The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

STEM lessons are so much fun to plan, but they can be overwhelming. There are so many cool lesson ideas out there, but how do you organize them all, especially when you teach Kindergarten through fifth grade STEM? How do you even fit it all in? In today's episode, I'm sharing with you my system to organize your STEM lesson ideas and help you choose lessons that will work best for your STEM space....

Fall is in the air, and it is a great time to mix in some themed STEM challenges. These five fall STEM activities to try are perfect for one-day lessons, sub plans, or even class parties, especially since they are low prep challenges. Head to the show notes for a full transcript of this episode, pictures, and all the links: https://naomimeredith.com/episode23 Download my Free K-5 STEM & Teach...

Today’s episode is very special because I have my very first guest here on the Elementary STEM Coach Podcast. In this episode, I talk to Jen Sevy, a K through Five STEM teacher in Colorado. Jen shares with us how she implements engineering design sprints during her students' design challenges in a day. You're going to love her creative ideas for how she taught these quick one-day lessons using the...

Once students have completed a long-term STEM project, it’s important for them to share their work with an authentic audience. How can they share their work besides standing in front of their class and sharing one after the other? In today’s episode, I will be sharing four creative ways students can present a project and have their voices heard. Head to the show notes for a full transcript of this...

As students are building their STEM projects, are you unsure of ways they can improve their designs? The experiment and improve stage of the Engineering Design Process is so important to teach kids that things might not be perfect the first time, and there are always ways to make them better. In this episode, I will be sharing with you strategies that you can use with your students to help them im...

The create stage of the Engineering Design Process is a fun stage and tends to be the kids' favorite stage. Although a fun stage, it is easy for chaos to ensue during this stage. In today’s episode, I will be sharing teaching strategies to help student projects so that you can have control instead of chaos in your classroom. Head to the show notes for a full transcript of this episode, pictures, a...

The planning stage in the Engineering Design Process is an important step. How do we get our students to enjoy the planning stage as much as the create stage? In today’s episode, I will be sharing creative ways to enhance the planning stage so that students enjoy planning designs instead of rushing through this stage. Head to the show notes for a full transcript of this episode, pictures, and all...

What resources should you be using to teach the science part in STEM?\ How do you fit it all in? In today’s episode, I will be sharing good research websites and resources to help teach elementary students the science in STEM. Head to the show notes for a full transcript of this episode, pictures, and all the links: https://naomimeredith.com/episode17 Free Engineering Design Process Poster & P...

Dot Day is an international celebration of inspiration and creativity. This is a fun one-day celebration that you can implement within your STEM space. In today's episode, I will be sharing with you five Dot Day STEM activities that you can implement in your classroom to celebrate this fun day. Head to the show notes for a full transcript of this episode, pictures, and all the links: https://naomi...

Have you tried using the Engineering Design Process in your STEM classroom? Maybe you’re wondering what the Engineering Design Process is and what its stages are. Should you be teaching the Engineering Design Process in elementary STEM? In today’s episode, I will be answering these questions about the stages of the Engineering Design Process so you can get started implementing it into your STEM le...

When you first become a STEM teacher, you most likely weren’t given any curriculum. This was my experience when I left the regular classroom and jumped into teaching K through Five STEM. Through trial and error, I have written a year’s worth of K through Five STEM lessons connected to the STEM standards. In today’s episode, I share the behind-the-scenes of my method for creating STEM curriculum sc...

Back to school night for STEM teachers and classroom teachers can look very different. Back to school night expectations for STEM teachers is different for each school. As a STEM teacher, what should you set up for back to school night? In today’s episode, I will be sharing 5 back to school night ideas that STEM teachers can incorporate into their classrooms. Head to the show notes for a full tran...

Are you a STEM teacher that teaches 5 different classes a day? Do you feel overwhelmed with figuring out how to structure your time throughout the day? Teaching 5 different STEM classes a day is the equivalent of teaching the entire school. In today’s episode, I share different ways to structure your STEM lessons when you teach different classes daily. Using these strategies to restructure your ST...

Are you a former classroom teacher who has made the switch to a STEM teacher? Maybe you are thinking about switching to STEM, but you are unsure if you are qualified to teach STEM? Making a major change in the teaching world can be scary, especially when switching from general education to STEM teaching. In today's episode, I will be sharing with you why classroom teachers make great STEM teachers...

Although most of our students are comfortable with technology, we still need to teach them rules and routines when it comes to using technology in the classroom. What are the main technology rules and skills we should teach our elementary students? In today’s episode, I will be sharing the top seven tech skills to teach your students, whether it is back to school, coming back from a long break, or...

Being a STEM teacher is so much fun, but going from teaching in a general education classroom to a STEM classroom usually means time goes by faster. Your transitions between classes might only be a few minutes long or nonexistent. While you can't change the time you are given, you can effectively change how you use your time throughout the workday. In this episode, I share strategies on how to man...

As STEM teachers, we teach multiple classes daily, meaning we see, on average, 100 plus kids. In addition to incorporating STEM activities daily, we must also have behavior management strategies. What are some of the best behavior management strategies for a STEM teacher? In today's episode, I'll be sharing my top three STEM teacher behavior management strategies. Whether you are a STEM teacher, c...

No matter how long you have been teaching, preparing for back to school is a lot of work. From setting up your classroom and figuring out systems and routines to attending back to school meetings and lesson planning for the first few weeks, it can feel overwhelming even for the seasoned teacher. With so much on your plate, what types of activities should you plan that will be meaningful to your st...

Setting up and organizing a classroom Makerspace is half the battle. The second half is managing the supplies and ensuring students can be independent when using them in their work. Now that you’ve set up your Makerspace, how do you manage it? In this episode, I will be sharing with you my Makerspace management hacks that have been a game changer in my Kindergarten through 5th STEM classroom. Head...

Having a classroom Makerspace is a wonderful opportunity to help students think of the world in new ways and design creative solutions with simple materials. How do you get started creating one? In this episode, I’ll be sharing with you my top tips when setting up your Makerspace. Whether you are a STEM teacher, classroom teacher, or library specialist; this episode will make this process more man...

Are you looking for a fun way to start off your STEM school year that will build community, promote creativity and utilize resources from the outdoors? Welcome to STEM Survival Camp! This unique experience will hook your students immediately to start off your school year. You’ll learn about STEM Survival’s camp origin story, behind the scenes set up and the unique challenges that each grade level...

Are you in charge of setting up the STEM space in your school? Have you been gifted a classroom with a collection of supplies but not sure what to keep, what to toss and what to buy? And let’s mention budget; what should you be buying within different budgets and balancing that between consumable and non-consumable items? Let’s break down what you actually need for your STEM classroom and create a...

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

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

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 activities so you throw something together and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? Your mindless scrolling days and frantically searching for ideas are over!...