Welcome to 3E!

There are times when I think of 3E as "my baby." But unlike an actual baby that takes 9 months (more or less), this website has been years in the making.

As a teacher, I have seen many changes touch the world of education. I've watched trends come and go. I've met some with cautious optimism and others with dutiful subordination. I've embraced some, endured others. But STEM...well, STEM ignited a fire.

After two decades of classroom teaching (grades K, 1, 2, and 3), I found myself in an interview for the district Gifted and Talented position: one teacher for four K-3 schools. As I sat surrounded by five different administrators, I felt fairly comfortable answering their questions and sharing my vision. Then they threw a curveball; the interviewers expressed the desire for a push-in program where ALL students would receive enrichment. The question was asked: "How could you achieve that?"

With very little knowledge on the subject, I answered, "STEM," and the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the summer, I immersed myself in all things STEM. I read articles, attended workshops, purchased resources, talked to colleagues, and spent countless hours on Pinterest. Quite honestly, it felt like trying to sip from a fire hydrant!

And so began my journey. How could I turn a challenge into a lesson? How could I make a simple STEM task into a meaningful experience for my primary students? What could I do to develop a curriculum that enriched my students? Engaged them? Made learning fun and enjoyable?

3E is the result of five years of creating lessons, testing them out, modifying them, and testing them again. (Sounds a lot like the engineering design process, right?). My hope is that you'll join me in this ongoing adventure!