iExploreScience: STEM in Elem
iExploreScience: STEM in Elem is for upper elementary teachers — especially grades 3–5 —who want to make elementary science and math more engaging, without adding more prep or overwhelm to their day. If you’re looking for practical ways to bring STEM and hands-on learning into your classroom while still meeting standards like NGSS, this podcast is for you.
Each week, you’ll get (ideally) short, (always!) actionable episodes (about 15–30 minutes) filled with classroom-tested ideas you can actually use. From simple STEM challenges and low-prep science activities to math routines, lab management, and neurodivergent-friendly strategies, everything is designed to help you keep students thinking, moving, and engaged—especially during the most challenging times of the year.
You’ll also hear honest reflections from real classroom experiences, with a focus on what works (and what doesn’t) in my 5th grade science and math classroom — no perfection required.
I’m Nicole, and I share practical, hands-on science and math ideas designed specifically for upper elementary teachers who want engaging, rigorous lessons without the overwhelm.
iExploreScience: STEM in Elem
03 The Week After Testing: Why It Falls Apart and What To Do Instead
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The post-test crash is one of the most misunderstood weeks of the school year — and it doesn't hit every kid the same way. In this episode Nicole introduces Dr. Thomas Boyce's dandelion and orchid framework: some kids bounce back from stress no matter what, while others are exquisitely sensitive to every disruption. Understanding which kids you have — and what their nervous systems actually need after weeks of testing pressure — changes how you approach the whole week. Plus: the crash is real for teachers too, and that's worth saying out loud!!
In This Episode
- The dandelion and orchid framework — why testing hits kids so differently and what it means for your classroom
- Why orchid kids are most likely to crash after testing — and why it looks like behavior when it's actually dysregulation
- The unseen ADHD characteristics that make post-test week especially hard: anxiety, working memory, emotional regulation
- Why you might be crashing too — and why that's completely normal
- What types of learning actually work this week: student choice, hands-on making, community building, outdoor time
- The gazelle/shaking phenomenon — why movement literally releases stress hormones and how to use it with your class
- Concrete strategies: student-choice "I'm the Expert" projects, schoolyard living things assessments, getting outside, and the six-word year reflection
- The reframe: this isn't a throwaway week — it's a rare window, and kids who feel seen in it come back stronger
FREE DOWNLOAD — Testing Week Activity Menu: A one-page printable with every idea from this episode plus more — organized by phase, with a time estimate and materials list for each one. Free for Substack subscribers. 👉 Subscribe and download here: https://substack.com/@iexplorescience
LINKS MENTIONED:
📬 iExploreScience Substack — free weekly newsletter and resources for grades 3–5 teachers: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/
📰 NPR Article -- Dandelion & Orchids
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