Are grading, data analysis, and material prep consuming your nights and weekends? This hands-on workshop is your first step toward a sustainable teaching career. We will build a personal automation toolkit using simple offline Python scripts. Learn to auto grade quizzes, instantly graph lab data, and generate differentiated worksheets, reclaiming hours each week. Reinvest this precious time into what matters most: enhancing instruction through targeted student interventions, crafting engaging, phenomena-based lessons, and fostering a more dynamic classroom culture that benefits all learners. This session focuses exclusively on educator well-being, providing practical strategies to reduce burnout by automating tedious tasks. Leave with a USB stick containing your new digital assistant and a practical plan to regain time for what matters most. No prior coding experience required.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn to use offline Python scripts to automate grading and data tasks, ensuring student privacy while reclaiming time to reduce burnout and reinvest in student instruction. They will leave with a digital toolkit and the confidence to implement these tools or strategies immediately.

SPEAKERS:
Nitindra Chowdary Pavuluri

NSTA has several resources to support STEM teaching, two tools that were impactful for my teaching practice through the Scaling Up For STEM Cohort were the STEM Lesson Evaluation Tool and STEM Implementation Plan Tool. Together these two tools allowed me to consider more integrated approaches to career awareness in my middle school STEAM classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use the STEM Lesson Evaluation Tool and STEM Implementation Plan Tool to design more integrated, career-connected STEM learning experiences in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Olivia Bello

Students partnered with the University of Central Florida to grow red mangroves from propagules in a campus nursery, later contributing to real-world shoreline stabilization efforts. The project immersed learners in three-dimensional (3D) learning through inquiry-driven investigations that emphasized sensemaking, problem solving, and key concepts such as ecosystems, plant structures, and reproduction. By integrating conservation, restoration, and data collection, students developed a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship while applying Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science and Engineering Practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design and facilitate authentic, inquiry-driven STEM experiences that engage students in real-world environmental problem solving through three-dimensional learning and community partnerships.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Lynn Hess

This poster highlights a scaffolded, interdisciplinary lesson where 7th grade students explored how humans, whales, and dolphins communicate over long distances, comparing sensory organs and experimenting with Morse code and hieroglyphics. Students were able to explore the different levels of sensemaking through this lesson implementation and demonstrate their understanding by participating in a lab experiment. The lesson integrated science, math, ELA, and social studies, emphasizing the importance of hearing in communication and the value of sensemaking strategies for deeper understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design and implement interdisciplinary, sensemaking-driven lessons that engage students in exploring real-world communication phenomena through hands-on, cross-disciplinary experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Scoleri

In today’s fast-paced world, chronic stress is common, but your mind and body can pay a high price. Learn to recognize overwhelming stress—and what you can do about it. Most importantly, learn how to use the power of your senses to relieve stress on the spot and stay calm, productive, and focused.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with tips on how to manage stress.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips

Tired of dragging yourself home from school with nothing left? This session includes laughter, honesty, and the magical 2-word argument stopper that works on students, teens, & family. We’ll use bubbles in this session. Bubbles? Yep, bubbles! Learn how to set boundaries, keep your spark alive, and still be awesome at teaching. This will be the best hour of the conference.. You don’t want to miss it!

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of the workshop, you will be able to spot burnout before it reaches critical mass, & set boundaries without guilt. You'll leave with strategies to protect your energy, spark curiosity, & still have brainpower left for your own life.

SPEAKERS:
Nancy Foote

Yale professor Laurie Santos' course "Psychology and the Good Life" became a campus phenomenon in 2018, attracting nearly 25% of Yale undergraduates. Its free Coursera version has since enrolled almost 5 million people worldwide. This workshop offers educators a condensed experience of the science behind happiness and well-being through targeted mini-lessons and interactive activities. Drawing from Santos' research and "How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier," participants will explore why our intuitions about happiness often mislead us and examine the cognitive biases that distort our expectations. The seminar introduces evidence-based strategies from gratitude science and positive psychology for authentic happiness. Teachers will gain practical tools to implement these techniques in their personal lives and classrooms, fostering student well-being and creating school communities that promote genuine flourishing and positive habit formation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn evidence-based strategies to enhance personal well-being and discover practical tools to implement happiness science in their classrooms, helping students develop authentic happiness practices while addressing common misconceptions about what truly drives human flourishing.

