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creating a STEM culture

Creating a STEM Culture and High-Quality Teacher Support with Nichole Austion from NMSI [STEM in Action Series] [ep.165]

Creating a STEM Culture and High-Quality Teacher Support with Nichole Austion from NMSI [STEM in Action Series] [ep.165]

creating a STEM culture

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Episode Summary

Are you tired of feeling like you don’t have enough time to implement effective STEM lessons in your classroom? Or maybe you haven’t been able to get your school on board with incorporating STEM curriculum into your classroom. Today’s guest, Nichole Austion can relate to both scenarios. In this episode, she shares some great tips for creating a STEM culture and getting support as a teacher who wants to bring STEM to your school. 

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How to create a STEM culture 
  • Why creating a STEM culture is important
  • Supports for effective implementation of STEM culture

Resources Mentioned:

Meet Nichole Austion:

Nichole Austion is the Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Math and Science Initiative where she leads marketing and government relations. With a focus on STEM advancement, she orchestrates strategic initiatives, bridging marketing and government relations to amplify NMSI’s impact nationwide. Austion’s expertise stems from global technology firms like Sabre Holdings and Teradata, where she drove multimillion-dollar revenue through innovative marketing strategies. She is the author of “Miles and the Math Monsters,” a children’s book that transforms math into a friendly presence, encouraging children to see it as a helpful companion intertwined with their everyday environment. She holds an engineering degree from Howard University and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin.

Connect with Nichole:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

You are excited to implement STEM in your classroom or school building, but maybe you're feeling short on time, or you don't have enough training to plan effective lessons or even get your school on board, whatever that looks like for you. I definitely hear you. I have been in those exact same situations at various points in my career as a classroom teacher and also when I was a STEM teacher. So I completely understand where you're coming from, and I hear it all the time from you guys as well in my Instagram DMs and also in my email. So I definitely hear you and am here to help provide you support as always. And today's guest, Nicole Aschen, can resonate with what you're going through as well. She works with an organization that can help support your needs. Talking with Nicole was just so powerful because the National Math and Science Initiative, also NMSI, where Nicole is their vice president of public affairs, her philosophies and the things that she was talking about, what the organization stands for, really aligns with what I believe STEM education could be.


Naomi Meredith [00:01:21]:

And so we had a really, really awesome conversation, and it's one of those situations in the interview where you're just so glad that this is being recorded. There were some technical difficulties, but we're just so glad it's recorded because there's some really powerful stuff that you'll take away from our conversation. Nicole holds an engineering degree and focuses on STEM advancement, orchestrates strategic initiatives, and bridges marketing and government relations to amplify NMSI's impact nationwide. Nicole's experience stems from global technology firms, and she drove a multimillion-dollar revenue through innovative marketing strategies. She is also the author of Miles and the Math Monsters, which she does talk a little bit about, and I'm really excited for you to hear that part as well. The whole thing is great, but I also hear about that part too. Her book is a children's book that transforms math into a friendly presence, encouraging children to see it as a helpful companion intertwined with their everyday environment. Like I said, I'm so excited for you to hear today's interview and all the great takeaways you're gonna get for it in our STEM in Action series.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:42]:

And so, sit back, enjoy, and maybe take a few notes along the way.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:17]:

Alright. Well, thank you, Nicole, so much for being here today. We were chatting a little bit before we hit record, and once you guys watch the video version of this, Nicole has the best glasses on right now. They are beautiful. She's so beautiful, and then her glasses just accentuate that, but they're bright red. They're so cute. They're so cute. So you guys have to check out the video once that's posted, but thank you so much for being here.


Nichole Austion [00:03:45]:

Thank you for having me. I'm so pleased to be on your podcast today.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:49]:

I'm very excited to get into what we're gonna chat about today. But before we do that, if you want, thinking about you and just how you support STEM education and your background.


Nichole Austion [00:04:04]:

Absolutely. My name is Nicole Achin. I'm the vice president of public affairs for the National Math and Science Initiative. National Math and Science Initiative is a STEM solution provider, and we provide excellent quality STEM professional development for teachers in grades 3 through 12. I am a STEM woman in STEM. I have an engineering degree from Howard University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, which I thought at one point took me out of STEM. But the fact that I have, spent 20 years in technology companies made me realize that I am a woman in STEM and that I have spent my entire career doing that. In the last 6 years, I have been affiliated with the education industry.


Nichole Austion [00:04:56]:

I spent about 2 years with the Charter Management Organization working as their director of marketing, and I've been with the National Math and Science Initiative for 4 years. I'm also a mother and a wife, mother of a teenage son who has a little bit of math anxiety and is also neurodiverse.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:17]:

Well, I love how all of your experiences have blended together, and I sure help you so much with what you're currently doing with the organization that you are a part of because definitely having your background in STEM and then you worked in those companies, and now, helping out teachers with great training, which is definitely needed, hence why this podcast exists. I taught in the STEM classroom for 5 years and had limited supplies and zero curriculum. I personally didn't have a background in STEM. I ended up getting a master's in it, but I think it is so important with what you're doing and supporting teachers and, just with great high-quality professional development. So, what types of things with your professional development do you guys really focus on in terms of STEM? Like, what are the types of things that you really hope teachers will gain from the program that you're involved in?


Nichole Austion [00:06:21]:

That is such a great question, Naomi. So, at the National Math and Science Initiative, about 80% of our employees are former teachers. And being former teachers, they understand what quality professional development is and what professional development without quality is. And so we really wanna focus in on making sure that, number 1, we create community amongst the teachers. As a matter of fact, we are getting ready to have our content workshops in the Fort Worth area, where we'll have over 500 STEM teachers, and in Norfolk in the Virginia Beach area, sorry. Excuse me. Virginia Beach area, where we'll have over 300 STEM teachers. And so number 1 is we wanna create that community.


Nichole Austion [00:07:09]:

We want teachers to understand that they're not alone in the classroom. Secondly, we want to make sure that we have excellent content and pedagogy. We know that a lot of teachers come to STEM with a literacy lens, and they need the content and the pedagogy to be solid in their minds and build that confidence in them because there are so many other things to do within the classroom. Classroom data, try this one of my Yes.


Nichole Austion [00:07:36]:

Things that I hate the most. Right? But if you have that knowledge content and pedagogy knowledge, then you can focus on other things within the classroom. And then thirdly, and certainly not any less important than the other 2, are really creating a culture of STEM literacy. And we define STEM literacy as individuals who are critical thinkers who can apply concepts from science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and the humanities to understand complex problems, innovate around those problems, and collaborate with others to solve them. And what we wanna emphasize is that that's not just a teacher thing. Right? That's a school culture thing. Yeah. That's a curriculum thing. Mhmm.


Nichole Austion [00:08:25]:

That's a career awareness thing. So we tend to put all of those things into our content workshops so that teachers have a broad view of and leaders have a broad view of how to create those STEM literate cultures in their schools, in their districts, and in their states.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:48]:

I think that's very important, and I think can be really tricky depending on what school you are at and even who your admin is. For me, personally, I had an admin who is super supportive of STEM and very, excited about it and, just that type of thinking, and then how to admin where that was not the case, then they never came into my classroom. So, I think that's really, really important as well. So, for people who might not have a strong STEM culture or have that type of support, what types of things does your program recommend for getting started and creating that type of community and support?


Nichole Austion [00:09:36]:

Absolutely. Thanks for that question. So we really do try to partner with districts and states in order to provide that STEM literacy culture. But if you are a teacher in an environment that does not have that support, one of the one of the ways you can really start doing that for your students is to present them with real world problems in the classroom. I think if you take a look at your teaching team, and you can work with your teaching team and present real world problems, things around climate change, how to grow food in a flood plain, how to get supplies to refugees. Those are examples of lessons that you can use cross-disciplinary, and interdisciplinary, and ways that you can start kind of introducing some of that critical thinking and problem-solving in the classroom. Another way that you can do that is to perhaps approach your administration about becoming a trainer. Right? So, train the trainer model.


Nichole Austion [00:10:46]:

So can I, a teacher, go and be trained on how to proliferate STEM literacy in our school and then bring that back? Right? That may be something that you can propose to your administration, in order for them to kind of see the benefits. Sometimes, they might wanna stick their toe in the water, just test it out a little bit, and then broaden that type of program. The other thing I think is critically important is really understanding the careers that we need in STEM. We are woefully short and will be woefully short for many decades to come in terms of the STEM professionals that we have. So get yourself well versed in what career options we need to staff up on in here in the United States and globally, and maybe hold a career fair. Introduce your students to different types of careers. And you can make that interdisciplinary as well. Yep.


