEM & Stories: Rosie Revere, Engineer
    • STEM & Stories: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books
    • Apps About Me
  • How to implement the 5 STEM challenges
  • Materials needed for each STEM challenge

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: 

00:00

Back to School is a special time for both kids and teachers. But no matter how long you have been teaching, it's still a lot of work: from classroom setup to figuring out your systems and routines and all of the back to school meetings. In addition, you must figure out lesson planning specifically for those first few weeks somewhere in the mix and still make it meaningful. With that in mind, in today's episode, I will share five STEM activities you can use in your K through Five STEM classrooms. 


01:02

With any Back to School activity, you want to ensure that it has a low entry point where students can be successful no matter how they participate. These activities are still academic, but the goal is to help students warm up to the space, you, and their classmates. In turn, many of these activities I will be sharing with you have an element of collaboration to help build classroom community, which is important in any classroom setting. Now, let's jump into those five STEM activities to try. 


01:33

This first one is great, especially if you teach all the kids in the school as I do. This activity is a way to make introducing the rules in your classroom more hands-on and engaging. So instead of you just standing up there and presenting the classroom rules, this will be a fun one for your kids. 


01:56

So first, quickly introduce what your classroom rules are. You're not going to explain all of them in detail. Just read through the rules and show them to your students. When sharing your classroom rules, a great tip is to have pictures and words. Again, just like when you label all of your Makerspace supplies that we talked about in past episodes, you want to have your classroom rules labeled with words and pictures. 


02:19

Once you have this present, either up on your projector TV or printed out, you will have smaller sets of the same rules printed out and cut into puzzle pieces. I made about seven different sets of the same rules. I found a puzzle template online where I layered my rules on top. This was done on the computer. Then I cut out those puzzle pieces beforehand. I printed the seven sets out in different colors, so each table group had a different color. 


02:53

This makes this challenging because all of the rules are cut up and mixed up. The goal is that when students work in teams, either teams they choose themselves or ones that you pick, they will have to put the rules back together. Now, try not to make too many rules. But if you have quite a few rules, maybe about six, cut out about four. That also adds another challenge because if you don't tell them which rules are cut up in their little bags, that will make it even harder. 


03:25

This is a great way for kids to keep focusing on what the classroom rules are. I keep the full images up so they can refer to the image as they are putting together their puzzle. They're always talking about those rules together. So if the rule is tools or materials, not toys, they keep saying that repeatedly. So there is that repetition of my classroom rules. Also, they're learning from the other kids in their groups, discussing it, and figuring out a system that works best for them. 


03:51

I make sure to have a little prize at the end. Something simple like a pencil, a STEM sticker, or something not that cool, but they think it's pretty cool.  After that, whether all the groups have finished or a few have finished depending on how it's going in the class, I will review the classroom rules. Then we'll jump into our lesson for the day. This doesn't take the whole class time, but this is a great icebreaker. The kids are talking and collaborating, learning your classroom rules, and figuring you out as you go. 


04:24

Now you can do the first activity and then do this second activity within the same day. All you need are just a basic bucket of mixed LEGO bricks and the all about me LEGO build. This is a fun one. It's a cool way to get a get to know you to be hands-on, and all students can participate. For this activity, think of questions you can ask kids that are pretty general, and all kids can participate. Some examples of questions are: Do you have a pet too? Did you read a book this summer? I recommend staying away from questions such as, where did you go this summer?


04:59

Questions like that might be a little hard for kids if they can't afford to go on trips. So think of things that most kids might be able to do. Did you play in the water? Did you watch a movie? It could be a movie at home or in the theater. Think of questions that most kids can participate in. So think about those main questions and for each question, add in how many LEGO bricks and what color they need to collect. 


04:59

So, for example, if the question is, do you have any pets, grab three LEGO bricks. Make sure to pause as kids are digging in the buckets. I would spread them out around the room. While they're digging in the buckets and finding green LEGO pieces, you could talk about different shades of green.  This one's great, too, because as they search, you can talk to them about their pet or the answer to the question you asked. Kids who might not be able to say yes to that question if it's not true about them can build with the pieces they have on hand. So having a great variety of questions will allow everyone to grab some LEGO pieces and participate. 


