10 Characteristics of Effective STEM Classrooms

When you walk into a classroom, how do you know if it’s effective or not?  What characteristics do you look for?

Different people look for different things depending on what exactly they are assessing.  I am usually in a STEM or science classroom, so I am specifically looking for the characteristics that foster a great STEM experience.  Over the years, I’ve curated an unofficial list of characteristics that I think create the most positive, effective, and productive environments for students and teachers.  When these characteristics are present, a much more robust learning environment emerges.

Here are my top 10 characteristics and how you can implement each one in your STEM classroom to build an effective, productive environment for you and your students.  Hopefully you see a lot of your own classroom in these characteristics!

Teamwork
Inquiry
Problem Solving
Leadership
Support
Challenges
Technology Integration
Student-Centered
Critical Thinking

It is vital to student achievement to foster a great learning environment for learning STEM!  If you think I’ve missed some important characteristics, post them below!

Read more about important characteristics in a STEM classroom: The 4 C’s in STEM