Nichole Austion [00:11:47]:

But make sure you're exposing those kids to all of the breadth and depth that they could potentially have within the world of STEM. So those are just a few ways since you might be able to start.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:00]:

You are getting me so excited because, okay. Yes. Like, a 100%. I'm so glad you mentioned this because I was a classroom teacher for 6 years before getting into STEM, and my school did this. They did have, like, a train-the-trainer type of model. When we really focused on math that year, we started doing that with technology and, at the time it's technology, not so much stem, but still that project-based learning. So I a 100%, that's what we did. Then our teams, we had co-planning times, and we did plan those project-based learning experiences.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:39]:

And one of them even, like, your examples are so real, and they're so true and kids don't even know those exist and even things that happen in your own school. We did it even. The kids planned one of our parties, our class parties, and our fall party, and we actually used the data that we're learning about graphing and part, which is pretty cool.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:09]:

But I'm, yeah, so glad you said that because it can work. I've been in a school where it works, but also the STEM careers. Girl, I got a whole other podcast about STEM careers for kids.


Nichole Austion [00:13:20]:

That's fantastic.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:21]:

A whole other one.


Nichole Austion [00:13:22]:

Yeah.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:23]:

Yeah. So, if you guys haven't heard, it's the STEM Career Quest podcast, and I interview people in STEM and have done a whole series on this podcast about STEM career day. So I'm so glad we're aligned with this because I'm not just making this stuff up. Nicole is saying the things that are here, guys. This is real. This works.


Nichole Austion [00:13:44]:

Absolutely.


Nichole Austion [00:13:46]:

Absolutely. And I'll tell you, like, with this generation too, I love the idea of kind of that flipped classroom that you talked about, because as we all, you know, probably experience, these kids, especially when it comes to technology, they're so adept at such a young age. And what a great way to get them involved in their own learning. Present them with a project, you know, a project-based lesson that can flip that classroom and have them teach their peers or have them teach you about technology and having them presenting them with a real world problem that they can tap Alexa for with, you know, within ethics.


Nichole Austion [00:14:24]:

But how can we,


Nichole Austion [00:14:26]:

you know, how can we really engage them in the world that they're really gonna be growing up in, in a way that helps them to understand the linkages between what they, you know, like and love about STEM and those critical skills that they're gonna be building throughout the lab.


Nichole Austion [00:14:46]:

Mhmm.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:47]:

Really, Mark, and what you like with the program, the things that you're doing are more cross-curricular instead of being isolated, we are making this project, the end, like, everything kind of blends together and using all of those skills. Is that what you guys really focus on?


Nichole Austion [00:15:06]:

But we do wanna have that interdisciplinary approach. We also wanna make sure that we are helping teachers in terms of vertical teaming. Right? Mhmm. This was not a thing that I was aware of, having not been a formally trained educator, but you may sit, and you know this, you may sit in the 3rd grade.


Nichole Austion [00:15:28]:

Mhmm. You


Nichole Austion [00:15:28]:

don't have any idea what those kids need to know in 8th grade.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:32]:

Mhmm.


Nichole Austion [00:15:32]:

So what we'd like to focus on, as well as the interdisciplinary nature of what we train, We also wanna focus on that vertical team. Yeah. If you're sitting in a district, an elementary school, you need to know what those kids


Nichole Austion [00:15:47]:

have to


Nichole Austion [00:15:47]:

know when they get Yeah. In middle school.


Nichole Austion [00:15:49]:

You have


Nichole Austion [00:15:49]:

to have that communication along that vertical team. And it doesn't have to although we'd like for it to cross from elementary to middle, middle to high. But sometimes just within elementary school.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:01]:

Yeah. True.


Nichole Austion [00:16:02]:

Have to know: What do these kids absolutely have to know in order to be successful in the next grade, in the next grade, in the next grade? And everything that we teach in terms of our professional development is mapped back from AP standards. Now, that doesn't mean every kid is gonna take an AP class. Right? Yeah. But it's mapped from AP standards so that you understand as a teacher if this kid can grasp this, they can then perform in an AP class, and they can be ready to transition into a college-level course.


Nichole Austion [00:16:41]:

Mhmm.


Nichole Austion [00:16:41]:

So we really wanna make sure that that's solid in the minds of our teachers as they look to scaffold skills throughout the year.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:50]:

That is so important too that, yes, you're doing these really cool lessons, but why are you doing it? Like, how is this connected to the bigger picture? What standards are you relating this to? Because I hear that too when I talk with teachers and have done, like, professional development and group coaching. And even when I did coaching in my school, even classroom teachers might not always know what standards they're supposed to teach. And so it is important if you're doing even if you're doing hands-on things and engaging kids, it has a purpose, and it there's a reason why we're doing this. Like, it's a whole big thing. And so the standards like, maybe it's annoying, but it is important to understand what is this rooted in, how is this connected. You're not teaching to the test. It's that, can they achieve what's gonna be coming in the years to come? So, I'm so glad that you guys see that. When you work with teachers or even things that you have seen, are there any specific projects or cool things that you've done with teachers that they've really enjoyed, like STEM and project-based learning?


Nichole Austion [00:18:02]:

Yeah. The cool thing that we do are really hands on. Mhmm. I love watching some of the math and science teachers work with our teachers. At one of our recent new teacher academies here in Atlanta, we had a fabulous coach who was teaching about measurement in the middle grades. And as we went out into the foyer, all the teachers and the coach were out there. They were measuring things. I mean, they had actual projects that they were taking on and they would take back into the classroom, potentially.


Nichole Austion [00:18:38]:

And they were really thinking critically about how the project could be, executed. And it looked like they were the kids.


Nichole Austion [00:18:47]:

It was beautiful. Right? But they


Nichole Austion [00:18:49]:

were so engaged in, you know, making sure that, you know, they had the appropriate directions, that they, you know, where directions were missing, they could use those critical thinking skills. So I really like the fact that our coaches, who are current classroom teachers, which is wonderful, really provide lessons that are hands-on for our teachers so that they can experience being a student as well as experience being, have experience being the instructor, while they're doing their professional development. We've also partnered with some fabulous, organizations who are corporate organizations who want to provide information, and resources to to students. We currently work with Deloitte and their Smart Believers Factory project, where they provide rovers to our school. We develop the curriculum behind that particular program, and that's fun because it's a little robot,


Naomi Meredith [00:20:01]:

And


Nichole Austion [00:20:01]:

all of the curriculum is standards-aligned, but it's all about getting that rover working. And it was fun to see the teachers doing that, too.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:09]:

Like Does it look like a Mars rover? Does it look like a real rover?


Nichole Austion [00:20:14]:

It looks like a little rover, and there are exercises to help lights blink and get it actually moving and put it together. So we really love having some of our corporate partners who are leaning into that investment in STEM education and leaning into that quality professional development coming to us because they know that our program is curriculum agnostic and customizable, but it's it's a program that teachers love. Right? And that's the Yeah. Right? We want teachers to love the professional development that we provide. And let's face it. Mine have another 10 professional development. It's not fun. But we wanna make it fun and applicable for Oh, yeah.


Nichole Austion [00:20:57]:

Our


Naomi Meredith [00:20:58]:

Oh, absolutely. And, you know, I mean, if the teacher is bored, like, do they really wanna teach what they're saying? I would wanna teach about a rover, though.


Nichole Austion [00:21:06]:

Mhmm. For sure.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:09]:

So one thing with teachers, maybe you see this too because I know you have all sorts of teachers, like classroom teachers and maybe some who teach STEM. And some schools, like, I know there are teachers who listen to this. They don't have a STEM teacher, and that's okay. But I one thing I really hear is with the time, the limited time, and sometimes the projects are too long. Are there things that you guys recommend? Like, there are a lot of teachers who listen and only see their kids once a week for 1 hour. They see the whole school within the week. And so these longer projects, they really want to do, but then they don't have a lot of time. They're like, I only see them for 1 hour, and then I'll see them for 1 hour next week, and the kids forget.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:58]:

And how do I store everything? Are there projects you have in mind or things that you guys recommend where they are still doing these high-level things but just in a shorter amount of time?


Nichole Austion [00:22:08]:

Yeah. I think that is really where the interdisciplinary nature and teaming within the schools is gonna be critically important. Because if you can take a portion of a social studies lesson, right, And you can make it applicable, design a lesson in science or design a lesson I mean, math, probably not the right example, but biology or design a lesson, chemistry, that kind of goes along with that particular social studies lesson. You might be able to have more traction,


Nichole Austion [00:22:43]:

with


Nichole Austion [00:22:43]:

those students. And then working in your grade level team to integrate, you know, some of the concepts and things that you wanna teach in your particular STEM class into those that history class or that social studies class. And look, don't don't ignore physical education. Don't ignore Yeah. You know, some of your extracurricular types of activities. You know, make sure that you're learning, especially within STEM, is interdisciplinary because there are so many applications and so many ways to connect the dots for those Mhmm. Those students. So try as much as you can to work as a team if you only have that short period of time.


