Teach the children the framework within which they can "own" the classroom.  My kindergarten children run our entire morning and afternoon meetings by the beginning of November.  They know their jobs and they know the routine.  I sit back and watch, enjoying the new ways they learn by working with each other and not depending on me to guide every detail, answer every question or solve every problem.  Independence, critical thinking, coooperation and collaboration, excitement!  LEARNING!!!  My morning students asked me this week for the keys to the building and offered for me to sleep in while they run the class!  I'm considering it. LOL - JK

Along the same empowering lines of thinking, let them "own" the work.  Teach the concept, not the details.  Demonstrate and explain when it is absolutely necessary to stay within the lines, but let them "color outside the lines" or "think out of the box" on their own, putting their own spin on the work, based on their own prior knowledge or curiosity.  It's never wrong if they are learning something...even when it's not what we expected them to be learning.  The thinking is what really matters!  Provoke the inquisitive nature and the desire to create that children are blessed with!  They naturally come equipped to learn...let them go for it.  Don't get hung up on "doing it right" and stop giving them the answers!  Let them read their writing to you, let them explain their process to you...allow them to share what is going on in their minds as they explore, and allow them to change it to fit how they perceive it should be - you may learn something new!
​                                                                  It's their process and their outcome...Let Them Feel It!

What does all of this mean?  Well, we have been using extrinsic motivators in the classroom (and at work and at home) for many, many years...ever since behavior theories in education were based on animal behaviors in the lab - without the more current knowledge of human behavior and neurological functions.   This is the motivation that we are used to and have been comfortable with..."dangle the carrot;" "offer a reward;" "give a bonus;" "incent them"...

This is also the behavior that creates the response, "What will you give me if I get an A on my report card?"

It starts at a very young age, when, like a puppy in the house-training stage, we incentivize our children with a reward for all of those kind person/good citizen behaviors we expect them to strive for.  "Sit puppy!  Good girl, have a dog biscuit!"  Similar to:  "Your teacher told me that you are so polite in school and that your behavior clip never moves down.  Let's go out for pizza and celebrate!"

Intrinsic Motivation is the simple one!  What is it?  

• Curiosity
• Interest
• Desire
• Passion
• Achievement
• Fulfillment
• Pride

Intrinsic Motivation is the motivator that comes from within.  It's the "feel good about myself" motivator.  Remember the song, "It's the Climb"?  Intrinsic motivation involves enjoying the process, the experience, and not waiting for an outcome in order to be happy about what we are doing.  This is performing acts of kindness, this is doing a job or a school assignment because you are interested in it and excited to be participating in it; this is finding something that captures you about a content area you aren't generally interested in and embracing the work for the enjoyment of pursuing that  interest.

Providing external motivators stops the internal motivation.  The sticker given to a child for a kind act teaches the child to use the positive behavior as a means to get a reward.  The good feeling the child experiences comes from someone else recognizing the act and providing proof of such with a prize.  The child is not aware of feeling good inside for being a good friend or a good citizen... or for learning! 

Doing the work for the purpose of getting the A takes all of the excitement out of the learning it takes to get to the A and creates a mindset of pushing through the work to get to the desired outcome.  It's about the A, not about the learning  that could be happening.  I wonder how many different ways students may find to get to the A if they are  not embracing the learning process?  ...food for thought.

​The positive emotions that we experience, which build self-esteem and confidence, are not recognized with extrinsic motivators.  A pat on the back and a comment such as, "Wow!  You must feel so good about yourself having done something so nice for a friend!  I'll bet you are really proud of yourself," is the best choice for encouraging positive behaviors and building a solid foundation of confidence.    This encourages the child to recognize the intrinsic motivator; the response directs them to recognize the feeling within and eventually eliminates the need to find the reward on the outside.  Self-Regulation in the Works.

And if you are reluctant to give up the reward system, couple the sticker or prize with a comment such as the Wow statement above.  Provide the child with guidance to find and recognize the internal feelings while recognizing the child with a reward.  This is not optimal, but full resistance to the concept is more harmful.

