Morning arrival is one of the hardest transitions of the school day — and one of the most overlooked. In this episode I break down my STEM bin system: what goes in them, how often I rotate them, how kids access them, and why they work especially well for kids who struggle with transitions. I also talk about how to source bins on almost no budget, and why the end of the year is actually a great time to start.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What STEM bins actually are — and what they're not
• Specific examples of what goes in each bin
• Why the morning transition is hard and how bins address the real problem
• Why bins work especially well for kids with ADHD — the landing pad idea
• My actual rotation system: how many bins, how often I swap them, free choice vs. assigned
• How to introduce bins mid-year or in the final stretch
• Low-cost and no-cost sourcing — Dollar Tree, Target, parents, things you already have

LINKS MENTIONED:

📬 iExploreScience Substack — free weekly newsletter and resources for grades 3–5 teachers: https://iexplorescience.substack.com/

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