SPEAKERS:
Stephen Kos

Strong teacher-student and student-student relationships bring joy to teaching and improve student outcomes. Such relationships support sensemaking in science, since sensemaking is not just about individual knowledge building, but collaborative knowledge building that requires commitments to classroom community-building. But building such relationships takes time, and it requires intentional strategies. In this workshop, we will focus on strategies for building relationships centered on care. We will introduce a definition of care grounded in research on how to cultivate compassionate relationships in schools. We will simulate practices for establishing and revisiting community agreements focused on honoring the dignity of each person, valuing each student's contribution, and tending to strong emotions that arise in classrooms. We will also discuss strategies for repairing relationships when agreements break down, and meeting such moments with compassion for ourselves and students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will develop an understanding of the role of caring relationships in fostering commitment to building classroom communities that engage in science sensemaking together. In addition, they will experience practices intended to build, maintain, and address breakdowns in shared agreements.

SPEAKERS:
Ashley Potvin

Grading that supports student sensemaking doesn’t have to keep you at school all night. Learn practical approaches to grading that prioritize three-dimensional sensemaking while using technology, collaboration, and existing resources—so you can support students and still have your evenings back.

TAKEAWAYS:
Giving meaningful feedback and assigning grades becomes easier with strong instructional materials and assessments in place—and technology can streamline the process without sacrificing effectiveness for students.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney

Energy leaks through screens long before we feel “stressed.” This practical session helps science educators re-architect their attention by pairing MBSR-informed pauses with simple systems for email, LMS, and chat. We will map common drains, install notification tiers with a personalized Do-Not-Disturb (DND) map, and provide plug-and-play email/LMS scripts that reduce after-hours spillover while keeping families supported. Participants will develop a 10-minute daily shutdown ritual to prevent evening rumination and launch a 7-day Attention Diet to test what actually improves focus and mood.

TAKEAWAYS:
A personalized DND Map with notification tiers and schedules. An email/LMS script pack for parents, students, and colleagues. A 10-minute shutdown ritual to protect evenings and sleep. A 7-day Attention Diet tracker. A PLC norms template to sustain boundaries as a team.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips

Keeping students engaged in 3D, phenomenon-based science learning is challenging—and when students are absent, it can feel impossible. This session offers practical, teacher-tested strategies to help all students stay connected to the storyline, even when they miss class. Participants will explore simple systems, digital tools, and collaborative routines that make catching up manageable for students and sustainable for teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn strategies and tools to help absent students stay engaged in 3D learning and rejoin classroom sensemaking without adding hours of extra work for teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney

Science teachers juggle endless demands such as labs, grading, and emotional challenges that can leave their nervous systems in constant overdrive. This interactive session explores the science of calm through simple, evidence-based chair yoga and breathwork routines designed for the classroom and beyond. Participants will learn how breathing patterns and gentle movement activated the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce cortisol, and restore focus. No mats or special clothing required, just your breath and a chair. Educators will experience accessible techniques to pause, release tension, and reset between classes. They will also craft personal “I Choose To” statements to build sustainable wellness habits and receive a printable “Calm Cycle” routine for daily use. These practices foster calm and balance in teachers and students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave with a neuroscience-informed “Calm Cycle” of chair yoga and breathwork practices that can be applied during classes or shared with students to support focus, emotional regulation, and sustained joy in alignment with NGSS Science for All.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Ann Ng

This session will encourage teachers to take stock of their current practices and context. We will then consider strategies for building and cultivating your resilience toolbox so you can work toward being healthier and more effective for yourself, your family, and your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will consider how to cultivate competence, confidence, and connection, stay grounded, and set boundaries in your context.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Whitworth

In this session we will share our experience building a professional learning network focused on robust STEM instruction. STEM collaborations are inherently social and align with playful learning frameworks characterized by joyful, meaningful, and empowering learning. As teachers learn to teach this way, they themselves engage in joyful, meaningful, and empowering learning—experiencing firsthand the approaches they're developing for students. When STEM educators learn together, we develop networks that deepen pedagogical understanding while fulfilling needs for connection and community. Collaborative environments enable educators to examine strategies with peer support, addressing isolation and burnout through authentic connection. These relationships become self-sustaining communities where teachers continue sharing and problem-solving, increasing efficacy and empowering teachers to return to classrooms reinvigorated with insights that directly benefit students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers learning together through playful STEM partnerships experience the same joyful, meaningful learning they're preparing for students. This builds sustainable professional networks that deepen pedagogy, combat isolation, and empower educators to return to classrooms reinvigorated and confident