Defining Critical Thinking. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2015, from The Critical Thinking Community
  website: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766

STEM and STEAM have been brought into the education realm, and subsequently the early childhood education sector, to bring about the workforce that is needed for this country's future.  We are not competitive enough in these areas, and the programs, courses, and degrees that have emerged have come about as a means of developing a workforce that is prepared for the needs of tomorrow.

When we combine these individual branches of knowledge into one comprehensive body of knowledge, the tasks involved require a whole new way of thinking.  The STEAM exploration allows for making connections across knowledge areas, it enables us to see the math that is embedded in the science, the science that is behind the engineering and development, the compliment that the Arts bring to the technology we use, etc.  The process fosters higher level thinking skills such as making connections, synthesizing information and ultimately, creating something new.

So how is it that our young children are supported to think in these ways?  We need to pique their curiosity; enable them to explore, discover, and hypothesize on their own; allow them to question and experiment; and encourage the mistakes and retakes along the way as a wonderful learning experience rather than a failure.  

A colleague of mine had 4-year old children examine a paper Chinese lamp made as a Halloween decoration today.  She then encouraged them to work in teams and figure out how to make one.  With minimal support, they worked in partners and then shared whole group with each step that they figured out.  Not only did they make the lamps, but they had a situation that was a life lesson for all!  One friend in the group cut the paper in the wrong direction, noticed it before even opening it up, exclaimed, "Ooops! This won't work!" and asked for another paper to cut in the other direction.  This insightful teacher's response was, "Oops! is good!  That's how we learn and figure things out."  The whole class was all smiles about this project!   They were beaming with pride.  They didn't sit down and get step-by-step directions on how to fold and how to cut and where to tape, etc.  They worked as a team, they figured it out and they created something that was all theirs!  It was so exciting!!!!  This is serious learning.

The students in that class explored the sample lamp to gain some background knowledge, they discussed their questions and ideas together and then tried them out.  They changed their path if it wasn't working and tried a new idea, and they eventually found success.  This is a very basic example of what STEAM thinking should look like.  This particular teacher is easing this group into STEAM, and hats off to her for beginning with encouraging the critical thinking and confidence-building that the team will need to delve into more complicated projects.  Oh, did I mention that the lamps light up?  VERY COOL!

Think about how you are conducting your STEM and STEAM activities.  

• Are they student-centered rather than teacher-directed, with students leading the learning?
• Are the students questioning and hypothesizing as they go through the process?
• Are they making mistakes and finding it comfortable to "go back to the drawing board"?
• Are they "owning" the project?
• Are they demonstrating the excitement of new discoveries?
• Are they connecting the work they are doing with the world outside, past experiences, other work they've done or plan to do, or the adult world around them?

If you answer "YES!" to these questions, then you are creating the foundation for the work these children will do beyond your classroom and into adulthood.  Nice job!

If you answered "NO :(" to any of these questions, then you'll need to "go back to the drawing board" yourself, and in doing so, demonstrate to your students how even adults have to reflect and revise their original plans to find true success!  :)

STEAM on with Full Confidence! :)

Hoisington, C., Chalufour, I., Winokur, J., & Clark-Chiarelli, N. (2014). Science learning through
    water. Teaching Young Children/Preschool, 8(1), 30-31.

These and so many other inquiries from our students drove the research and learning involved in our Great Barrier Reef project.  Preparing for a new project, wondering if we could find anything more fun and exciting than our recent North Pole and Santa's Workshop, we laughed about needing a little beach time with all of these "too cold to play" days.  That thought, coupled with a recent obsession with magnets, led our group to a debate over whether we should create a beach or a science laboratory.  Let the voting begin!  

The beach was the winner, and all of the students whole-heartedly embraced our virtual trip to the Coral Sea.  The students' brainstorming eventually led us to exploring the land down under, a beach on Australia's East Coast called Lizard Island, and finally, The Great Barrier Reef.  Students were attracted like their magnets (opposite poles, they will tell you) to the incredible world that exists under the sea.