Tanya Steers
Tanya Steers, Midland WA
I have worked in early childhood education for 10 years this year! My current role is 'Principal and Pre-Kindy Teacher' of Hensman Street Elementary.
My professional interests…
Child-led, play-based learning, STEAM, dance and music, science exploration.
This comes to my mind when I think of STEM…
Little and big people engaged in exploration and experimentation, learning and sharing together.
I am a fan of inquiry-based STEM learning because…
I have loved science and maths my whole life and have a degree in molecular genetics. I am so excited that I now have the opportunity to share my love of STEM with amazing learners, the children of the next generation.
Inquiry-based STEM is hands-on working together to achieve an unknown outcome. It allows children to explore and challenge their own thinking to see what may occur.
My favourite Little Scientists workshop is…
The Water workshop is my favourite because there is so much to be explored with water as it can be a solid, liquid or gas. Children love exploring and playing in water all year round and it is the best ingredient for muddy puddles.
My favourite STEM exploration with children…
One of my favourite discoveries has been what clouds do. The children were so intrigued as to why clouds exist and what their job was. It was a wonderful discovery because there was so much to explore together and so much to learn about the water cycle and seasons.
Life without STEM would be…
Life without STEM is like not living! There is no life without STEM.
In terms of STEM, I encourage my children…
I encourage my children to think creatively and discover at their own pace. There is no rush in STEM discovery!
My role in the children’s discovery and research is to…
My role is to support the children with their discoveries by sharing their excitement about the question they are trying to answer. Inquiry-based STEM learning is a collaborative process and I see myself as a part of the discovery team.