Nichole Austion [00:23:24]:

Yes. And then, once again, you know, make sure that you're doing things that could be really impactful, especially if it relates to culturally relevant education. Talk about


Nichole Austion [00:23:35]:

Mhmm.


Nichole Austion [00:23:36]:

Different cultures, ethnicities, and gender identities that are STEM Mhmm. Professional. Right? Try to bring in STEM professionals from your local, Yeah. Companies to talk to the kids. Right? Mhmm. Because there's nothing like seeing somebody in a profession, talking to somebody, in that profession to kind of spur that imagination about what a child would be.


Naomi Meredith [00:24:03]:

Mhmm. That's really, really good advice, and I love that too because I think, well, not that I know when I was, coming from a classroom to being a STEM specials teacher, I felt very isolated where I don't have I had a team, PER and music. However, I didn't know what the teachers were doing. I did co-teach for a while, but I think that's really helpful if you only see them once a week, like you said, that what they're doing in their regular classroom can help build that background knowledge. And even too, I know some teachers will have a like, it's just a lot teaching science, and don't teach science, but maybe you could take on, oh, maybe I can have a different stem to it. It's sort of like what I try to do with my projects that were standards-based and having a stem perspective, like, maybe you're learning about life cycles, but now we're gonna create a 3 d model of the life cycle that can be printed on our 3 d printer. So making those connections, I think, is so important because we're not teaching in silos. Like, you might be a different room, but we're all on the same team.


Nichole Austion [00:25:16]:

That's right. That's right. It's very important to remember that. Yep. Absolutely.


Naomi Meredith [00:25:21]:

Okay. So I'm gonna ask you, do you have any fun projects that you might be working on that might be helpful for teachers to your organization that you're a part of does amazing things? But is there anything in particular that you have going on that you wanna share?


Nichole Austion [00:25:40]:

So, I do have a project that I'm working on, so you can probably see a little bit of it in the video. I just produced and published a book called Miles and the Math Monsters. And it is all about a young man, a little boy named Miles, who has a bit of math anxiety. As most teachers and educators know, math was the 2023 word of the year designated by Education Week. Mhmm. And I Mhmm. I was inspired to write this particular book because I had a very math intensive journey as an engineer. There math I didn't have a choice, but math is interdisciplinary.


Nichole Austion [00:26:25]:

You showed up everywhere.


Naomi Meredith [00:26:27]:

Yes.


Nichole Austion [00:26:27]:

School. Right? And I have a child who struggles with math. And so I've had to be barely creative in trying to get him to understand certain concepts. He struggled a little bit with working memory, so we utilized things that he loved. So, he is a Fortnite fanatic. Right? And he's really good. Alright. So to get him to kind of understand the concept of addition and subtraction, he's in the game.


Nichole Austion [00:27:03]:

And if he's in the game, and he's one of 7 players left, okay. So, if you're one of 7 players left, how many players then do you have to eliminate? Right away. Right? So, utilizing things that are in his everyday life to really get him to understand the concepts of addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and then building upon his strengths. Now, I will tell you, he will struggle with certain concepts, but he does exponents like a champ, and most people don't.


Nichole Austion [00:27:37]:

Oh. Yeah.


Naomi Meredith [00:27:38]:

I know. 


Nichole Austion [00:27:40]:

That's hard.


Naomi Meredith [00:27:41]:

Good skill.


Nichole Austion [00:27:43]:

Yeah. He's really, really good with exponent and all of the operations with exponent. But really, I was inspired to write the book because of him. You know, we were kind of on the opposite end of the spectrum.


Nichole Austion [00:27:54]:

I had all this math. He struggles with math. And, I wanted to show, you know, young children that you don't have to be afraid of numbers. Numbers are everywhere. Math is a language, and it's a language we're all gonna be using for the rest of our lives. And there that may look scary on a board, but it doesn't look scary when you're ordering 2 scoops of ice cream or when you're counting players on the basketball court, the ones who are on the bench versus the ones who are playing. It's not scary to see the number of trees in your local park. You know, it's not scary when you recognize that numbers are everywhere and math is everywhere, and it's a part of our lives.


Nichole Austion [00:28:36]:

And so that was the inspiration for writing the book. I'm hoping that they'll become a series of books, around STEM. So that's one of my projects.


Naomi Meredith [00:28:47]:

Yeah. That's a great book. I know, Jers, we, especially in elementary, love using books and using that as a good talking point. And that's a great book for any time of year, but especially for back to school when we're talking about growth mindset and how we think through problems, especially math, and how math can be scary. But we're all math people. So, I love that. Put that in the show notes so teachers can grab it for their extra school bookshelves.


Nichole Austion [00:29:18]:

Absolutely. Absolutely.


Naomi Meredith [00:29:20]:

Well, thank you so much. Is there anything else that you would love to share that I missed out on or anything else that you think teachers should know?


Nichole Austion [00:29:29]:

I think what really I wanna emphasize is the fact that you know, you're not alone, teachers. Especially when we talk about the National Math and Science Initiative. We are here to help you build the content and pedagogy that you need. We understand that teaching is a valuable profession, and we treat it as such. Right? And I know there are so many challenges in the classroom these days, but I want teachers to understand that if they're looking for quality STEM professional development, they have allies. Right? You have allies outside of the National Math and Science Initiative, but certainly with our organization as well. And on our website, which is nms.org, we have free lessons that teachers can download. So if you go to our website, go to the resources page, we have a wealth of free lessons that you can utilize in your classroom, and this is really for teachers in 3 grades 3 through 12.


Nichole Austion [00:30:32]:

We also have culturally responsive lessons that we've put together with partners like 3 m and the Leiden Hill Institute. So check out our website. It can't hurt to have a free lesson, something to help you build that STEM literacy culture in your school and in your classroom.


Naomi Meredith [00:30:52]:

I love that. Thank you so much for sharing those, and, definitely, if teachers want to dive in this summer, if you're chilling this summer, look at it during back to school. That's fine, too. We'll link all of that for sure, but we appreciate your insights so much, Nicole, and what you're doing, helping support teachers through your book and also the organization that you're a part of. And, thank you so much for all of your insight today.


Nichole Austion [00:31:20]:

Thank you, Naomi. I really appreciate you having me on your platform.


Naomi Meredith [00:31:25]:

Thank you.

creating a STEM culture

 

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More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning 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!

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Blast Off with Engineering: Behind the Scenes with Spacecraft Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin, Jessica Kennedy [ep.5]

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Check out the full episode on Blast Off with Engineering: Behind the Scenes with Spacecraft Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin, Jessica Kennedy  

 

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Episode Summary

Hey, my little Questies! We are continuing our adventure in outer space, but this time with a twist. Did you know that the GPS app your parents use on their phones to get directions telling them where to go works because of special satellites in outer space? That’s right! There are satellites in outer space that orbit Earth to send signals to GPS devices so we can know how to go anywhere in the world. These satellites are built by a team of people who work together to test and code them and eventually send them into space. So, who does this much needed STEM career? 

In today’s episode, we will hear from Jessica Kennedy, a spacecraft systems engineer at Lockheed Martin. Jessica takes us on a journey through what it’s like to be a spacecraft systems engineer, the coolest part of her STEM career, and so much more. This episode is full of so many fun and exciting facts that I know Questies like you will enjoy! Don't forget to join our STEM Career Quest Club so you can learn even more about what it’s like to be a spacecraft systems engineer.

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Want more ways to enhance your podcast listening experience? 

Click HERE to join our STEM Career Quest Club!

Inside, you get access to 

  • a private community of other STEM Career Quest listeners
  • comprehension guides for each episode
  • teaching slides for each episode, where it is broken up into chunks so you can listen in smaller segments
  • related STEM activities you can complete with simple materials
  • one monthly virtual STEM field trip

And more!

spacecraft systems engineer

 

Meet Jessica Kennedy:

Hi there – I’m Jessica Kennedy; the mom of a first grader, preschooler, and 2 year old and I also get to work on Satellites! I’ve gotten to work on satellites that help the military, and GPS that your mom and dad use in their cars. My friends get to work on satellites that go to asteroids and Jupiter, as well as the Orion capsule that is going to take astronauts to do a moon fly-by next year and to land on the moon in December 2025. I’ve been able to build 3-D software fly-through models for the military, touch hardware on an test GPS spacecraft, be a manager of a systems engineering team, and work on proposals for future satellites.

I went to college at Nothern Arizona University and graduated with a degree in mathematics and one in psychology. I had an internship at Lockheed Martin and then decided to work there after I graduated. I started work and then got a Master's degree in Systems Engineering Mechatronics from the University of Denver that Lockheed Martin paid for. I've been working there for 16 years.