SPEAKERS:
Sheena Hyder, Jacqueline Cormier, Dearing Blankmann

Maintaining our own well-being as educators depends on our skill in regulating our own emotions. That can be hard, since our students can push our buttons and express strong emotions themselves in the classroom. In this workshop, we’ll introduce contemplative practices that can help us develop a kind attention to emotions that arise for us in difficult circumstances. We’ll also introduce practices for meeting students’ emotions with compassion, practices that can be used both in solitude and in the midst of the bustle of the classroom. Third, we’ll introduce a protocol for engaging with our own and students’ emotions when they are presented with phenomena that are upsetting but central topics in science, such as those connected to the climate crisis. We’ll discuss productive ways to respond to a range of emotions from anger to despair in hearing about its impacts, as well as emotions of joy in hearing about actions of groups to help us thrive together in a changing climate.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will develop awareness of emotions that arise within the classroom, engage in practices for meeting their own and students’ emotions with compassion, and identify productive ways to respond to emotions related to the impact of the changing climate.

SPEAKERS:
Ashley Potvin, Paolo Calvadores

How can engineering experiences help students see themselves as capable STEM thinkers? In this interactive session, explore what STEM identity is and how students' multiple identities shape their sense of belonging in STEM spaces. You'll unpack the research around interest, confidence, and recognition, and experience strategies that use the Science and Engineering Practices to strengthen identity development. Leave with concrete moves you can use to help every student feel, "I am a STEM person and I belong here!"

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn practical, research-backed strategies that use engineering to help all students build a strong STEM identity.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Mathews, Jessica Holman

Learning Ecosystems Northeast is a network of in- and out-of-school educators who prioritize relationship building between and among educators and institutions for the benefit of youth STEM learning. Local groups of educators are led by two peers, often from different learning contexts. These leaders not only plan and facilitate meetings and events, but create safe and supportive spaces for their peers to grow and connect. We’ll share examples of leadership structures, trainings, and activities that position these educator-leaders to leverage the strengths and address the challenges of their regional groups. In particular, we’ll share resources and activities designed to help leaders develop and sustain a sense of belonging amongst the educators in their communities. Participants will leave with example facilitation strategies to support relationships with and between educators and will receive articles and book lists to support further learning around supportive peer leadership.

TAKEAWAYS:
Session participants will come away with examples of how they can foster and sustain meaningful relationships with and between educators. Participants will also receive articles, book lists, and facilitation strategies to help support further learning around supportive peer leadership.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Auclair, Laurie Spooner, Tonya Prentice, Rachel Wolf

While it may seem like there’s nothing you can do about stress at work and home, there are steps you can take to relieve the pressure and regain control. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional equilibrium, as well as your physical health. It narrows your ability to think clearly, function effectively.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with tips on how to relieve pressure and regain control.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips

Being a trauma-informed teacher is incredibly important in today's educational landscape. Schools are focusing on professional development for in-service teachers and states are increasingly introducing trauma-informed competencies for preservice teachers. Teachers, both veteran and novice, are shouldering the trauma of students in their classrooms. This secondary trauma can inevitably take a toll on educators. This session will begin with some pertinent definitions and statistics related to student trauma. Then it will teach various techniques that educators can use to reduce stress in the classroom, using Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences as a framework. The strategies in this session can be used to increase well-being for both for teachers and their students alike.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with several activities that could be done in the classroom to increase well-being. Initially designed for preservice teachers, these activities could be utilized with students in grades 6-12 or during professional development.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Hesson

Today's STEM careers require more than technical knowledge; they rely on durable skills like problem solving, teamwork, communication, and resilience. This session shows how engineering tasks and the Science and Engineering Practices naturally strengthen those skills while giving students a window into real-world STEM work. Explore strategies that help students see the relevance of engineering to their lives, aspirations, and future opportunities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use engineering and the SEPs to build students' durable skills and connect learning to real workforce expectations.

