We were in the trunk of our minivan–me, along with my seven and nine year olds, dragging a 16-foot oak branch, as my wife drove about five miles per hour from the woods at our neighborhood park to our house. We needed this branch to complete our socially-distanced backyard playground climbing structure. Since sheltering in place, we’ve started building a bunch of backyard structures as a way to pass time, stay active, and give us a  break from heavily screen-focused eLearning. 

STEM is not for everyone.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Just as subjects like art, reading, and many others don’t draw the on-going attention of every student, I believe that STEM as a college or career pathway is not for everyone. Many educators agree with this statement, but sadly, for very different reasons.

The room looked exactly as I had pictured it in my mind. The brightly colored walls were covered with student work, the corner had a small art area, and behind a partition were little cubbies filled with jackets and boots. The room was obviously dedicated to student learning. It had been more than 20 years since I had been in an elementary school classroom, and the first thing that came to my mind was, “How in the world will I squeeze 15 high school senior boys in here?” Natalie Hager, the fifth-grade teacher at Community of Saints Regional Catholic School, didn’t seem as worried…..

At the beginning of each school year, I ask my students: “What is a scientist?” After jotting down their own individual ideas, students form groups to create a picture of a scientist and present it to the class. Then we collectively list the characteristics portrayed in their models. Crazy hair, chemical explosions, accidents, dead bodies... these are just a few of the characteristics that fifth-grade students often come up with. This leads us into a discussion about the origin of these popular misconceptions. As fifth graders, they will become scientists this year, and there is no bright purple hair in a Catholic School dress code.