06:21

This third activity goes along with one of our favorite questionnaires Rosie Revere Engineer. Now, as a STEM teacher, you probably have a big love for these sweet little characters. You have Rosie Revere Engineer, Ada Twist Scientist, who now has her show on Netflix, which I highly recommend. It's so much fun. Iggy Peck architect and there are some other friends that are in the collection. 


06:36

So after you read this story with your class, you can have a class discussion about things that fly. Rosie Revere is trying to build a flying machine for her great Aunt Rose. She keeps trying and failing. Finally, she figures out an invention. So, as a class, you can talk about different things that fly in the sky after reading the story. It could be animals, machines, or made up things. Talk about those things that fly, and then students can plan and brainstorm their type of flying machine. It could be real or imaginary. 


06:36

From there, you can provide them with different Makerspace materials. It could be limited supplies that they could build with, such as popsicle sticks, tape, small cups, or whatever you have on hand. They can use cardboard or LEGO bricks. If you don't have many Makerspace materials, you could use those non-consumable items, and students can build their flying machines. 


06:36

If you want to get even more creative, you could print a little picture of Rosie and her Great Aunt Rose to add to their creation. You can think of ways that students can modify and make their designs even better. This activity can be stretched out for many days. You could have each part of the engineering design process while you read the story and research those flying things. Or, if you want to make it quick, you can skip to that building part. 


06:36

Depending on how long you have had your students and their age, this can be a great activity to jump right into and tie in that STEM and stories connection. Another fun STEM and stories activity you can do with your kids goes along with the book. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books. You could do this for any version of the book, but the one about the books is a good back to school one. 


06:36

So after reading this story with your class, you can have images of all the things she swallows. It is crazy, and some younger classes might even start laughing and think it's weird. I did have a Kindergarten class say that this is a weird book.  You can do a lot of different things. 


06:36

The students can build the different things that the old lady ate, make an old lady's mouth, and feed her everything she ate in order of the story. They can get creative with how they build those items using whatever types of materials you want them to use. You can even print out those pictures. You can add robots during your first month with kids if you're brave enough. I'm not brave enough, but maybe you are! 


06:36

You can have those pictures, and kids can code to the different images of the things she ate in the story's order or in whatever order they choose. They can also build the items using pixel blocks. I like to use Bloxels. Now, Bloxels are a little bit expensive. There is a separate subscription that you can purchase where kids can create their video games using the box. I love the blocks because they come on a big grid with tiny cubes. The kids can build pixel art with it. So you can have the images up, and students can build the different things in the story. This could be an opportunity for the kids to have station rotations your first couple weeks with you. So this is a cool and engaging way to take the story further and add many hands-on elements. 


06:36

This last STEM back to school activity for you to try is a digital option that I recommend for second grade and up. It is called apps about me. You can create a slide deck for students that have different phone outlines. On each outline, there's a different app, a fake app. We're not coding on this one, but a fake app that students can create and get to know more about each other. Again, this can be something you can do in one day or have a different slide each day. You could print this out if you don't want to go digital. The reason why I would keep it digital is so that you're not printing a million things. Depending on the platform you're sharing it with, whether it's seesaw, Google classrooms, or Schoology, you're allowing students to practice logging into the platform that you will be using in class, navigating that platform, and using the tools within it. Once they log in, it's pretty self-explanatory what they need to work on. 


12:28

It's not a super high overarching hard task. It's fun because they get to share about themselves differently. Once they're logged in, include a slide where they have the front pages and pictures that go along with their favorite things like favorite animals and color. There can be another slide showing the map app, and they must create a map of their favorite space school, restaurant, or bedroom. You can think of five different things that relate to real life apps. It's a way for students to share about themselves. 


