New Orleans is already known for its vibrant culture, rich history, and world-famous cuisine, but this year, it also served as the perfect host city for the 2024 National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conference. Science educators from around the country (and the world!) gathered in the Big Easy to exchange ideas, discover the latest teaching tools, and foster meaningful connections.
One of the main thrills of NSTA 2024 is the Exhibit Hall, a literal maze of innovation and resources that every attendee is excited to visit once, twice, maybe a hundred times during the conference. Booths stretching as far as the eye could see, each offer a treasure trove of teaching tools, lab equipment, and hands-on activities designed to ignite curiosity in the classroom. I personally drove just so I could drive home with 3 new reusable bags full of resources, books, shirts, and even a bird feeder! The joy of discovery wasn’t limited to gadgets and gizmos, though. Attendees got the opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives from major organizations like NASA, NOAA, and other leaders in science education. Whether you were hunting for free lesson plans, grants, or just the coolest giveaways, the exhibit hall had something for everyone and is always a great place to reconvene and discover new things!
As always, I got to present at this conference as well, this time on the very last day. While I presented a similar presentation to my NMEA conference presentation, I was able to inflect more on my audience the ability for my estuary project to fit into virtually any local ecosystem with some adjustments and tweaking. This is another reason why I love this conference. I get the opportunity to discuss with others how my resources could benefit them in their own classrooms as well as come up with new ideas based on their questions and suggestions for improvement. It is so amazing getting to see how other educators loved my project and wanted to see how it thrived, many reaching out with the goal to keep up with the project.
What truly makes NSTA special is the connections. There’s something magical about meeting fellow educators who share your passion for science and teaching. Informal conversations in workshop sessions, networking events, or even in line for coffee often led to deep discussions about teaching strategies, classroom challenges, and shared triumphs. Being a marine science teacher, I don’t always get to meet people that teach in my field or share my interests, but I do get to meet people that are interested in collaboration and understand the value of cross curricular sciences and WANT to see all the different ways their resources can be utilized in the classroom. This is the major difference between going to the National Marine Educators Association Conference (which I love) and NSTA, I get to meet and engage with other subjects, and it makes me excited to bring new ideas into the classroom!
As the conference came to a close, I left with more than just tote bags full of resources. I carried with me fresh ideas, new friendships, and an invigorated sense of purpose to bring back to my classroom. Here’s to the power of science education, the connections we make, and the impact we create together.
