Sneaking in STEM: Authentic Learning When Time Is Limited
- dottysplace85653
- Mar 11
- 6 min read
As a kindergarten teacher, one of my favorite bonding activities was to tell the class we were going to do something sneaky. I would turn all hush-hush, while looking around. I’d pretend to noticeably think to myself. I’d whisper to the class that I was letting them do something they probably shouldn’t be doing. I’d say how I hoped we didn’t get caught. It usually involved a lot of giggles.
It didn’t take my students long to realize that I always owned up. Whenever my administration walked in, they usually stopped to watch our fun. I have to admit, I did get away with a lot of things. But my class didn’t take many breaks, so I would fit downtime in, whenever I could.
I considered these “sneaky” moments as necessary processing times. They were fun. A rare moment of freedom. And the cherry on top, was that our covert activities could be just about anything. Sometimes, they would be a few extra minutes of Writing With a Partner. Other times, it would be dancing around the room to educational videos. It could be time to sit and talk to friends or the chance to explore their math manipulatives “any way they choose”. These moments were important.
My students never realized that there was always a cognitively-related purpose.
Sometimes, we had worked really hard, and I knew their brains needed a chance to process. Other times we simply needed to bond or boost our brain power through movement. The reason isn’t important here.
What I want you to understand is that not all sneaking is bad.
I have to admit, I struggled when I first lost my classroom autonomy.
I went from determining almost every moment of my day, to watching the clock or setting alarms. I missed creating my own units and setting the pace for learning. I felt burdened by my suddenly rigid schedules. I was overwhelmed by my packed curriculum. There was never enough time and I didn’t like being controlled by time blocks.
Back then, even the thought of having a meaningful STEM experience felt unrealistic.
And it was. In many ways it was impossible. My solution was to follow the science manual. I read the text and offered the prescribed activities. While my students gave the expected replies that required little thought.
My goal was more about the relaying of knowledge than the building of young minds.
Over the years, I gradually adapted my practices.
I was heavily influenced by many of the training sessions I attended. But I don’t think I truly incorporated the use of multiple-disciplines until my first TESOL class. Teaching English as a Second Language was an eye opening experience. I was challenged to use speech, expressions, gestures, pictures, and activities to teach grade level curriculum to students. My classes were often made up of students from many countries. And everything I relayed to them was in English.
It was then that STEM Activities became important. Many times they related to the topic and were the source of real-life Vocabulary examples. It was a way of teaching verbs and position words. It was the core setting of many Think-Alouds. It was a way that students could demonstrate knowledge that they were unable to articulate in English. But mostly, it was my way of making learning more concrete.
From these experiences, I learned several things:
1) STEM didn’t always need its own block of time. When I first started out, I was able to write my own schedule. I was simply told that I needed to dedicate a certain amount of time to Reading, Math and Writing. I was also expected to fit in Art, Science, Social Science, and P.E. As a teacher, I looked at each of these disciplines as a separate act that needed its own opening, transfer of information, activity and closure. By doing this, I found myself constantly abbreviating experiences. There was simply never enough time in the day.
It wasn’t till later that I realized that I could connect STEM activities to my core lessons. And when combined, they would work to substantiate each other. My core lessons received greater engagement. And, the hands-on nature of the activities helped my students understand and retain information better. I used my core lessons to provide vital background knowledge. And, I would connect my STEM related vocabulary to the words we were already learning to define.
This was not always easy. Some years, I did not have a lot of wiggle room. Sometimes, I had to combine lessons. Other times, I decided to skip ones that were redundant. I found ways to teach and practice the necessary skills throughout the course of our activities. It was difficult for some of my administrators to understand why my classroom looked so different. But it worked. My students were engaged. And the information stuck.
2) STEM Doesn’t Have to Be Extra.
I discovered that STEM was already naturally embedded in my curriculum. Almost every learning theme has this potential. That’s how the topic of Neighborhoods turned into a giant town sprawled along the floor. A town that my class developed using recycled items, like milk cartons and index cards. My students learned the names of different dwellings, as we built them. They made signs detailing where people worked, shopped, and how they got around. Roads were laid. Maps were drawn. My classroom was rich in language. And our STEM experience naturally fit into their core learning.
3) Not every STEM experience needs to take over the day.
This brings me to a major change in thinking. I used to believe that authentic STEM activities should also be time consuming. I would find myself planning these massive projects. And many times, it became a stretch to find the time to complete them.
I was connecting the breadth of my lessons to the amount of learning that would take place. But that’s not always true. Many times, I was asking my students to perform tasks that required precision, when they had minimal experience. I was asking them to think fluidly and with flexibility, when most of the day was spent in conformity. Though these big projects felt satisfying, I realized that they weren’t enough.
My students needed the opportunity to refine their skills through practice. They needed moments in the day, where they were free to be curious and use broader creativity.
My solution was to change my approach. I stopped limiting my class to only big projects. I included more student-driven experiences. I became more of a coach, and less of an instructor. And that made all the difference. Some of the most powerful learning happens during small, independent periods, like center time, choice time, early finisher activities, and short exploration blocks.
These moments allowed my students to tinker, test ideas, and problem-solve without pressure. And for me, it gave me time to test or work with struggling students.
I found out that when activities were open-ended, students work at their own level. They explore different solutions, and build confidence in themselves. My students often did all this, without realizing that they were doing “STEM.”
STEM doesn’t have to be long or complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes, the most powerful learning happens quietly, through purposeful moments built into the day.
This month, I’ve dedicated my STEM Learning Page to a further discussion on this topic. I hope to answer some of your questions and maybe support you with taking that next step. You’ll find both articles and downloadable resources. I address:
Embedding STEM into existing units
Finding ways to practice STEM when you have limited time
How to use discernment when choosing the best STEM ideals for you, and
Practical ways to plan and prep for STEM activities
As I work with Dotty’s Place, I have many opportunities to see how STEM can really change students. The research is well documented. The question becomes: How do we implement it, when time is an issue.
Sneaking in STEM isn’t about doing more.
It’s about using what you already have intentionally.
P.S. Don’t let all this classroom talk fool you. These approaches work in Homeschool settings, as well.
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