Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

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Lesson Plan (Grades 6–8): Aquaponics in a Bottle – Building a Closed Mini Ecosystem

Grades 6–8 STEM: build an “aquaponics in a bottle” ecosystem to study nitrogen cycling, water quality, and sustainable food systems through hands-on design.

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Lesson Plan (Grades K-2): Balloon-Powered Car Design - Exploring Thrust, Friction, and Simple Mechanics

K-2 STEM lesson: build balloon-powered cars with recycled materials to explore thrust, friction, mechanics, data collection, and design iteration.

The Admin Angle: Reducing Staff Burnout with Mindful Workload Management

Cut K–12 teacher burnout with schedule audits, meeting detox, wellness routines, and email boundaries, boosting well-being, retention, and instruction.

Incorporating Global Perspectives: Enhancing Classroom Learning

Inspire global citizenship! Discover practical strategies, real case studies, and tech tools for weaving global education into everyday classroom lessons.

Parent Tips: Promoting Digital Literacy and Online Safety

Digital literacy and online safety for families: manage screen time, vet educational apps, teach fact-checking, set a family tech agreement, and use parental controls.

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Lesson Plan (Grades 9–12): Autonomous Drone Navigation Challenge

High School STEM: autonomous drone navigation with Python, DroneKit/MAVSDK, GPS waypoints, ultrasonic sensors, OpenCV marker tracking, and data analysis.

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Lesson Plan (Grades 3-5): Solar Oven S’mores - Harnessing Solar Energy for Heat Transfer and Renewable Solutions

Grades 3-5 STEM lesson: build pizza-box solar ovens to cook s’mores, investigate heat transfer and renewable energy, and analyze data with graphs.

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Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8): Understanding Roller Coaster Physics - Motion, Energy, and Forces

Hands-on roller coaster physics lesson for grades 6–8: explore motion, energy, gravity, and friction by designing model tracks, testing, and presenting results.

The Admin Angle: Cultivating a Culture of Academic Growth Mindset

An academic growth mindset, rooted in the belief that intelligence and skills can be developed through effort, strategy, and support, is critical for thriving school communities. When a growth mindset permeates school culture, students interpret challenges as opportunities, teachers model continuous learning, and the entire organization moves toward resilience and

The Admin Angle: Enhancing Family Engagement through Digital Platforms

Boost family–school partnerships with digital engagement! Discover apps, virtual events, privacy tips & case studies that improve communication and student success.

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Lesson Plan (Grades K-2): Learning Shapes and Geometry with Tangrams

Introduce K–2 students to geometry with hands-on tangram puzzles that build shape recognition, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Download the lesson!

Parent Tips: Establishing Effective Homework Routines

Streamline homework time with distraction-free zones, timed sprints, and parent-child check-ins to boost focus and reduce stress.

Effective Strategies for Building a Collaborative PLC

Boost teaching & student success with collaborative PLCs—strategies, case studies, and data-driven tips to build thriving educator teams.

Parent Tips: Integrating STEM through Everyday Activities

Turn everyday spaces into hands-on STEM labs: discover easy kitchen chemistry, backyard engineering, coding projects, and tips to make curiosity a family habit.

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Lesson Plan (Grades 6–8): Coding with Wearables – LED Mood Bracelets

Build wearable LED mood bracelets: wire microcontroller & sensors, code color patterns, test & refine for engaging grades 6-8 STEAM learning.

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Lesson Plan (Grades K-2): Math Marble Run - Building, Timing, and Graphing Motion

Hands-on K–2 marble-run lesson: design tracks, time each segment, record averages, and graph results to build early measurement & data skills.

The Admin Angle: Streamlining Compliance without Losing Instructional Focus

Streamline school compliance: build dashboards, delegate tasks, and reclaim leadership time for instructional excellence.

Art-Integrated Learning: Boosting Academic Achievement Through Creativity

Discover how art-integrated learning boosts creativity, engagement, and academic success with actionable strategies, tips, and case studies.

Parent Tips: Cultivating Executive Function Skills

Boost kids' executive function with color-coded calendars, chunked projects, timers & mindful breaks for better focus & independence.

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Lesson Plan (Grades 6–8): Mini Mars Habitat Design – Monitoring and Optimizing Life-Support Conditions

Design a mini Mars habitat: Grades 6-8 engineers build PVC cubes, code Arduino sensors, and optimize CO₂, temperature, and humidity.

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Lesson Plan (Grades 3-5): Nature’s Engineering - Leaf Bridge Challenge

Grades 3–5 STEM challenge: build & test leaf-twig beam or suspension bridges, learn tension, compression & data-driven design.

The Admin Angle: Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices Schoolwide

Transform your school with trauma-informed practices—strategies, data tools, and case studies for safer, resilient learning.

How Formative Assessment Can Improve Student Learning Outcomes

Boost classroom learning with formative assessment: real-time feedback, actionable strategies, tech tools, and case studies for student success.

Parent Tips: Fostering Math Confidence at Home

Fun everyday math: turn cooking, chores, shopping, and DIY geometry into hands-on counting, fractions, and problem-solving for kids.

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Lesson Plan (Grades 6–8): Bridge the Gap – DIY Truss Structures

Grades 6-8 STEM project: design, build & test Pratt vs Warren balsa truss bridges to learn forces, data analysis & real-world engineering.