About Brooke

WELCOME to Teach Outside the Box! My name is Brooke Brown, and I’m so happy you stopped by!

Specializing in all things STEM and Makerspaces, I am currently in my 22nd year of teaching in Norman, Oklahoma. I spent 10 years in the general education classroom teaching first, second, and third grade. For the past 12 years, I have served as a Gifted Resource Coordinator for early childhood students, teaching Gifted and Talented, STEM, Math Enrichment, and Advanced Literacy “Book Clubs” for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. On Mondays and Fridays, my classroom serves as a Makerspace for K-2nd Grade.

I love to step outside curriculum and enrich my students’ learning experiences whenever possible! I have a passion for creating hands-on innovative resources to meet the needs of my students while fostering memorable, engaging, play-based learning experiences. Teaching is my true calling, and I cannot imagine doing anything else!

I am a National Board Certified Teacher as an Early Childhood Generalist.  I was given my greatest professional honor as Roosevelt Elementary Teacher of the Year and Norman Public Schools District Teacher of the Year for 2013-2014.  I was also honored to serve as an Oklahoma City Thunder Teacher of the Game in 2013, with my entire class of sweet third graders cheering me on from the stands!  I have my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education as well as a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Oklahoma.  I also have a passion for mentoring student teachers and new teachers, and previously led my new teacher committee in my building.  In 2020, I was a first place winner for the Henry Ford Teacher Innovators Award. I have had the privilege of presenting for Get Your Teach On, Teach Your Heart Out, STAT CAST, Staff Development for Educators, Elementary STEM CON, and the National Science Teacher Association. 

I have been a best-selling author for Teachers Pay Teachers since 2013.  Creating hands-on, engaging resources for other teachers and students brings me so much joy!  Over the years, TpT very quickly turned my favorite hobby into a rewarding business.

I am also proud to be a developer for hand2mind, with two hard goods product partnerships for STEM Bins® sets and Reading Construction Toolkits.

I have the blessing of teaching part time, so that I am able to spend more precious time with my family and have more time to manage Teach Outside the Box.  Ellie is in ninth grade and Beau is in fifth. I have been married to my college sweetheart and love of my life, Andy, for 20 years.  We love going to concerts together and visiting our family lake house at Lake Texoma whenever possible.

If you are interested in having me present or partnering as a social media influencer or ambassador, please contact me at [email protected] for rates and availability.