13:01

Now you can have them share creatively, whether it is in seesaw and creating a voice-over about it, or they can work in small groups and share their favorite slide. You can work on this fun activity all week or as a fast finisher. If you're doing a separate project like I do STEM survival camp, which I discuss in episode four, I assign this apps about me activity, so if they finish the part for the day, they have something else to work on. Again, I've had the kids for a few years, so they're used to what platforms I use already and are a little more independent. This is a fun digital option that you can have kids design digitally. 


13:42

As a recap, here are the five back to school STEM activities we discussed in today's episode. First is the classroom rules puzzles. Second, the all about me brick build. Third, the STEM and stories activity with Rosie Revere Engineer. Fourth, the STEM and stories activity with There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books. Fifth, the digital apps about me activity. I have all of these linked in my show notes for today, Naomi meredith.com/episode7, where you can see pictures of these activities in action and grab all the links to save time with your back to school planning. Thank you so much again for joining me on today's episode, and I will chat with you soon.

back-to-school-stem-challenges

back-to-school-stem-challenges

back-to-school-stem-challenges

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

STEM Favorites that You’ll Enjoy: 

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-the-classroom

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

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!

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!

STEM Back to School Bootcamp

Calling all K-5 STEM teachers, media specialists and gen. ed teachers!
Join me to quickly learn essentials when setting up your STEM space for Back to School. These are actionable strategies that you can easily implement right away that will start your year will great systems and lessons. All videos are pre-recorded and available to watch in your own time.
Day 1: STEM Teacher Prep
Day 2: Classroom Inventory & Purchasing
Day 3: Getting Started Lessons
Also, have the chance to win prizes and other special offers!

FAQ's

When is it?

Originally aired July 20-22, 2021, but it's all recorded so you can watch in your own time!

How much does it cost?

Free!

[Video Replay] Day 1: STEM Teacher Prep

Resources mentioned in this video:

[Video Replay] Day 2: Classroom Inventory & Purchasing

Resources mentioned in this video:

[Video Replay] Day 3: Getting Started Lessons

Resources mentioned in this video:

Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy: 

How can I help you navigate your STEM & Tech journey? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

 

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Create Your STEM Lab School Supply List

Create Your STEM Lab School Supply List

stem-lab-school-supply-listAre you wondering what to put on your STEM Lab school supply list? Maybe you are setting up a brand new space or hoping to add some upgrades. Either way, this post will help with planning and finding the right materials for your classroom.

This blog post contains Amazon Affiliate links. When you purchase through my link, no extra added cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return. 

 

Watch the video replay down below:

 

Create Your STEM Lab School Supply List | #1 List Current Assets

stem-lab-school-supply-listSome STEM spaces are fortunate enough to have supplies already stocked from previous teachers. Others are bare bones and have nothing to work with. Wherever your status is, take stock of what you have. Also ask, “Will this be used?”

It’s ok to get rid of things as well! No, you won’t need the CD player “just in case”. Be realistic about what is available, the space given and who will be using the space. 

 

Create Your STEM Lab School Supply List | #2 Create a Budget

stem-lab-school-supply-listOnce current items are assessed, if possible, create a budget. Understand the guidelines for your school and deadlines when money needs to be spent. 

Something to keep in mind is a class set is not required for most items. Think about how students can use the materials in pairs and also small stations. Check out my STEM Station post HERE. 

Especially trendy and technology items, those age-out quickly. Being stuck with fancy “paper weights” can be a pain but also make purchasing more items in the future not as convincing for those who provide the classroom budget. 

When creating my shopping lists, I look at multiple sources before purchasing. Don’t shy away from deals or even ask for them! 

Create Your STEM Lab School Supply List | #3 Plan Ahead

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Likewise, create shopping lists for the current year, but also future years. Not everything will get purchased at once. However, create a plan of what you hope to gather in the future. 

Sometimes there are opportunities when community stakeholders and local businesses are looking to purchase items for schools. Having a ready-made list will make the decision making a lot easier. 

Finally, set aside some funds for repair costs. While not common, it’s hard being in a situation when an items needs repairs but there aren’t any funds to do so. 

Create Your STEM Lab School Supply List | #4 Consumables vs. Non-Consumables

Find a balance between consumable (items that are typically used once) and non-consumable items needed in the class. 

