Iesha McDonnell: Turning a Project-Based Classroom Into a Haven for Discovery
At Lacey Academy, a K—8 school in Little Rock, Arkansas, educator Iesha McDonnell has created a home of her interdisciplinary classroom. Through project-based learning and a passion for nurturing the unique genius of every child, she’s made her classroom a space where curiosity is ignited, confidence is instilled, and kids’ hearts find true inspiration.
Teaching Students to Trust in Their Learning
“When administrators visit my classroom, they tell me it feels different,” Iesha McDonnell, seventh and eighth-grade teacher says.
It’s what she’s always intended; teaching in the same community she grew up in, Iesha believes in offering her students the learning opportunities she never had—learning that addresses the whole child.
In her classroom, everyone learns to honor their own pace and way of thinking. Because, as Iesha’s recognized, self-confidence is the key to real discovery.
“Slow and steady wins the race.” Iesha recalls these words in a moment with one of her students, a young girl who was thought to be trouble.
During a Pitsco STREAM Expeditions unit, Iesha’s students were building hot air balloons and she noticed one girl was taking more time than the others to design and build her balloon. While other students were testing their designs against real-world physics, this girl was still in the engineering phase, carefully constructing her balloon with a vision in mind. But when it came time for recording official heights, the young girl surprised everyone: her balloon flew higher than anybody else’s.
Iesha smiled, proud. “Don’t ever worry about what anybody else is doing. Just believe in yourself,” she remembers telling the girl.
These moments of victory are possible because she encourages her students to embrace outside-of-the-box thinking, and takes intentional approaches to ensure they’re supported to do so.
Self-Awareness, Self-Confidence, and a Classroom of Potential
Students in Iesha’s class begin each day by tuning their mindsets towards possibility. These seventh and eighth graders start by reading inspirational quotes and choosing the affirmations that speak to them. Iesha reads the quotes aloud, allowing each phrase of confidence to sink into students’ ears and motivate them.
“They feel very proud when they select something that resonates with their peers. They smile and take ownership of their thinking, saying, ‘I chose that!’”
Iesha encourages students to not only embrace what they know, but what they don’t. Each nine-week unit begins by breaking down unit objectives into vocabulary terms and smaller learning goals. The students take time to consider scientific and actionable questions—such as what is mass and can I create a model, then test and revise it based on the results—then evaluate themselves on a scale ranging from I can’t do this yet to I understand the material and can teach it to a friend.
The students repeat this process halfway through the unit, then again at the end. This practice keeps overwhelm out of students’ way; what they don’t know, they’ll identify and learn together. Through small, intentional steps, Iesha is teaching her students to associate not knowing with an opportunity for discovery.
“They’ve become so self-aware and can take responsibility for tracking their own progress.”
Pitsco’s project-based learning model includes its own curriculum, but Iesha loves that it also gives her the freedom and flexibility to cater instruction to her own classroom’s diverse learners—especially since the lessons are interdisciplinary.
Whether the project involves engineering hot air balloons, racing and launching bottle-rocket cars, or flying drones, the STEM is connected to art and literacy skills that students reinforce as they complete different parts of each project. When terms like “force”, “motion”, and “kinetic energy” become concepts kids interact with daily, they become easier for students to define and demonstrate real-world examples that use them.
In a class full of artists and creatives, these hands-on projects help students connect foundational STEM knowledge to activities they love and talents they’re proud to show off.
Hands-On STEM is Real-World STEM
Kids feel invigorated to take on challenges like designing their own solar-powered vehicle because it gives them a chance to work with industry materials and connect to a world that’s bigger than themselves. And for some of Iesha’s students, this connection is even closer to home.
One of her eighth graders has a father who helped build Lacey Academy. When he heard his son was working with balsa wood, taking measurements, and carefully soldering using engineering equipment, he felt even closer to his child. The boy was so excited to be exploring something in class that his father—one of his biggest role models—did professionally. In fact, this personal connection drove the boy’s passion beyond his own learning.
“He took the lead, going around, asking his classmates whether they needed help. He really took initiative to show them not only what he was capable of, but what they could be capable of too.”
Iesha’s room is now filled with evidence of class-favorite projects: students’ solar-powered vehicles are on display, some with colorful flags that represent student individuality; and hot-air balloons hang from the ceiling as tangible reminders of what students have accomplished. It’s a space that both inspires curiosity and celebrates discovery.
As a member of the board for BEST Robotics Little Rock, Iesha constantly sees kids innovating in ways their own parents didn’t realize they could. Once her kids recognize their ability to think critically, problem solve, and collaborate, they participate enthusiastically, fully immersing themselves in projects that ask them to consider both STEM now and of the future.
“Each unit culminates in career exploration. Kids conduct their own research to learn about STEM professionals and the evolution of their jobs through technological advancements and more.”
Thanks to all the work Iesha’s students have put into themselves and their learning, they have the confidence to imagine themselves outside of the classroom—in fields of aerospace, engineering design, robotics, and more.
Engagement That Fuels Lifelong Passions
There’s no shortage of excitement in Iesha’s classroom. Whether cheering for their builds while racing bottle-rocket cars, tournament style, or proudly using crayon to name and label a solar-powered vehicle they designed themselves, Iesha’s students embrace STEM as a bridge to opportunities—in their own community and a world they’re waiting to discover.