Connect with Jessica: 

See a Spacecraft Systems Engineer in Action:

spacecraft systems engineer

spacecraft systems engineer
A piece of spacecraft structure. The honeycomb pattern allows it to be strong while remaining light in weight (since that is an important consideration for launching it into space!)

spacecraft systems engineer

spacecraft systems engineer
Jessica Kennedy sharing about her role at Lockheed Martin at an elementary school STEM Career Day experience that the podcast host, Naomi Meredith, had put together.
spacecraft systems engineer
A piece of thermal blanket material (gold on the left), a scale model of MUOS (top) and an LEGO Orion Space Capsule (right)

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with the Host, Naomi Meredith:

More About The STEM Career Quest Podcast

Have you ever found yourself asking this question… “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Maybe you already have an answer to that, maybe you don’t.

Both are ok!

Welcome to the “STEM Career Quest” podcast! A show made for kids like you to help you build your dreams, or even find new ones, in science, technology, engineering and math. Each week, hear captivating stories and interviews to explore the exciting world of STEM. Oh! And grown-ups and teachers, you can listen too!

We’ll talk to experts in STEM who are passionate about what they do in the real-world and how they make a positive impact in their careers. Created and hosted by K-5 STEM Coach, Naomi Meredith, this show will spark your imagination and passions.

Join us each week on our quest to explore the possibilities of careers in STEM, one episode at a time.

STEM Career Quest

3…2…1…Quest Off! [ep.1]

3…2…1…Quest Off! [ep.1]

STEM Career Quest

Check out the full episode on 3…2…1…Quest Off!:  

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Episode Summary

Welcome to the “STEM Career Quest” podcast! A show made for kids like you to help you build your dreams, or even find new ones, in science, technology, engineering and math. Each week, hear captivating stories and interviews to explore the exciting world of STEM. Oh! And grown-ups and teachers, you can listen too!

In this episode, the host, Naomi Meredith, will be taking you behind the scenes to explain who this show is for, why it got started, and why you are going to love listening each and every week.

 

Want more ways to enhance your podcast listening experience? 

Click HERE to join our STEM Career Quest Club!

Inside you get access to 

  • a private community of other STEM Career Quest listeners
  • comprehension guides for each episode
  • teaching slides for each episode where it is broken up into chunks so you can listen in smaller segments
  • related STEM activities you can complete with with simple materials
  • one monthly virtual STEM field trip

And more!

STEM Career Quest

STEM Career Quest
The host, Naomi Meredith, and her little dog, Frederick, on Halloween. She is an astronaut, and he is a little rocket.
STEM Career Quest
The co-host of the show, Frederick the dog. He gets jealous when Naomi is talking to guests and will often bark or throw toys at her.

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there. 

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with the Host, Naomi Meredith:

More About The STEM Career Quest Podcast

Have you ever found yourself asking this question… “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Maybe you already have an answer to that, maybe you don’t.

Both are ok!

Welcome to the “STEM Career Quest” podcast! A show made for kids like you to help you build your dreams, or even find new ones, in science, technology, engineering and math. Each week, hear captivating stories and interviews to explore the exciting world of STEM. Oh! And grown-ups and teachers, you can listen too!

We’ll talk to experts in STEM who are passionate about what they do in the real-world and how they make a positive impact in their careers. Created and hosted by K-5 STEM Coach, Naomi Meredith, this show will spark your imagination and passions.

Join us each week on our quest to explore the possibilities of careers in STEM, one episode at a time.

What You’re Missing By Not Hosting a STEM Career Day Event [ep.144]

What You're Missing By Not Hosting a STEM Career Day Event [ep.144]

STEM career day event

Check out the full episode on What You're Missing By Not Hosting a STEM Career Day Event:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Episode Summary

Last week, I shared how to host your own STEM Career Day Event at your school. Now, you may be wondering about the benefits of hosting a STEM Career Day Event, which is what I'm talking about today. I'll be diving into how a STEM Career Day Event can greatly benefit the students at your school, the significant impact these types of events can have on students, and more.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why students benefit from attending a STEM Career Day Event
  • Behind the scenes of the responses from both the students and guest speakers when I hosted a STEM Career Day Event
  • Why we should encourage students to start thinking about their future careers early

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

You want to host a STEM career day event for your students, but it just sounds like a lot of work. What are your students even missing out on anyway by not having a STEM career day? I hosted a STEM career day in my 5th year of teaching STEM, and this was the first time I had ever done this event for my students. And I was so bummed that I hadn't put on this event before. Well, what did my students even miss out on? Why was I so sad about it? Let me explain inside this episode. 


Naomi Meredith [00:01:13]:

In the last episode, episode 143, I talked about all the things that you need to do to set up your STEM career day for success. If you haven't taken a listen to that episode, make sure to go back and listen to it after you listen to this one. It's okay if you listen to them out of order. Now, an event like this, when it's something for your entire school, could be a lot of prep work when it comes to all of the little details, the scheduling, making sure everybody knows about it, communicating with your guest speakers, and getting the guest speakers. How do you organize it all on top of all of the lesson planning that you are already doing for your school and even all of those after-school clubs and everything in between? I totally understand and was 100% in your position, but also knew that this was extremely important for my students to experience in elementary. So, while I was planning my STEM career day event, I saved every single thing for you. Yep.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:22]:

I saved every template, system, routine, and even examples of what went on that day so you wouldn't have to go digging and figure it out on your own. You can just plug and play, adapt what you need, and have a successful event in no time. I am spilling all the secrets and letting you steal all my ideas for your own event, and you can find this in my audio workshop at naomimeredith.com/stemcareerdayworkshop. You don't need to join me live. It is audio only, so I will talk you through it in short segments. With all of those templates and all of that planning, you have me in your back pocket, and you will be on your way with this awesome day for your students. This is linked in the show notes for you so you don't miss out on this awesome resource. So, what are you missing out on anyway by not having a STEM Career Day? You don't have to put it on.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:23]:

It's probably not required of you. Why does it even matter? Why should you even do something extra? Who cares? Here's what your students are missing out on. The first thing that they are missing out on by not having a STEM career day is learning how to dream big. Okay. So maybe your kids are dreaming big already about the cool projects that you're doing, but dreaming big in a different way. I had a parent presenter at my STEM career day that I hosted for my students and she's actually a guest on my upcoming kid podcast that will be coming out sooner than later. But she was saying even in that episode that the first Experience that she had at a career day wasn't until early college, and she already had an idea of what she might have wanted to be when she grew up, but she had this experience, this career day experience, and it actually changed the trajectory of the career that she went into her pathway, and because of that career day, this is the job that she is actually doing today and is super passionate about it. Now, thankfully, that experience happened for her.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:37]:

Everything happens for a reason. But what if she had known? You never know. But what if she had known about this career and learned about it at a career day in elementary school? Our kids are already thinking about what they wanna be when they grow up. They're not waiting until college to think about what they wanna be when they grow up. This can definitely change. Absolutely. Jobs are going to change. But even as a little kid, they're not too young to think about the possibilities and the passions and the interests and the things that they might wanna do when they get older.


Naomi Meredith [00:05:20]:

And how cool is that where you're bringing in these different experiences and jobs that they might not have ever heard of and even jobs you might not have even heard of as an adult to help them dream big in these different ways. We're always hearing as teachers, and you are probably told this as a kid, that as teachers, we are preparing our students for jobs that don't even exist yet. And some of those jobs and those careers that are being presented on this day might not exist when your kids get to be older, but it doesn't mean you need not to have them come in. These jobs now that are currently happening are evolving, and they are changing and they are sparking new jobs that your students might be in whether they're ones that are being created or maybe they're they are a job that those students actually create. You never know what it's going to be like. My teachers never told me, hey, maybe one day you could be a podcaster. No. They never said that.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:27]:

I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but also I never knew as a kid there were all these other pathways and things that would end up putting me in this position of teaching in a different way with the involvement with technology and all of that. However, I did have experiences that led me to where I am today, so you never know what types of experiences are gonna Spark that passion and that interest for your students, and a STEM career day is a great way to do this. One of the parent presenters Even emailed me after the event, after we sent home all of the thank you notes. And one of the parent presenters sent me this really kind email, and they said, Thank you so much for putting all that work into STEM career day. My son and their cousins are all still talking about it. They were kids at the school. And that was also very sweet of the kids to write thank you notes for you to send them home with my son. They were fun to read.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:26]:

