The sprint to summer for teachers doesn’t have to feel like a grind. We share a practical, energizing way to turn late-April restlessness into focused learning with themed STEM that honors where students are right now in the classroom. If you’re tired of cramming and watching behavior slide, this conversation offers a humane reset: clear routines, simple materials, and challenges that spark curiosity without creating more work after hours.

What if STEM wasn’t about bins of stuff, but about the humans in the room? We dig into a human-centered approach that treats STEM as a daily practice of connection—where students learn to collaborate, think critically, and care for one another while they solve real problems. Instead of chasing pricey kits, we start with stories and simple materials, then layer in the engineering design process to make reflection, testing, and revision feel natural and fun.

What if the word failure stopped feeling like a verdict and started sounding like a clue? A chaotic testing schedule pushed us to improvise, and a simple Piggy and Elephant story turned into a full-on design challenge with a big mindset payoff. Fifth graders faced a familiar, human problem—Snake wants to play catch without arms—and discovered how quickly curiosity returns when the stakes are safe and the goal is learning, not perfection.

Hi, I'm Trina Deboree from Trina Deboree Teaching and Learning and the podcast One Tired Teacher. I create engaging content for elementary teachers focusing on Science, reading comprehension, STEM, and Makerspace. My passion lies in giving teachers back a fraction of their time so they can put first things first. My ultimate goal is to offer creative content that helps teachers inspire students to learn, dream, think, and wonder.

I will help you move from drudgery teaching, where you feel like you are going against your core values and teacher soul, to an explosion of teaching, where you fulfill your purpose and your ultimate dream of teaching.

Discover 3 quick and easy Thanksgiving-themed STEM activities for teachers to use in makerspace - perfect for a 40 minute class!

Explore the importance of digital citizenship in today's tech-driven world. Learn why it's crucial for teachers to equip students with online etiquette and safety skills. Knowledge is power in the virtual realm!

Dive into the essentials of digital citizenship! Learn why it's crucial for students to navigate online communities responsibly, understand privacy, and promote positive virtual interactions.

Save time and boost learning efficiency by merging science and reading lessons! Discover nine compelling topics, including habitats and biomes, to integrate science and reading. Grab science reading comprehension passages and questions for the year, along with bonus experiments. Let's make education efficient and exciting!

Discover the magic of integrating science and reading! Save time, engage students, and enhance learning by connecting these two subjects. Learn how to seamlessly integrate science into your reading block and reap the double-win benefits. Boost comprehension, foster critical thinking, and create an exciting classroom environment. Explore lesson ideas, activities, and resources for a successful integration. Grab the 2nd Grade Science Year Long Bundle for comprehensive science and reading comprehension. It's time to ignite a passion for science while improving literacy skills!

This interactive game encourages students to practice place value skills while having a blast.

With the help of a little bit of creativity, even 2nd-grade students can enjoy learning the place value of the digits and turning their math lesson into an interactive game of tic-tac-toe.

Are you ready to make teaching place value fun in 2nd grade?

If you've been thinking about adding "being brave with makerspace" to your New Year's resolution list, then this episode is for you! 

Mary Jo is here to talk about adjusting your STEM lesson for your classroom that isn't too hard, or too easy, they are just right!

Did you happen to catch STEM Con 2022 this past weekend?! It was AMAZING!! If you did I would love to hear about it in the feedback.

Renee Heinrich & I put our heads together on this podcast to talk about project-based learning.

What do collaboration and cooperation look like in the classroom when we incorporate STEM? Loren Thorp & I discuss "cooperation over competition" using STEM in the classroom.

Erin Twamley is joining us today about STEM careers and allowing them to imagine what that may look like for them. Today on the podcast, we will discuss ideas and ways to motivate students to get excited about their future in the STEM workforce!

Have you wondered HOW you can cover EVERYTHING AND focus on social and emotional learning?

OH, the agony of not having enough time! If you are a classroom teacher trying to teach STEM or you are a special area teacher with a limited schedule then you know what I am talking about!! It is brutal. How can we get to the best part of the revision and learning from failure if we have to constantly stop due to time constraints?!