How do we fit everything in during November and December? Staying on track with instruction Holiday activities Benchmark testing STEAM? Use this episode to guide your classroom through the holidays and find time for STEAM! The Classroom Elf Investigation kills two birds with one stone: behavior and STEAM! Keep a No Wheels Field Trip on hand for those random timeframes! Enjoy a holiday project like German Christmas Markets! Use these holiday gift guides for your classroom! STEM Gift Guide Classroom Christmas List Remember there is no way to get it all done! The best time in the classroom ..read more

Project-based learning, the beginning driving question, classroom essential questions, enduring understandings.. This list can be overwhelming! Today we break it down and make it right! If you do something in the classroom just for a leader and not the students, it won't matter much. You have to KNOW why you do something with students and know they need it. Let's get the whole question dilemma sorted out! Check out some great driving questions from our friends at Rock by Rock! In this episode, we talk about improving student connections to questions through inquiry practice. My favorite str ..read more

Real world projects for the classroom can be so overwhelming. Is it time to bring the ultimate hack for real world projects in the classroom? Yes! On today's episode, meet Jeff Lynch and Sungae Yang. Real teachers   have finally designed a real world project platform that only requires one click! It's an all in one everything platform that incorporates science, ela, math, social-emotional learning, and... you name it, it has it for your elementary students! Introducing Rock by Rock. The only way to really grasp the magnitude of Rock by Rock is to visit this platform and see for yourself ..read more

Teach this word to your students this year without fail! Join me today and find out the most important word to teach, a plan for teaching it, and resources for your classroom! This isn't just a STEM word! It will help with every challenge in your classroom! I am bringing my favorite guest for teaching this word.. the one and only YODA! My favorite quotes from Yoda can be found here!   Yoda Classroom Resources: Yoda Quote Wall Decor Yoda Baby Yoda Pop-It Pad Yoda Stickers for Rewards When it comes to really taking a deep dive into the challenges of STEM and STEAM, I love using All Abou ..read more

Grab something to write with and something to write on! We are going to get interactive! In this episode, I will share my favorite back to school project: Invention Smash Up. I love this project because it really brings out ideation with students and allows for teaching the design process. I take my students on a journey through thought. It blows their mind when I show them how to create thoughts and ideas with forced connections. I may or may not say that I have control of their mind. I use my favorite process poster to move students through the Engineering Design Process and consistently us ..read more

Time to hear the truth about STEM. It's so hard to hear truth. As long as something isn't said out in the open, then it's not true. We have to face it. Things will never change if we don't. Come listen and hear 2 hard truths. One is actually personal! This one stung to talk about. Then, let's help you face a truth about STEM/STEAM you have to hear. Let's start the upcoming school year off right by facing the truth and being prepared! Join me for the Roadmap to STEAM Masterclass here. 3 time slots available next week! Grab the essential Introduction to STEAM Foundations for your classroom! Ma ..read more

Looking at the skies just got the kind of million dollar makeover we all dream of! Listeners of all types....teachers, parents, and ANYONE on this PLANET, get ready for the kind of space tech at your fingertips we thought was CLASSIFIED!! Meet Mike from Slooh! Michael Paolucci is an internet entrepreneur and a pioneer of online advertising, as well as online video editing, online labor marketplaces, and social astronomy. Michael is currently the founder and CEO of Slooh, a digital education platform teaching students to explore space via a network of online telescopes. He holds a patent for l ..read more

On today's show I have the perfect STEAM superhero for us ALL! We have Mike Schloff from the Maple Woodshop on the show, and he's going to tell us all about woodworking can come into your classroom. Yes, you and your students can build new shelves, birdhouses, a mud kitchen, a solution to your latest problem for project-based learning, or anything you can imagine! Better yet, he is here to build your confidence and make you feel like a woodworking expert for your students! The first thing I did after recording this show was report to my administration that I have found our next AMAZING PD! D ..read more

Dr. Marci Klein is joining the show to share the MOST amazing tiny little STEM tools with us! After working in child development as a pediatrician for over 20 years, she transitioned into the STEM Education world inspired by none other than her own children! Cardboard is literally a pain in my side and the best tool in the shop when it comes to STEM building for K-5, but I bet many of us would agree that it isn't the easiest item to cut or connect. I've tried many neat ideas, but 3duxDesign has blown me away with their connectors and teacher resources! Yep, teacher resources.... Did I mentio ..read more

In every episode of the I Heart STEAM Teacher Podcast, I make it a point to provide useful and completely positive information. My heart has been heavy for a few years with the directions public education is moving into, but this year takes the cake. So today.... I am discussing quite a few topics that WE should ALL stop for just a moment and think about a little bit. So.. DEAR EDUCATION, It's time we talked. This isn't a total rant. It's a thoughtful hmmmmmm.... Has common sense and proven researched brain and age appropriate learning styles our teachers need to be using just taken a U-t ..read more