1 kid said, I would consider this a career option as I age. Hope you're enjoying your last couple weeks at the end of the school year. So it's pretty cool to hear that from one of the parent presenters that kids were thinking about what they were saying and presenting to them. The second thing that your students are missing out on by not having a STEM career day is having a different way to connect STEM to the real world. This can often be tricky in the elementary STEM space, thinking about, okay, we're doing these really cool hands-on projects, But how is this connecting to a bigger picture? Because our little kids their worlds are small to them. So, how can we make those STEM projects come to life in a way that actually makes sense? A STEM career day is a really great way to do this. You might even get that question all the time, why are we learning this? What does this have to do with anything? Why is this even important? A ton of my parent presenters, because I had the chance to go around and watch them, so many of them said how they use math and why math is important in their jobs. And so it was really cool to hear parents and their parents, But hearing them say, here's how I use this skill in my job.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:49]:

This is why it's important. Here's how I have to work together with others. Here's how I need to know how to present because I present projects all the time in front of a team and have to share my ideas in a way that makes sense to others. So those tidbits that all of the presenters were sharing were so important. Students had the opportunity to ask them questions about their jobs and the things that they do, and the things that are exciting for them. It wasn't just a set and get kind of day. Kids were able to interact with the presenters in all of these special ways. In one of the presentations, one of the parents is in finance, and she was talking about her job, but then she did an interactive activity where the students had a budget, and then they had to actually figure out where all of the different funds would go And thinking about rent and taxes and all of those things, they did a budgeting game and to see how much money was left over at the end.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:57]:

An absolute real life challenge. She paired it down definitely based on what she does for her job. But this was really cool, too, because in my STEM classroom, We also used a budget when it comes to purchasing Makerspace supplies and where the funds are allocated, how much money have left, how to make returns and get money back and change. So it was really awesome to hear her give this presentation and make it interactive because it definitely reiterated what I was doing in the STEM space, but, also, I know for a fact a lot of those math problems that classroom teachers were doing as well. So this was a really cool way to just really touch upon those real world examples. It's also cool in this STEM career day experience. It's twofold in a way when you're talking about how it all connects to the real world. First, students learn about projects that happen in the real world.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:56]:

So many of the parents shared, hey. This is what I work on in my career. And then they're also learning how the career is supporting the project, so they're hearing about the projects and how the career is supporting the projects. There was 1 session where there was a parent whose company is a STEM company, and her job isn't necessarily a STEM job, but it's supporting the STEM company. So her skills are really valuable in this company where she does marketing for this business and also works on creating content and podcasts and all of those types of things to help support what that company is doing in a STEM space. So that was really cool to hear that type of perspective where Not everything is a STEM job, but there are ways that those kinds of things can collide together based on the passions and the skills that you have. The third thing that your students are missing out on by not having a STEM career day is having a unique opportunity to learn from multiple perspectives. I hate to break it to you, but as a teacher and as a STEM teacher, you don't know everything.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:16]:

And guess what? Neither do I. I definitely don't. I do a lot of research on things, but I don't know everything either. And I can't share everybody's perspective of what they are experiencing in the STEM space. I can't. And oftentimes, there are a lot of people in STEM that we're constantly sharing about, but we're not broadening that perspective from students to learn from. And some of us might not even be sharing about other STEM careers and jobs at all. So this is really helping break out of, okay, I am the teacher in the classroom, I teach STEM, but I'm not the only person who knows about all these things.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:59]:

There are a lot more people out there who are way smarter than me and who can explain these topics and bring them to light in a way I could never dream possible. This type of event is so cool because it really is brought to life. It's in person. Students are learning from industry experts who are doing this in their day to day jobs. These people are doing this all the time, and so they get a break out of here's what I do all day, and you can learn more about it. That is pretty darn cool. Bringing this into your school building really provides that access for students where they were already there at school. It was during the school day.


Naomi Meredith [00:13:42]:

It wasn't an after-school opportunity. If you are in school that day and making good choices, you have to come to STEM career day. It was brought to them. We didn't have to go on a field trip. We didn't have to think about the funding. I planned everything out for them. They literally just had to show up with their classroom teacher. And so when you're thinking about all of those details, that's all inside the workshop for you.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:05]:

So it's all laid out. Not too bad. There is careful planning, but such a cool way for them to learn from people who are doing amazing things every single day. These people that you are bringing in are doing cool things, and they are immersed in this STEM space And they're using those up to date things where I probably don't know about all of them. For example, there was a parent who did a lot of coding in their job. And they were showing the kids how they use Computer coding, so that was actually pretty cool too to see some of the lines of code that he writes, so saying that advanced level of coding. But he was actually showing them how he uses the AI tool, chat g p t, to actually check his code, Make sure there are no bugs in it, and then it will actually give him suggestions on how to make the code better. This is also when chat g p t was, like, a really big buzzword.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:08]:

It Still is, but people are getting more accustomed to it and its capabilities. So not only did kids get to see real life code for a project, and the dad explained what it was and what it's used for and, like, kinda what he does in his job, but then also talked about A real life AI tool and show them how he uses it to check the code. I could not have done that. I never would have thought of doing that. I wouldn't have known how to talk about it. Now I can share about it because I watched it at STEM career day. But even something like That is something I could not give the kids as a teacher. And so it was just so cool where there were moments like this constantly throughout the day where something you never know is gonna stick with a kid, and they might want to explore that more.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:58]:

So It's just so cool that they can actually learn from these people and hear their passion in what they do And it really rubs off of them and helps those kids say, I never knew that was possible. Kids definitely need to see people like them doing amazing things. If we want our kids to get involved in STEM, we need to be providing diverse opportunities for diverse people so they can dream big. We can't wait until middle school or high school to provide opportunities like this. It could be too late. We never know. Better late than never, But why not start it in elementary? If you're thinking, we've never done an event like this, my school hadn't either, But I made it possible where, oh, this is something that we can do in the elementary space. I'm not gonna wait for somebody else to host it for us.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:59]:

I'm not gonna wait for my principal to give me the idea. You need to get it started. Be bold, Get an event like this up and running on the ground, and you'll be so thankful that you did and wish you did it before like I did because I wish that I had done this every single year because it was such a powerful, powerful day. As a recap, here are those Three major things that your students are missing out on by not hosting a STEM career day event. 1st is the opportunity to learn to dream big. Next is connecting the real world to STEM. And finally, students are missing out on that opportunity to learn from multiple perspectives. If you are nervous about all of those details skills, where do you even get started, and how do you fit this all in? I save you so much time inside of my STEM career day workshop, where you get all the planning templates, all of the emails that I wrote, all of the posters, and all the video examples where you don't have to think about this from scratch, you can edit and make this work from your school so that You will have a successful day for your students and an event that they will always remember.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:19]:

You can grab that link in the show notes or jump on in at naomimeredith.com/STEMcareerdayworkshop.

 

STEM career day event

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is an online K-5 STEM Coach in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning 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!

3 Must-Haves When Hosting a STEM Career Day in Elementary Schools [ep. 143]

3 Must-Haves When Hosting a STEM Career Day in Elementary Schools [ep.143]

career day in elementary schools

Check out the full episode on 3 Must-Haves When Hosting a STEM Career Day in Elementary Schools:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Episode Summary

Have you been thinking about a STEM career day for your students? Although It's a fun and exciting event, it can be a lot of work. In today's episode, I'm sharing the top 3 things every STEM teacher should know when hosting a STEM career day in elementary schools.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • 3 things to be considered when hosting a STEM career day in elementary schools
  • My experience with hosting a STEM career day with 500 K-5 students and 15 guest speakers
  • The importance of having guest speakers for a STEM career day in elementary schools

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

Ready to set up a STEM career day for your elementary students? Setting up an event like this is so exciting, but it can be quite a bit of work to make sure that the day goes along smoothly. But I will be sharing with you 3 main things that you should consider when hosting a STEM career day that is super successful at your school. Take it from me, when I was a K-5 STEM teacher, I hosted a successful STEM career day for my K-5 elementary students for over 500 students in 15 presenters, and it went along beautifully. How did the STEM career day do so well? Let's jump into the episode. 


Naomi Meredith [00:01:19]:

I know how important it is to bring guest speakers into your elementary space. Guest speakers are able to provide something that you, as a teacher, can't always give them, and this isn't a bad thing. Saying this is just the reality of it. These guest speakers are able to bring in multiple perspectives for your students, share that industry experience that they have, and even talk about things that they are super passionate about, which in turn might be things that your students are passionate about too or things that they never knew that they would be passionate about and want to learn more. It is so important for kids to see other people like them who are doing amazing and great things for our world, especially in the STEM space. I remember my 1st career day experience that I got to attend as a student. I was in middle school, and we rotated throughout the school to learn from different people and all of their super cool jobs.


