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.