10 tips to give a STEM class that will leave your students happy

STEM is an abbreviation for the four principal subjects Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is expected that this comprehensive set of subjects can help any student to develop better analytical and problem-solving skills. This also allows them to be proficient in these areas by the time they have finished school.

Unfortunately, most students see these subjects as dull or too technical. In fact, it has been reported that only a few students are interested in STEM subjects. Another report stated that by the time they graduate, they would entirely lose their interest in these subjects. Hence, teachers and educational departments are thinking of ways on how to keep students engaged especially in STEM subjects.

As a teacher, it would be very beneficial for you to have lessons well-planned beforehand. Other than that, you can try these STEM tips for your preparation:

Make a research. Browse over trending teaching techniques that can effectively grab and retain the attention of students.

Try different teaching styles. You ought to make your teaching style different every day. Thus, you might need to create a comprehensive yet diversified lesson plan for the entire week.

Know your students’ names before classes start. This makes your approach more comfortable and more personal for the students. This also allows a warm connection between you and the class.

Prepare for fun ice breakers and trivia. Classes may get dull sometimes, and throwing an icebreaker can surely stimulate the atmosphere.

• Looking for inspiration? Check out our list of free STEM tools for teachers>>

Have a warm-up. What better way to start the class but with a fun warm-up activity. This way, you can also introduce the lesson for the day.

Set them into teams. This lets students hone their communication skills as well as their ability to engage in discussions. It is also a great outlet for them to get creative as a group.

Initiate debates. Let students dwell more on their personal opinions, and let them stand for their own thoughts.

Conduct simulations or role-plays. These are helpful techniques on how to keep students interested in class. They make actual applications on the principle being taught, and you can directly evaluate their learning.

Facilitate individual reporting. Assign a topic to each student, and have them report or “teach” this topic to the class. This method helps students retain their knowledge about the topic better.

Give them brief writing tasks. Actively engaging your student doesn’t necessarily involve games all the time. You can assign them writing tasks where they could reflect on points and express their ideas through texts.

Teaching can be a simple task, but getting students to remain interested has always been the difficult part. Aside from applying the tips aforementioned, it is important to motivate the students in the first place. As a teacher, you should encourage students to enjoy the subject and to study hard not just for the sake of getting good grades but also for acquiring substantial knowledge and having to apply them for a better future.

We recommend you to read this article, where we show you some great tips for you to keep your students engaged in class. Also, if you are loosing some motivation in teaching, here we show you how to re-fall in love with your daily activity.

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