Naomi Meredith [00:02:38]:

At this point in middle school, I was in 8th grade, so almost in high school, I already knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I knew I wanted to be a teacher, and truly, I have wanted to be a teacher ever since kindergarten. So the STEM career day was super cool and really awesome to learn about these different jobs, but I already knew what I wanted to be when I grew up anyway, so it didn't change my mind. Now, I might be an anomaly. You probably have students like this already, but having a STEM career day in the elementary space isn't too young. We often hear about these events in middle school, high school, and even college. We can do this in elementary school. A lot of times at those kindergarten graduations, we even ask them, what do you wanna be when you grow up? Well, let's give them different options to think about. There are so many jobs that even I, as an adult, have never heard of, and most likely, your students haven't either, so let's bring them that experience with a STEM career day.


Naomi Meredith [00:03:43]:

Now I know it's a lot of work getting this set up, and we're gonna talk about those top 3 tips. And when I did this for my school. I kept you in mind the entire time. Yes. I kept the event in mind, but I kept you in mind while I was planning this, and I saved every single template and every schedule and every video that I used to prep this day because I knew there were other teachers like you who would wanna do an event like this, but maybe all of that planning and prep work behind the scenes, is actually holding you back. Now think about this, if you're listening to this episode live when it comes out or whenever you're listening to it. Do you think it's actually crazy that if you were given all of the things to help you be successful, the templates, the way to schedule, how to set up your guest speakers? If you had all of that for you now, would it be so crazy to say, oh, I could actually get this set up to have an event in the next month or 2? I don't think that's crazy at all.


Naomi Meredith [00:04:54]:

And if you don't think that's crazy at all, I have it all ready for you in my newest workshop, my STEM career day workshop, where everything is laid out, and I walk you through the whole process from behind the scenes, from start to finish, and after where this event will be a piece of cake and a breeze. To get all of that info, it'll be linked in the show notes, but you can also get started with this workshop if you head on over to naomimeredith.com/stremcareerdayworkshop. It will be this audio workshop format for you where I will walk you through everything you need to know and help you for success. I did a poll over on my Instagram at Naomi Meredith underscore, and 83% of you said that you have never done a STEM career day before. So let's change that perspective. When I ask again in a year, have you ever done a STEM career day? Let's have that percentage, that 83%, be a yes instead of a no, and I am here to help you out along the way. The first thing to do when you are setting up your STEM career day is to think about the guests that you are having and have a variety of guests who are going to speak and formats. This kind of evolved on its own. I had an idea in my head of having different throughout this day, and I did provide different options for the parents while I was emailing and getting interest for this event.


Naomi Meredith [00:06:27]:

I was giving ideas to the parents right off the bat in my emails. You could do something hands-on. It can be a presentation or anything else you can think of because I did want the day to have a lot of different things where students can experience these careers in their own unique way. Instead of just having a parent stand up there, just talking to the kids, hello, here is my job and what I do. These parents brought in the coolest things and the coolest ideas to make this day come to life. I had 15 parent volunteers, and they were so gracious enough to be with us on the higher school day for K-5. They did so many different cool things with our students. And what was really awesome too is a lot of them at their jobs, they said that their bosses didn't either make them take the day as a personal day or some of their companies even have volunteer days and really encourage them to go do events like this.


Naomi Meredith [00:07:36]:

So, if you are scared even to get people to come into your building, these parents were more than willing to come in. And I had others who were interested, and they just had things going on that day. And so if you can get at least 10 parents to come in and do an event like this, you're gonna have a really successful day. Here were some of the types of jobs, some of the 15 that I had Khan speak to our students, and it was super, super cool. We had a systems engineer for Lockheed Martin, and they work on a lot of different things that get sent up into space. We had a clinical pharmacist, we had a husband and wife couple who are founders of an Art Academy, so you could even call this a steam day, and they had a really fun presentation. The kids really liked theirs. There was a hacking engineer, so showing the students how things are packaged before they get shipped and how they are packaged in specific ways to really help save room and cut down on cost.


Naomi Meredith [00:08:43]:

We also had a mechanical project designer. And like I said, these are only a few of the amazing people who came in to speak with our students. Some of you might be wondering how much you paid them. How much did this event cost? This day was absolutely free, 100% free. These parents volunteered their time. It happened during the school day, so I wanted my students to be able to experience all of these careers and not be limited by, oh, my mom and dad won't bring me in. No. Everybody, if you were at school that day and making good choices, you got to come to STEM career day, which was absolutely amazing.


Naomi Meredith [00:09:27]:

I did host in the morning as parents were coming in. We had some leeway leeway time. I did host some coffee and donuts for the parents. My PTO actually did not have fun with that. I personally paid for the coffee and donuts for the parents for their time had that little station available. It was the least that I could do for their time. But otherwise, the event was absolutely free, which is so important and so amazing that all the students got to experience this day. When it came to the actual presentations, there were a variety of things that were presented.


Naomi Meredith [00:10:05]:

Some parents had presentations up on the screen where they had pictures of them working in their jobs, and some had presentations even provided by their companies where, again, they encouraged them to do some community outreach and have those resources already available for them. One of the parents, who is a financial planner, had a whole comic book and video that went along with what they were talking about provided by their company, which was so amazing. There were also some hands-on stations where kids actually got to feel and touch things or look at things up close. 1 parent had actual computers that were taken apart, and students loved seeing the inside of electronics. They absolutely love that. 1 parent had a connection with their old company where they had a real working Enigma machine from World World War 2, which is a cipher that decoded messages from different places and things in World War 2, and the kids actually were allowed to touch it. So that machine was definitely built to last. It was absolutely amazing that they were touching history.


Naomi Meredith [00:11:20]:

There was also a station where a parent at their company had an intern who designed and illustrated a children's book to share more about that career and what they do in that career, and then the parent had the book and read it to the students, which was so cool. So like I said, I gave some options for parents of what they could present, but they really took off with it and had a lot of fun with this. And the kids absolutely loved the variety of different things that they got to experience in each of these stations. The second thing to do when setting up a successful STEM career day is to have a set schedule. Events like this definitely need to have clear cut times and locations of where everything is happening. If you don't plan this beforehand, that can be an absolute disaster. And so I worked with our PE teacher, who had an indoor field day schedule. And if you don't do indoor field day, ours was a backup day where the Colorado weather is very up and down, and we always needed a backup option to do field day inside.


Naomi Meredith [00:12:38]:

She had already created a schedule that worked with the lunch schedules we already had, and so I worked with her when it came to the scheduling piece because it was already done and how students would rotate in the building. So I had that set time schedule of where every class would be at which time and at which station, and then we also had a map of the locations of where they would visit each speaker. The sessions were only 10 minutes long, and it was interesting hearing from the speakers because they were the same people all day. In the morning, they had the older students, 3rd through 5th grade, and in the afternoon, they had kindergarten through 2nd grade. They all said the same thing where they felt like the 10 minutes was too short for the older students and they felt the 10 minutes in the afternoon was too long. And that is the transition time built within that 10 minutes, so I thought that was really interesting. So when you're planning this event, maybe consider that point of it where, if you want to, the students have a smaller amount of time. I kept it the same because the way the rotations worked, the teachers still had their planned time during this event, and the kids actually didn't have specials that day.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:00]:

And the kids and the teachers were like, oh, I'm so sad about it. Why aren't we having specials? I want to experience everything. Well, you don't have to go to your planned time, you get to experience most of the stations, but you actually get more time away from teaching than you do with actual specials anyway. And the same for the kids, you're getting more time doing something fun than you do in special. So it's one day out of the year. I don't think it's a big deal. I was a classroom teacher, but you might have some teachers like that, so just keep that in mind. For the fun stuff, you know, I like to add a little bit of flare.


Naomi Meredith [00:14:44]:

I also made signs with each of the parents' pictures on them and their job descriptions, and those were hanging in the locations where they would be. This was really helpful when students were traveling to the different classrooms and also for the parents to know where other people were and all of that. So that was actually a really nice touch, and the parents could keep their poster as a souvenir if they wanted to. Along with printing all of the schedules and the maps for the teachers, I also made class sets of a thank you card template that I created for them. We had 3rd through 5th grade go in the morning and k through 2 in the afternoon, as I said. So, for half of the day, the other grade levels were not participating in some career days in terms of the stations. This was a great opportunity for them to write a thank you note about their day if they wanted to do this during that time. I also collected all of those thank you notes back, and then me and the substitute I had covering my station for the day.


Naomi Meredith [00:15:53]:

I had a sub cover my stations, so I could be running around and help troubleshoot or anything like that. But we sorted all of the thank you notes based on the presenters if there were specific ones. Then, we just sorted the ones that were more generic out evenly. And so by the end of the week, the parents were given a stack of thank you notes to thank them for their time. I did read every single one, and I actually took pictures of the ones that were really amazing and powerful. They really made me tear up because I knew that this day was going to be really successful and really powerful for the students, but hearing their perspective talk about STEM career day was so powerful to me. Here are a few of the thank you notes that they said, and they were so cute. 1 student said, thank you for helping us learn, and this is to the presenters, not to me.