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Reilly Oliveira, Jessica Holman

The demands on STEM educators are greater than ever, often leading to burnout and a sense of isolation. This workshop proposes a new paradigm that aligns the principles of restorative and pedagogical practices. We will explore how the "WITH" principle from restorative practices—a blend of high support and high accountability—can be applied to the values teachers guide their classes with both behaviorally and instructionally. Participants will experience being in a community circle and connecting with other educators through sharing stories and approaches of being in the WITH. Following the principles of being in circle raises teachers’ voices and increases our relational connections with each other. This approach not only improves teacher well-being by fostering a sense of community and efficacy but also deepens their understanding and implementation of effective, student-centered STEM instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will takeaway the practice of applying a 'WITH' mindset in collaborative professional learning to strengthen supportive relationships that enhance both professional well-being and instructional effectiveness.

SPEAKERS:
Betsy Barent

Hot classroom moments narrow attention and ramp up reactivity—exactly when we need clarity the most. This hands-on lab equips science educators with a rapid, MBSR-informed regulation sequence (interoceptive grounding, extended exhale, and brief emotion labeling) paired with concise language frames that lower heat and restore choice. Through triad role-plays based on realistic STEM scenarios (lab spills, defiant comments during a demo, or adversarial parent conferences), participants practice embodied downshifts and a neutral "observe → impact → offer a choice" script. Attendees will receive a pocket De-escalation Cue Card to personalize for their own triggers.

TAKEAWAYS:
- A 60-second regulation sequence to regain composure in “hot moments.” - Three de-escalation scripts tailored to STEM scenarios. - A personalized De-escalation Cue Card (trigger → body signal → tool → phrase). - A quick debrief protocol for self-reflection after tough interactions.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips

There is a wealth of STEM instructional materials online, but how do teachers determine which they should explore and implement in their classrooms? This session will provide research-based criteria that support teachers in becoming critical consumers of STEM instructional materials. It will also provide participants with opportunities to consider the overlaps between meaningful STEM learning opportunities supported by High-Quality STEM Instructional Materials and the work done in STEM careers. By carefully selecting and implementing STEM resources, teachers can better equip students with the awareness, skills, and confidence needed for future STEM career success.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to use research-based criteria to identify (as a critical consumer), and implement High-Quality STEM instructional materials.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Holman

This session explores how STEM practices—such as systems thinking, inquiry, data analysis, and iterative design—can be applied to proactively support student behavior through culturally responsive, community-centered approaches. Designed for K–12 educators and support staff, the session reframes behavior management as a design challenge rather than a disciplinary response. Participants will examine how applying STEM principles to classroom culture helps educators identify behavioral patterns, analyze root causes, and design proactive systems that reduce escalation. Using real-world scenarios, educators will engage in problem-solving cycles aligned with PBIS, restorative practices, and trauma-informed care, while centering student identity, voice, and lived experience.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to apply STEM practices—such as systems thinking, data analysis, and iterative design—to proactively design culturally responsive behavior systems that prevent escalation, preserve student dignity, and strengthen classroom relationships.

SPEAKERS:
Wini Ray, Clifton Chapman

In this workshop, we’ll highlight several strategies to support and celebrate educators, drawing on examples from Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE): a network of in-school and out-of-school educator communities dedicated to engaging youth in authentic, data-rich, climate-focused learning experiences. We’ll start with an asset-mapping activity- identifying relationships, opportunities, spaces, and materials that can support your professional growth, connection with other educators, and students’ learning. Then, we’ll share key infrastructure elements that have emerged as crucial to support educators throughout LENE. We’ll also share engagement models from regional groups that highlight strengths that leverage community assets and tackle unique challenges like expansive geographies, conflicting schedules, and diversity of learning contexts. We’ll end with time to consider how these models resonate with your community assets and to brainstorm strategies you can adopt to uplift them.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this session with several practical examples of structures that support regional communities of educators. They will also leave with concrete ideas of how they could create similar systems of support in their communities, grounded on assets they identify in the session.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Auclair, Suzanne Kahn, Rachel Wolf

From Pre-med to inspired teacher: my journey began with a two-year teaching program and a surprising discovery—OpenSciEd. Initially, I saw teaching as temporary, but OpenSciEd’s high-quality instructional materials transformed my classroom and my career. This curriculum provided a framework that improved my instruction and fostered a belief that I could make a difference. Now in my third year, I've seen firsthand how a high-quality curriculum can drive teacher retention and reduce teacher burn-out. In this session, I’ll share how OpenSciEd's philosophy and content empowered me, a new teacher, and why providing high-quality resources to early-career educators is key to building a resilient and inspired teaching force. I’ll provide insight to experience, and evidence from my classroom. This session can help new teachers get a peak into a strong OpenSciEd classroom, and will advocate for school leaders to provide HQIM for their new teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
New teachers will leave excited and inspired to adopt and develop high quality instructional materials in their classrooms. Leaders will leave encouraged to provide their teachers with HQIM to improve instruction, and teacher retention.

