My students participate in tons of team building and hands on assignments together. Before we begin each activity we go over conversations I want to hear at the table, conversations I do not want to hear, and how we solve World War III at our lab tables (rock, paper, scissors). I think it is very important to give kids materials and say, “There is no right answer, just figure something out!” Give the kids a chance to be innovative and take a risk. Their ideas are their own and most of the time better than my ideas. I feel like I have mastered the art of body language. Sometimes students will give an idea and in my head I am saying, “That won’t work,” but my body language and facial expressions say, “LET’S TRY IT!” Getting students excited about the design process and seeing it through until the end is huge. I try to give at least 1 STEM activity a week! The kids are the most engaged in when we do STEM activities. Not only do they learn about engineering and design but they also pick up a ton of “soft skills” as well. After all isn’t that what we want from our 21st century learners? Soft skills like having the ability to start something and finish, work collaboratively with others, and accepting the best idea even if it isn’t their own.