Classroom

This fourth-grade teacher is finding creative ways to get her students back into the flow of classroom learning with the help of STEAM education resources ...

My district does not have an adopted or prescribed curriculum for teachers to follow, so we have a lot of freedom for when and how to make the time for STEAM. Our favorites always seem to be Make a Paper Mars Helicopter and Art and the Cosmic Connection. I use a lot of manipulatives in my math lessons and try to make their learning as hands-on as possible. There is a lot of pressure on teachers right now to make up for all the learning loss and for students being behind on grade-level standards. I think a lot of time that happens because teachers feel like they do not have enough background knowledge to teach high-quality science lessons or they think that the lessons will add to the already enormous workload teachers have. I want to help my students be the very best versions of themselves and being happy and comfortable with themselves is a huge part of that. Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to teach science for two elementary schools’ summer programs. It was very hard to balance meeting the individual needs of each student and getting them used to the structure and expectations of the classroom. I am still a teacher (even after the craziest two years ever) because every kid deserves someone to fight for them, and I know I can be that person for at least 32 kids a year. Bring the wonder of space to your students. Now, she's back in the classroom but facing new challenges getting students up to speed academically while reacquainting them with the social aspects of in-person learning. She began her student-teaching in person only to find that she would have to switch to teaching remotely just four months into the job.