Shuffle the STEM

Appeared in the Idaho State Journal on April 1, 2014.

The acronym follows STEM, but do a quick shuffle of the words. Whether it’s in the education or the application of Science, Technology, Engineering And Math, it entails T.E.A.M.S.

When I was three, I wanted to be a ballerina. That stemmed from accolades of how pretty and graceful I was in a pink tutu made by one of the little old ladies in Lava. Maintaining that beauty and grace was difficult, so I changed my mind. I wanted to be a motorcycle cop like every other kid who watched CHiPs, but after my best friend in third grade moved away, I couldn’t imagine who would be my partner.  So I settled on aspiring to be president for the rest of my youth.

Then I had an epiphany in high school. I would be a math teacher and volleyball coach. I couldn’t wait to tell my mom.

My mom freaked out. She used swear words and hand gestures and everything. I explained all of the reasons why I would be good at it and she countered with, “Yes, and you’ll starve. “ As an underpaid civil servant herself, she spent the next week shouting all of the reasons I shouldn’t teach and coach.

So I became an engineer—a very fortunate one with a schedule that has allowed me to coach volleyball and “teach” math over the years.

I am hardly a math teacher.  I have not dealt with parents, administrators, accountability to test scores, individual education plans (IEPs), or a schedule dictated with opening and closing bells. I wasn’t teaching kids, I was coaching them, and I can point to a collection of factors of my success during my tenure leading a MATHCOUNTS program at a local charter school.

This school applies an inquiry-based math curriculum and collaboration and teamwork are a critical component in all subjects. The kids already knew how to work together by the time they got to me in sixth grade when they chose to join the math club. They chose to join the math club. I showed up for an hour a week with a smile and energy and ensured they had snacks. I also donated the funds to sustain the school’s MATHCOUNTS team and was able to use a vast collection of online problems, activities and other resources which are funded by national STEM companies and engineering societies.

I am convinced that the future success of STEM education lies in partnerships like this between professionals and educators. It has to be a team and it needs parents, too.  Teamwork is also paramount in how kids learn and apply science and math because office projects and field assignments almost always require teams.