In this episode, I sit down with veteran educator and STEM advocate Chris Woods. You might know him from DailySTEM.com or The STEM Everyday Podcast — and if you don't yet, you're going to love the practical ideas he shares. Chris and I talk about how STEM is everywhere if you know where to look and how we can help all teachers (not just STEM teachers) build student confidence, curiosity, and durable skills.

We dig into everything from:

· Making STEM approachable, even if you're new to it

· The power of real-world examples to make learning stick

·Showing students the career opportunities right in their own backyard

· How trades and hands-on jobs are vital parts of the STEM world

· Helping kids build resilience through iteration and celebrating failure

· Why cross-curricular learning is more important than ever

Chris brings a ton of experience, humor, and heart to this conversation, and if you're looking for ideas to make learning more meaningful for your students, you're going to walk away with a bunch you can use tomorrow.

Topics We Discussed:

• How to make STEM accessible for every teacher
• Finding quick, real-world STEM connections to bring into any classroom
• Why every kid needs at least one class they love coming to each day
• The importance of trades, hands-on learning, and durable skills
• How to balance structured curriculum with playful, project-based learning
• Small ways to integrate STEM into English, history, math, and more
• Favorite classroom projects like Cardboard Pinball and Shoe Design challenges

Favorite Quotes from Chris:

“Life is cross-curricular. Education should be too.”

“Kids won’t always remember the worksheet... but they will remember the project where they failed, iterated, and finally succeeded.”

“STEM is not just about engineering or coding—it’s in nursing, trucking, welding, logistics. It's in the real world our students are walking into.”

Connect with Chris Woods:

🌎 Website: DailySTEM.com

🎙️ Podcast: The STEM Everyday Podcast (Available wherever you listen to podcasts)

📲 Twitter/X: @DailySTEM

Resources We Mentioned:

NASA STEM YouTube Channel – for quick, inspiring career videos

Daily STEM Newspaper – free monthly STEM articles for your classroom

Fusion 360 – student-friendly CAD software for project-based learning

Makey Makey – easy hands-on invention kits

My Takeaway for You:

✅ Find just one small way this week to show your students how STEM is part of their world — a news story, a hands-on activity, even a quick conversation.
✅ Let them struggle. Let them iterate. That’s where real learning (and confidence) happens.
✅And most importantly — keep it fun