SPEAKERS:
Jed Graboys

In today's high-pressure environment, mental and emotional health often takes a backseat to academic success, overshadowing the essential need for wellness. This situation can leave educators feeling overwhelmed. To help address this issue, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has developed Wellness Workshops aimed at supporting educators, enabling them to better care for themselves and avoid burnout, alongside the youth they teach. These workshops leverage the healing power of nature and the importance of open, constructive dialogue to build trust within the education space. In this session, you will hear about the Wellness Workshop’s core strategies used to foster trust and build stronger relationships between Museums, educators, and youth including nature-based mindfulness exercises. By fostering connection and reflection, Museums can help educators become more effective advocates for their own and their students overall well-being.

TAKEAWAYS:
Introduce communication techniques that facilitate judgment-free conversations between teachers and students, allowing for empowerment and trust building, and utilize available green space to provide a calming, restorative space where educators can reconnect with themselves and each other.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Porter

Teaching is a demanding profession. Long hours, limited support systems, and high expectations often lead to chronic stress and burnout—driving many educators out of the field. In this session, educators and service members will share insights and practical applications from the Air Force’s Comprehensive Airman Fitness, the Space Force’s Guardian Ideal, and the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness models. These military frameworks are designed to foster resilience, readiness, and well-being in high-pressure environments. Through engaging discussion and exploration, participants will discover empowering strategies to strengthen their own resilience, reignite their passion for teaching, and thrive amid the daily challenges of the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave equipped with a practical, adaptable framework for cultivating holistic well-being and personal resilience—empowering them to thrive in the high-pressure world of teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew McVay, Nathan Tubbs

For over a decade, my students regularly commented on my presence in my room, often saying I was "so chill" - whether about my late work policies, grading scales, or discussing difficult concepts. That calm presence was not accidental; it was the result of cultivating a STEM mindset, within a STEM environment, that embraced curiosity, resilience, and joy in the face of challenges. These challenges were not limited to classroom experiences, but also were generated by endless noise from national and local politics, local school board policies, and other stakeholders. In this session, participants will explore how adopting a STEM mindset and atmosphere can reduce stress, strengthen teacher well-being, and create classrooms where both educators and students thrive.

TAKEAWAYS:
Understand how adopting a STEM mindset supports teacher well-being and reduces stress.

SPEAKERS:
Anthony Stawiery

In the fast-paced world of STEM education, teachers often give so much of themselves to their students and content that their own sense of purpose and well-being can be overlooked. This interactive 30 minute session offers participants an opportunity for a mindful pause, a chance to recharge, reflect, and reconnect with why we chose this profession. By engaging in guided mindfulness, affirmations, and reflective letter writing, participants will reflect on identity, purpose, and legacy as educators. Participants will be encouraged to explore questions such as: How do I define myself as a teacher? How do I want my students to see me? What impact do I hope to leave behind? Join us for a “YOU” centered time where you will leave with renewed energy, practical reflection tools, and a clearer sense of identity that reignites your love for teaching and strengthens your impact in STEM classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with renewed energy, practical reflection tools, and a deeper sense of identity that empowers them to thrive in STEM classrooms and beyond.

SPEAKERS:
Suzelene Pooler

STEM teaching can be both inspiring and overwhelming, with constant planning and accountability leaving little emotional space for educators. This session reframes student autonomy as a pathway to teacher well-being. When students take greater ownership of inquiry, research, and design, teachers shift from directing every step to facilitating meaningful learning. The result: students are more engaged, and teachers reclaim time, energy, and joy. Grounded in NGSS Science and Engineering Practices and equity-centered pedagogy, this session will highlight classroom-tested strategies such as jigsaw research, student-led engineering design, and reflection logs that make autonomy sustainable. Participants will analyze student work, explore practical tools, and identify ways to incorporate autonomy without sacrificing rigor. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use strategies that both empower students and reduce teacher stress, helping educators rediscover balance, enthusiasm, and well-being.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how fostering student autonomy in STEM classrooms reduces teacher stress and workload. By shifting responsibility to students through inquiry, design, and collaboration, educators can reclaim time, protect well-being, and sustain joy in teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Tatianna Munro

