How To Become A STEM Teacher

by Jason Krueger | Sep 15, 2014 | STEM Education Info

Become a STEM teacher with our STEM education tips.

Becoming a STEM teacher is not an easy process. It take dedication, research, and actually wanting to help your students grow through STEM education. The goal here is to evolve with your students. Students change the way they think, engage, and react almost every year. Just when you think you have nailed down their learning characteristics… THINK AGAIN! These cookies are smarter than you may think. Stay up to date and try to convince your students you understand the lastest trends. The following project layout will put you on the right path to becoming a STEM teacher:

WARNING: Now don’t think that this is the only blog you need to read to be a “Golden Apple Teacher”. Take what you learn here and continue to build your STEM teaching skills.

Becoming a STEM Teacher: Creativity, Critical thinking, Collaboration and Communication

Propose A Problem

Students enjoy working to solve a real life issue. Discuss current issues in the environment, in education, or another subject. Propose a problem and try to stay away from giving an answer.

Listen To Your Students

Your students will come up with ideas that you may not have even thought of, which could help you build the project on this problem. These ideas could be as small as a student calling a glass a vase.

Inform Them

Plant information into your students’ head to help their creative gears get going. Make them more knowledgeable on the areas the project will cover and the tools they will be using without giving opinions.

Present The Project -Set high expectations -Transfer responsibility to the students

Be very clear on the goals you are trying to reach, but semi vague on how to get to those goals. This will let students design their own plan. The amount of instructions given should vary on the matureness of the students.

Guide Them

Monitor your students. Watch to make sure they are not heading down the path or too off track. Answer their questions while still placing the responsibility in their hands.

Discussion

Recap the problem. State again the goals/tools that were given to complete the project. Next, discuss the failures and successes your students experienced. Ask if the projects had any holes in the instructions or how it could have been improved. Sometimes a round table works best.

If you have more question on project based learning or would like to nominate your Golden Apple Teacher, let us know. Implement one of StratoStar’s weather balloon projects at your school!