Teamwork

The phrase: teamwork makes the dreamwork... is more factual than some have experienced.  The leader of the STEM team needs to be personable, caring, willing to support others, able to effectively communicate the needs and shortcomings of the STEM program with respect and humility.  STEM teachers are very different than other teachers. They are passionate,  very skill specific,  protective, and fragile. It is important that the leader of these teachers understand how to stretch these teachers while understanding there very different view of the work environment. 

Leadership is not easy. But a leader is needed for every group of people.  Leading this group means having to understand multiple aspects of STEM, the standards that each member has to teach, making the right connections with businesses to bring support to what the teachers will be teaching in order to get needed workforce knowledge from business partners, and finding ways to integrate content or create interdisciplinary units of study.  The task is very involved over time, your work and efforts will be appreciated and understood. 

When overwhelmed make sure you express your needs to your team. Your team most never think or perceive that you are not a resource or there to help. STEM and all the many task that come with it are all important,  but you can only do so much at a time. Share the load. Ask your team to volunteer for task or even work on them jointly. It is the team that makes the work of STEM easier or more impactful when the team assists with the work.

STEM Networking

Networking is extremely important to growing, developing,  and maintaining a viable STEM program. Networking provides you the opportunity to have stakeholders to provide you with additional information of how what your school is doing impacts the workforce or provide additional resources.  These individuals may come and go due to the fact that people change jobs, but try to have multiple contacts within an organization for this reason. Additionally,  you may need a contact that their job is specifically that for another organization.  This individual can assist you with connecting to others in an effect to improve and build your STEM program.  Never close doors, make sure that even if you can't utilize the resources of a stakeholder now that they are still a willing supporter when an opportunity presents itself. This is a good example: My building had a parent that was a plumber.  This parent highly involved in all our STEM activities.  I made sure to keep him informed along with our other Stakeholders.  As our program grew, we decided to move into doing SeaPerch and Aquaponics.  Well, this parent was now able to provide resources to support our efforts. Additionally,  make sure that you leader understands the importance of every stakeholder and how these stakeholders are beneficial to the forward process of your STEM program. Also, for sustainability keep a list of your involved stakeholders for those that come behind you.

STEM for school-wide Themes

Depending on the school and the leadership,  your school my have yearly themes. These themes are helpful because it provides a focus for the entire building for a year. It also helps business partners identify ways that they may support your schools efforts.  These themes should focus on global and community issues that students can relate to; this theme should bring relevance to your STEM activities throughout the year. Dependent upon how your school practices STEM will determine how students interact with the theme. If your school participates in a monthly school-wide Stem experience this would be when the theme would be the focus for all students. If your school only has standards based STEM activities integrated within the classroom; your students may only interact with the theme during specific units. Regardless of how the students interact with the theme, by the end of the year the goal is for all students to be able to articulate their understanding with no assistance from an adult.  This ability to express the theme is the goal of all lessons. 

Learning STEM

Nobody comes into a school building as a teacher or administrator with all the answers in regards to STEM. STEM is  continual learning process.  The Science and Technology components are always evolving or changing with new research or apps. So, how do you develop yourself as a STEM educator? There are books:
STEM Lesson Essentials, Grades 3-8: Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics https://www.amazon.com/dp/0325043582/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rXQOCb6H9E3WY

STEM-Infusing the Elementary Classroom https://www.amazon.com/dp/1483392368/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OZQOCbF06HNCK

There are conferences nationally and locally. And lastly I hope that the State or School district has someone on staff that can assist schools and teachers with growing in developing STEM education.

But there is a chance that you may have to learn about STEM on your own. And even at that there is hope. Facebook has the STEM TRIBE and many others. Yes, use social media to learn about and STEM. It also allows you an opportunity to see what others are doing in STEM and ask questions.

Regardless of your circumstances STEM is attainable.  You may have to take the road least traveled,  but know that you are not alone in your journey. Everyone doesn't have the support or the financial backing to get STEM done the traditional way, but STEM is still happening in schools with these very circumstances.  You just have to figure out your path and how it will get done in your situation.