Most of us appreciate that IQ is a fairly limited and somewhat stuffed measure, but finding effective alternatives is tricky.
So here is one: self-regulation is a better predictor for success than IQ. Self-regulation is of course tightly linked to patience, and that’s an important life skill.
Unfortunately, life in 2014 doesn’t teach patience. We have gadgets around us that pretty much all focus on instant gratification in various forms. Everybody reacts differently to this, but it’s something to keep in mind: those who teach, mentor and parent now grew up in quite a different environment to the one kids reside in today.
STEM projects generally require patience: experiments take time to grow or mature, and building something isn’t done in a few minutes. This also means that doing STEM projects is an excellent way to practice patience.
Want to read more on this topic? See the article Patience! by Ainissa Ramirez at the awesome Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation).
Good things come to those who wait are patient.
The activities embedded in the programs make the subjects more engaging for the students as well as the teacher.
Trent Perry, Teacher