Creative Assignments That Encourage Teamwork

Don’t just listen to your students. Actually give them the chance to build things with you. It changes the dynamic. ————————— A few days ago, a student and I completely redesigned our final assignment. We took notes on the board. We threw ideas back and forth. We asked questions of each other. This is what we created together. ⬇️ ————————— THE ORIGINAL ASSIGNMENT Students would: → Present 3-5 minutes on their research → Engage in a Q &A about it But I recently realized that (1) this wasn’t super dynamic and (2) it would take a long time for 20 students. So, my student and I created a new assignment that focused on interaction and was doable in a short timeframe. THE NEW ASSIGNMENT Students will engage in a open discussion. We’ll rearrange the desks, so that we can talk directly to one another. Specifically, it will look like this: 1. A Lightning Round (20 Minutes) Everyone gives a 30-second snippet of their topic and what they found. 2. A Google Gap (5 Minutes) Everyone has 5 minutes to look up things they want more info on or are unfamiliar with. 3. Debate: Which topic is the most relevant to today? (30 Minutes) They cannot choose their own topic. This will lead into an open conversation. I will not be allowed to talk! **No tech allowed.** 4. Debrief: Let’s reflect on this process? (20 Minutes) I get to talk again. We have an open conversation about the discussion. (This is where we real work on that metacognition!) ————————— At the end of this exercise, the student told me that she felt like an insider and that she’d never had an experience like that before. Next week, we’ll roll it out to the students. We’ll see how it goes.

🏗️✨ What if STEM learning in K–2 looked like life-sized forts with rooms you could actually walk through? In my classroom, it does... When students build big, something powerful happens: 🌟 They practice dimensional literacy—understanding space, scale, and structure. 🌟 They engage in kinesthetic learning, using their whole bodies to problem-solve. 🌟 They discover the impact of big building, where every choice matters because they can see it, touch it, and step inside it. But it’s not just about structures. It’s about collaboration and teamwork. 🤩 When 6- and 7-year-olds negotiate how high the walls should go, or how wide to make the “door,” they’re learning communication, compromise, and creativity—skills as essential as math and science. 😄 And let’s not forget: it’s fun. When students are laughing, crawling, designing, and re-designing together, they’re not just playing. They’re becoming engineers, architects, and innovators in the most natural way possible. Building forts isn’t a distraction from STEM—it is STEM. And the lessons last long after the pillows and cardboard are put away. #STEMeducation #DimensionalLiteracy #KinestheticLearning #Teamwork #K2

The biggest lie in education? “Kindergarteners aren’t ready for real-world responsibility.” But this group of 5-year-olds just learned to build a fire using maps, teamwork, and real leadership. Here’s how they did it (and why it matters): Kindergartners at Alpha school go through our life-skills workshop called Teamwork Titans. In this workshop, our students learn how to: • Gather fuel with intention • Read a map and navigate terrain • Communicate clearly under stress • Block the wind together (shoulder to shoulder!) • And safely build and maintain a fire to roast s’mores But more important than the fire is what’s being built inside them. Because while they’re gathing materials and lighting kindling, they’re also learning: • Leadership – Taking initiative, guiding a team, and learning that being in charge is often harder than doing the task yourself. • Situational Awareness – Reading maps, orienting themselves to north/south/east/west, and noticing what's happening around them. • Team Coordination – Giving and receiving instructions, listening to others, and staying focused when a group dynamic gets tough. • Emotional Regulation – Staying calm when the task gets stressful or peers aren’t listening. • Follow-through – Seeing a shared task through from start to finish, even when it’s difficult. • Pride & Responsibility – Feeling the weight and joy of doing something real, tangible, and meaningful. Many traditional schools try to teach “leadership” by assigning roles on a group poster project. Or they give out clipboards with titles like “line leader” and call it a day. But reading a map to locate firewood... Navigating real group conflict... Blocking the wind with your body so the flame doesn’t die... That’s not pretend. That’s real-world practice. And it’s never too early to start. Because life skills don’t start at 18. This is the future of education.