Naomi Meredith [00:16:53]:

But they said thank you for helping us learn. I can't wait to tell my family all about it. Another student said, thank you for sharing such cool stuff with us. This is one of the most fun events we ever had at school, which I'm all, oh, compared to field day, I'll take that. And then this one was really, really sweet, and they had a picture of a rocket in the bottom. Really, really good handwriting. And they said to one of the parents, thank you so much for taking time off work to come teach us about your job and how it uses STEM. I learned a lot about rockets and all their parts.


Naomi Meredith [00:17:31]:

I really liked how you let us touch some of the parts of the rocket and showed us a timeline video of the rocket being made. Thank you for teaching me and my class here. I think when I'm older, I want to be a systems engineer like you. How amazing is that? And knowing this student, I never actually would have guessed that might be something that they would be really passionate about, so that was really, really cool. The last thing that you definitely wanna do when setting up a successful Strum career day for your school is build hype and promote it. You are setting up an event, and just like any event, you want to build up that hype. I did this for my own wedding. You do this for events. I am that kind of person.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:23]:

If I am passionate about something and there is a project that I'm working on, first of all, I won't start a project unless I am passionate about it. You betcha. I'm gonna build hype about it because I want everybody to have an amazing experience and really be into what we are doing. And you wanna do this for STEM career day. It's not just 1 little email. Hey, guys. We're gonna do STEM career day on April 5th. I hope you have a good time. No. You are building this up.


Naomi Meredith [00:18:54]:

If you're not hyped up about it, nobody else is gonna be hyped up about it. When at first glance, it actually might sound boring. Hey, you're gonna hear parents talk about their jobs. No, you need to make this a whole thing. You wanna build that hype. And I did save everything I did for this, and so inside of that workshop, you get all the templates and all the things to help you hype up your day, so you don't have to think about all the words. I was putting a bug in people's ears, like talking to some of the teachers. What do you think about this idea? They're like, oh my gosh, that's amazing. I'm thinking about doing a STEM career day. What do you think about that? So, putting a bug in the air like months before this was actually gonna happen.


Naomi Meredith [00:19:41]:

Talking to our admin. Hey. I wanna put on this event. I will plan the whole event. It'll be during the day. It'll be educational. It'll be amazing. And just getting those dates confirmed, putting it in parent newsletters and classroom newsletters, and getting interest.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:00]:

Once I had that interest from parents, then I could collect more information. Here's how you can present that day. So, really building that hype. Also, as a teacher, I always talked about this with kids. And once I kinda knew the people who would be presenting and it was connecting what we were learning, I was like, oh my gosh, you guys. We have somebody, somebody's parent, who's actually going to talk about their job that relates to this project that we are doing. Isn't that amazing? And they're like, oh my gosh, that's so good. So you definitely wanna hype this up.


Naomi Meredith [00:20:35]:

Another huge thing, too, when it comes to events and hyping up is I promoted this all the time on our school-wide video news. And if you're interested in how to do this, I have a workshop about this, too, which we will link in the show notes. So, if you wanna know how to do a school-wide news team, I will show you every single thing in there. All the templates are in there as well. As I said, I kept you guys in mind when I set all of these events up. But anyway, I made videos for the news. I would say, hey, guys, here is the session that I am presenting on. I did have a backup session just in case anything were to happen, but I put that on the news.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:15]:

I even had parents who were presenting. They made videos that went on the news, and the kids went insane when they saw their parents on their screen in their classroom talking about their jobs. How cool is that? So, really building up this hype, sending those email reminders, having all the materials prepared for teachers. So it's like you get you don't have to teach for 2 hours this day. A little side note, I actually plan mine. It worked out perfectly. We had our STEM career day on Pi Day, so 3.14, pi, the mathematical pi, you know. We had it on that day.


Naomi Meredith [00:21:53]:

It's also Star Wars Day, so that was pretty cool. And the next day was a teacher workday, and that was just such a lovely treat for the teachers. So, even the timing of STEM career day was hype in itself. So, really building this up to be an amazing event and why this is so important will even help it go a lot quicker because the kids know, oh, Miss Meredith is so excited about this. We should be excited about this too, and we should really behave and do a good job because this is a very special event. So, really build up that hype. It does make a difference. It really, really does.


Naomi Meredith [00:22:33]:

Get pumped, and everyone will get pumped about it and support you on this amazing day. As a recap, here are those 3 main things that you should keep in mind when setting up a successful STEM career day for your elementary students. First, have a variety of guests and formats. 2nd, have a set schedule. And 3rd, don't forget about this part, build hype about your event and promote it. If you are so pumped up, just like I am, to get started and set up a STEM career day in no time at all and not have to think about all the details and how all of this works and how did it all go, how do you collect this information. I have every single template and everything laid out for you where I will walk you through this step by step in this workshop this is an audio workshop, so it is really special and different from other workshops I've done in the past where each little thing will be broken up into a segment that you can listen on the go, where you will have all of those digital templates and all the things need to get set up, but you will hear me and listen to me while you are on the go, and I will talk you through the whole process. You don't need to join me live.


Naomi Meredith [00:23:50]:

I know you are busy, and you all have different schedules of when you would set this up, so I kept this in mind where this is ready to go for you to get into this special day and set it up for your students and feel confident that it is going to work. You can grab all of that information in the show notes or check it out at naomimeredith.com/STEMcareerdayworkshop.

career day in elementary schools

 

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!

classroom guest speaker ideas

3 Classroom Guest Speaker Ideas for STEM [ep.59]

3 Classroom Guest Speaker Ideas for STEM [ep.59]

classroom guest speaker ideas

Check out the full episode on 3 Classroom Guest Speaker Ideas for STEM:  

 

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Episode Summary

It's important to have guest experts speak with your students in the STEM space. While the experiences that they are having in your classroom are powerful, you can bring another dimension to their learning by hosting guest experts. In addition, students should be exposed to role models who are different from them so that they respect the ideas, abilities, and potential of others. I'm sharing three classroom guest speaker ideas for STEM in today's episode.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Three classroom guest speaker ideas
  • Tips for setting up and implementing these guest speaker ideas
  • Tips for involving parents and other community members

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith  00:00

It's important to have guest experts speak with your students in the STEM space. While the experiences that they are having in your classroom are super powerful, you can bring a whole other dimension to their learning by hosting guest experts. In fact, there are studies on this. According to an article written by Invent.org, children should be exposed to role models who look, sound, or learn like them to help them gain confidence in their own ideas, abilities, and potential. They should also be exposed to role models who are different from them so that they respect the ideas, abilities, and potential of others. In today's episode, I share three classroom guest speaker ideas for STEM.


Naomi Meredith  01:16

A couple of quick things before we get started. If you are loving this podcast, make sure to go ahead and write a review. I definitely want to share these on the show and hear how this podcast has been making an impact on you. This helps other teachers know if this podcast will be a good fit for them and help them along their STEM journey. In fact, here is a recent five-star review by Kay Kinner teach, always fun I need for my STEM lab. Naomi's podcasts are exactly what I need for helpful tips and tricks in the STEM lab. Every episode is full of great advice for a new STEM teacher. She continues to inspire me to try new things. Thanks so much for your review. Kay Kinner teach. Also if you've missed out on the K through two STEM virtual workshop, don't you worry, the whole experience was recorded. When you sign up, you get access right away to that recording and all the resources that we used during that time together. This will be linked in the show notes for you so you can definitely enhance your instruction for the little ones. Also, coming up in March, I will be starting a monthly virtual book club as a way for you to connect with STEM teachers monthly. Make sure to get on the waitlist at Naomimeredith.com/bookclubwaitlist, so you know when it is going to be launched, and it will be just in time for spring break and summer. So even if you don't read the book, you have access to all the materials each month. You can still join in when we do our live zoom sessions to connect with other teachers and talk about STEM topics. Of course, we'll talk about the book a little bit. But we'll also talk about things that are related. So it's okay if you don't read the story. So I'd love for you to jump on then when that is live. 


Naomi Meredith  03:13

To help you through the process of connecting with a guest expert. I have collaborated with the EdTech company Sam Labs, and we created a checklist to help you through that process. So that way, you don't have to miss out on any of the important details when you are connecting with a guest expert that would be perfect for your STEM lessons. It definitely simplifies the process. These are the exact steps that I use when I set up a guest expert in my classroom, and I want to help you out with that process, so you're not overwhelmed. So make sure to check out the link in the show notes where you can grab that, and there are also some fun goodies when you click on that link that you definitely don't want to miss out on as well. With that in mind, here are three classroom guest speaker ideas for your STEM classroom. It really does break down the walls and barriers of having these experts in your STEM space. It really doesn't have to be boring. So the kids don't just have to sit and get the information, you can definitely make it interactive and really fun and tie it into your experiences. I will be going into more detail about some of this in the next episode. So just make sure you go and listen to that. In the next episode, I chat with someone I know who had a really cool guest expert experience. So hopefully I can get them on the show, and they can chat with you about that. 