One of the greatest challenges we face as educators is acknowledging when things are difficult for us in the midst of a busy school day. But pausing and acknowledging our negative emotions like frustration, anger, and fear and honoring them can contribute to our own well-being and allow us to be our best selves to others. We will introduce practices of self-compassion and share stories from educators of how these practices have benefited them. Self-compassion involves acknowledging our own feelings, recognizing that we are not alone in having these feelings, and offering ourselves warmth and kindness as if we were a friend to ourselves. We will also share practices for cultivating compassion for our colleagues, both for those with whom we get along and those who push our buttons (i.e., those we find difficult). Finally, in this session we will introduce a dialogue practice for helping us deepen our connection with others and develop appreciation for our common humanity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will cultivate compassion for themselves and their colleagues through contemplative practices, dialogue, and listening and identify on-the-spot practices to integrate into their day-to-day routines.

SPEAKERS:
Ashley Potvin, Paolo Calvadores

Science teachers face the challenge of building deep understanding while managing heavy grading loads. This 60-minute workshop introduces two high-impact, teacher-tested strategies for science educators that are effective across all science courses and academic levels: the use of bulleted scoring guides for student graded free-response questions and incorporating group retakes on multiple-choice assessments. These efficient grading and assessment methods will empower students and free up teacher time for instructional creativity and reduce teacher workload. Participants will learn how and will practice using real classroom examples to: Utilize concise scoring guides to reduce time spent on feedback for FRQs by incorporating student self-grading that deepens engagement and self-awareness of content mastery. Use group retakes to encourage discussion and peer-to-peer explanation, helping students clarify misconceptions, strengthen reasoning, and build a richer conceptual understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to immediately implement strategies of using peer grading free response questions with scoring guides and group multiple-choice retakes with justifications to reduce teacher stress and workload while boosting student ownership, precision, and long-term understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Jill Lytle, Jessica Morris

What does it mean to thrive as a STEM educator while bringing one’s full identity to the classroom? This interactive session draws on doctoral qualitative research with LGBTQ+ elementary educators to explore the intersections of identity, resilience, and well-being. Participants will engage with key themes from these stories—creativity, advocacy, risk, and belonging—and reflect on how identity impacts professional sustainability. Through a hands-on identity mapping activity, attendees will identify sources of stress and strength across their personal, professional, and STEM educator selves. The session will highlight strategies for reclaiming time, fostering resilience, and integrating identity-affirming practices into STEM teaching. Participants will leave with practical tools to support their own well-being and a renewed understanding of how honoring educator identity can revolutionize STEM classrooms and sustain the teaching profession.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how identity-conscious practices, grounded in LGBTQ+ educators’ stories, can strengthen teacher well-being in STEM. They will leave with reflective tools and strategies to sustain themselves while fostering belonging in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Wren

In this session, I will share my personal journey of improving my physical health and the ripple effect it had on my life and teaching. In 2024, I was hired for my dream job as an elementary science specialist, but my health was not where I wanted it to be. On my 57th birthday, I made the decision to become healthier, and that choice transformed both my personal and professional life. As my health improved, I gained more energy, patience, creativity, and joy, which carried over into my teaching. I also found ways to make wellness engaging and sustainable by creating a run club challenge with my family, friends, and colleagues, completing my first 5K, and exploring creative outlets like crocheting. No two atoms are alike, and atoms are still being discovered—just like the elements needed to transform me. I will share strategies to inspire educators to start their own wellness journey and harness positive change to fuel both personal renewal and professional growth.

TAKEAWAYS:
Personal wellness fuels professional effectiveness. Small, intentional health changes boost energy, confidence, creativity, and joy, inspiring educators to sustain balance, resilience, and fulfillment in teaching while discovering their own transformational wellness elements.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Harry

Integrating science and mathematics shouldn’t just be a good idea, it should be the law! Come learn how easy, important, and fun it is to collect and analyze data as a part of good, solid, and responsible science education. Merging science and mathematics should be a natural thing, and it is the foundation of any good STEM teaching. Data collection is crucial in all science classes and the analysis of the data is a great way to bring math into the science classroom. This session will involve all participants in data collection activities that can be done in any classroom, regardless of class size or student background. Common, easy-to-use technology will be used for the activities and this session is sure to motivate teachers to collect and analyze data with their students--and share their results with their math colleagues.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using state of the art data collection technology, attendees will collect, analyze and build mathematical models to explain and interpret the collected data.

SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey Lukens