Some consumable items are inexpensive, but require a large quantity over time. The cost can add up fast! 

With non-consumable (items that can be used multiple times) be thoughtful in what products to choose. Some items are worth the higher price tag, which will be addressed in the next section. 

In addition, think about how these items can be used in multiple projects. Classic LEGO Bricks can be used in endless projects for grades K-5 and are worth investing in. 

Need help on what to choose? Check out my top 20 favorite STEM supplies HERE

 

Create Your STEM Lab School Supply List | #5 Quantity vs. Quality

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There are a lot of great, quality STEM materials that are inexpensive that are non-consumable. However, there are items that are quite the opposite. 

Think about how many students, on average, will be using the items. Often, purchasing a higher priced, durable item, is worth the cost. 

Compare Models

For example, the Code & Go Mice and Bee-Bots complete similar tasks. They are robots for primary students that use directional/arrow coding to move. For a general classroom, with about 24 students, I would recommend the Code & Go Mouse. They are inexpensive and will last through a typical class size. 

For use with more students throughout the year, like a STEM specials class, I would recommend the Bee-Bots. While more expensive, they are more durable and can withstand high use. 

Check out this blog post with all of my robot recommendations for kids.

robots-for-kids

Create Your STEM Lab School Supply List | #6 Donations & Grants

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Once shopping lists and budgets are created, think about ways to gather materials from outside sources. 

Again, many local businesses look for ways to support schools. It never hurts to ask! Writing grants also bring the opportunity to include higher priced items into the classroom space. 

The site I’ve had the most success with is Donors Choose. The site walks teachers through the grant writing process, creates a space for donations to be collected and even handles purchasing the items when funds are raised. 

Another option is to create an Amazon Shopping List. Like a wedding registry, friends and family can purchase items you’re hoping to add to the classroom.

Consumable Purchases

For consumable items, like cardboard, tape, and recyclables, consider asking families. Often, these are items that will be thrown away and can be given new life in a Makerspace. Emailing the school staff never hurts as well! There was a project where I needed bubble wrap, I sent an email, and got more than I imagined the next day. 

To help conceptualize what consumable items would be helpful, check out this editable Makerspace letter. 

makerspace-letter

Just Tell Me What to Buy!

Still need help as to where to begin? Here is a complete inventory list of my K-5 Innovation Lab. Included are organized categories of types of items and must-haves with different budget price ranges. 

Just type in your name and email down below and it’s all yours to help with planning your STEM space!

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Resources Mentioned in this Post:

Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy: 

Must Have STEM School Supply List by Naomi Meredith 

Why You Need a Station Rotation in STEM by Naomi Meredith 

Best Robots for Kids for STEM & Technology Lessons by Naomi Meredith 

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What other questions do you have about setting up your STEM space? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

Back to School STEM Activities Shopping Guide

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Back to School STEM Activities Shopping Guide

This Back to School STEM Activities guide is to help you find resources that will be perfect for your STEM & Technology instruction. Whether you are teaching in-person, hybrid or remotely, I have resources already created to meet your needs. 

 

Back to School STEM Activities Shopping Guide: How to Get the Most Out of It

  • Print this out to read it like a magazine or view digitally
  • The clickable Table of Contents will direct you to a topic you’re interested in learning about more
  • All images are clickable and will take you directly to the product they are show
  • All images also have a corresponding number. Find the corresponding description for that page to read more about it

Click here to grab this FREE download!

 

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What's included in this guide?

  • How to use this guide
  • How to get free TpT Credits to Spend on Future Purchases
  • 6 Back to School Essentials for Any Classroom Setting
  • In-Person Learning Resources
  • Google Tools Scavenger Hunts
  • Digital Interactive Notebooks
  • Distance Learning Resources
  • Thank You!
  • Connect with Me!

Click here to grab this FREE download!

 

Other blog posts you will also enjoy: 

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Need more help finding a resource that fits your Back to School needs? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

Want more resources to support Technology & STEM all year long? Grab this FREE downloadable guide that I’ve put together for you!