Naomi Meredith  04:37

The first classroom guest speaker idea for STEM is to connect it to your class projects. This can be done in a few ways, and you can definitely use this for long-term projects or short-term projects. So maybe you are working on a project that lasts a whole week. Maybe you are working on something that lasts for the whole year, or you're building up to something for the whole year, a guess expert is a great experience for this. I know in a past episode, I was talking to the co-creator of Rock by Rock that we talked about guest experts quite often and how they use that in their curriculum. So make sure to go back and check out that episode because it was a really powerful episode. And just some cool guest expert ideas that you can use in your lessons. When you have these guests experts, and they're connecting to your lessons, you could have them come at the beginning of a lesson to help students build background about the topic. So we talked about in the Imagine Stage when we're doing the Engineering Design Process, or a similar type of process, where you want students to build background about the information. So it will inform their decisions when they are planning and creating their design. It's not just some random, let's build whatever thing, but their design is purposeful. So having an expert talk about their experiences and having a related project they might have done and what has worked well, what hasn't, and maybe some research they are currently working on that will relate to the project. These will be some cool ways to really engage students and ask questions of somebody who is currently in a similar type of role. Another way you could use an expert, it could even be the same expert, is to have them come in during the experience when students are building. So students might have researched and built background a different way informed with their decisions. Then you can have this expert come in during that time, which is a really great way for students to engage with that person. They might even have a different perspective than you as a teacher because they are working in a field that is similar to this. So that might even help bring a really cool perspective on how students can improve their designs, and it might even just improve the overall project. Finally, another way that you could use the same expert or a different one is to have them come in at the end of your experience and give students feedback on their designs. So this is a great way where students can share their work with a real life audience. That expert can share, “Wow, this would work really well. Or I like how you thought of this design in this way. And here are some ways that you could definitely improve your design.” And here's why based on my experience, this would be really powerful for kids to hear this type of feedback. So they're not always hearing it from their peers or always hearing it from you as a teacher, but someone who really legit understands what is going on. That would be just a really neat experience for students to have in your classroom. 


Naomi Meredith  04:37

Another classroom guest speaker idea for STEM that you can try is to have a STEM career day. This is something that I am in the background working on and hoping to host at my school in the spring. It really came up very organically and randomly. I had a parent who volunteered at our school who subs for us who's super great. And she came in, and we were chatting for a little bit. She told me that in her past career, she was actually a packaging engineer. So they thought through the process of how things can be packaged in really purposeful and systematic ways. She asked if she could come in and chat with the kids about her career. I told her oh my gosh, I would love to have you, logistically, it might be a little tricky, because I want all the kids to hear from you. We were talking a little bit more, and we came up with the idea of how cool it would be to have a STEM career day where it would be an in-house field trip experience for all the kids in the school. Now last year, we actually had to have a last-minute inside recess day. The PE teacher actually set up a really good rotation schedule, where all the kids still got to participate in Field Day, but it was inside the building. So I asked the PE teacher for that schedule because she already set it up. She has rooms that are assigned where kids would rotate through. So I thought that this would be really helpful when I get to planning the STEM Career Day. Logistically, that way all the kids can experience this and hear from a ton of different experts in STEM in one day. The reason why I'm also wanting to do this in the spring as we know the spring can get pretty crazy, and it can also be a little tricky. As a STEM teacher, you don't always get to go on field trips. So you can bring the field trip to your school, and a really awesome way to have community partners and parents be involved in this experience. Also, if you are doing this during the day, this can guarantee that more kids can attend. It'll probably be free. You don't have to worry about buses. You don't have to spend any time let's say in the nighttime setting this up, and people are coming back to school because that might not always be a possibility for all of the kids to attend. So that's why doing this during the day would be really awesome. When planning this, kids can rotate through 10 or so different careers in different rooms, where the presenters can share a little bit about their jobs and how it relates to STEM and even have a quick engaging activity that they can do with the students. So again, another cool way where kids can learn from their parents and each other's parents, see role models that are relevant and current in STEM fields and help students even maybe dream of jobs that they never thought that they would have before. So stay tuned for future episodes, I'm definitely going to work this out and figure this out for my school. I think it'll be so much fun. I will figure out the process and figure out the kinks for you. Then we will chat about it in a future episode. 


Naomi Meredith  10:54

The last way of having a classroom guest speaker for your STEM space is to host a school-wide virtual assembly. Again, this is another great opportunity where you can have all classes involved. I hosted a school-wide virtual assembly for my school this past winter. I'm definitely going to set another one up. Virtual was awesome. You could definitely do it in person. But we did virtual for a couple of reasons. The person I had talk at our school lived a few hours away, and logistically the weather was bad. So we just planned it as a virtual event. Also, behavior management was way under control. I don't know about you, but my students haven't been to a lot of assemblies since COVID. We've had a few here and there, and they were absolutely chaotic. There are a lot of parts of them that have been a waste of time. So when you do something virtual, you can jump right in. The way that we did this is I was in my classroom, I didn't have any students. But I was handling all of the technology. So I was watching the chat. I was texting teachers who were having trouble getting into the Zoom. I had the presentation of the presenter pulled up just in case it wasn't going to work, and then I could jump in and do that. Or I could fill in if there was a weird technical issue. So I was all on the technical side of this and had this all set up for my school. Then the students were in their homeroom classroom, and they were watching this event live in their classroom. So again, this really helped with the behavior management of their students who needed a little bit of a movement break. They could do that. The first grade and Kindergarten, I believe they watched the whole time. But if they needed to drop off at the end, when we got to the question and answer session, they totally could do that. There were even a few classes that were combined during this time. So if there was a sub for the day, they could combine classes, or I think just some classes combined anyway, to make this experience. We also have two different assembly schedules at my school. So if this isn't something your school has just logistically, it's nice to set up. So I didn't really have to manage all the times per se, we already have this type of schedule set up. So I just let people know, hey, this is coming up, I was promoting it. And we're going to have an afternoon assembly schedule. And here's where you're gonna check-in. I'm going to talk more in detail about this experience. And then the next episode. And this was really, really awesome for my school. It was with a US Space Force captain. So a very new field in our world. And he's actually a computer engineer. So that was really awesome for the kids to hear from him. Now, if you're having a hard time finding people, then you can definitely think of other opportunities that are out there that are hosting live webinars. In a past episode, you actually heard the audio from a live webinar that I was able to participate in. I got to be the host of this live webinar and interview an engineer at NASA who worked with the space rovers Spirit and Opportunity. That was actually her lifelong dream in middle school. She's also still working at NASA working with the current space rovers. This was an awesome opportunity. It was live. But it also is pre-recorded. So all that information will be linked in the show notes if you want to show this to your students. And I believe that this platform has other past webinars that you could check out. So this would be another cool way that you could bring this experience to your school. You could set it up as a virtual assembly, maybe even record the one that you're doing so you could use it for future years or a last-minute sub-plan. So it was a really awesome thing that I got to do with my classes. Very low behavior management, the teachers and students really liked it. At the time we were actually learning about Earth and space. So this was actually a good connection with my K through five classes. It wasn't completely random. It was something that we were currently learning, and so it really tied it all together at this virtual assembly. Also, bonus points on this, if you do this a week before a break, like spring break, winter break, or a long weekend, your classroom teachers are gonna love you even more. So I highly recommend this and definitely going to do this again for my school. And just again, another cool way for kids to learn from people in the STEM field. 


Naomi Meredith  10:54

As a recap, here are three classroom guest speaker ideas that you can use in your STEM classroom. First, you can have experts come in to build connections to class projects that you're working on. Next, you can host a STEM career day. And third, you can set up a school-wide virtual or in-person assembly. I hope that all these ideas are getting your wheels turning and that you can make these bigger connections and experiences for your students with the projects that you're hosting in your class. Again, I don't want you to feel limited by all the details when it comes to setting this up. It's not as hard as you think. That's why I co-collaborated with Sam Labs. We created that checklist for you to help you get set up with getting an expert in your class, the whole process from start to finish, and really bring these experiences to life. So grab that checklist in the show notes. Also, make sure to listen to the next episode, where I am getting interviewed by Shauna Douglas from Sam Labs. We're going to talk more in detail about how this expert experience was set up at my school and other cool and relevant opportunities that you can do in your classroom. So I will see you there in the next episode.

classroom guest speaker ideas

 

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!