Motivate the Unmotivated

I have a great group of kids this year, but they are not very motivated.  They will begin their work when reminded, but they are often off task so it takes them forever to complete anything.  I tried several different approaches but none of them worked until I implemented STEM bins.  This has been a life changer for me!

I purchased several different kinds of building materials for my kids.  I also went through my stash I already had at school.  I put each material in a different plastic container with a lid for easy storage and clean up.  

When students finish up their work, they are allowed to choose a STEM bin.  They can build anything they want (as long as it's school appropriate.)  If they need ideas, I found some great STEM task cards on TpT.  I had to put a limit to no more than 2 students per STEM bin to help with noise.  They can get a little loud while they are creating!  Here are some of the amazing things they made just before our Christmas break.

horse barn

gear tower

scorpion 

robot

flying craft

spider

flowers

chair

car

This has changed how quickly my students complete their work. My students stay on task and stay focused.  They cannot wait to get their hands on the STEM bins.  I am so glad that I implemented this new system in my class!