From Workshop to Classroom: How Teachers are Elevating STEM Learning with NMSI

At the end of July, more than 260 educators and school leaders gathered in Fort Worth for the National Math and Science Initiative’s annual content workshops: three days of hands-on professional development designed to reinvigorate STEM instruction. As a coach who's been leading these workshops for more than a decade, I can say that this year's event reaffirmed a clear shift in education: teachers are actively seeking ways to move beyond technology-driven learning and re-engage students through hands-on, tactile instruction. This need for new strategies is a direct result of the post-COVID environment, where many have recognized that convenience doesn't always lead to true, deep learning.

Our three-day workshop was designed to give educators the tools to create a more vibrant and effective learning experience. Participants left with eight newly designed lessons, updated content knowledge, and practical strategies. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive: 95% of teachers found the topics useful for their classrooms and 97% believed the ideas would improve achievement for all their students.

A Teacher’s Perspective: The Power of Putting on the “Student Hat”

For many participants, the workshop experience begins with hesitation but ends in transformation. Tina Jiminez, a middle school English teacher in Texas, remembers being reluctant at first.

“When I was first told I was going, it was a little frustrating,” Jiminez said. “I hate not being in my classroom. But once I arrived and the learning began, I was so glad I was there. So much information was given that helped focus the learning in a way kids would enjoy rather than a boring lesson.”

That excitement was shared by Kia Thomas, a middle school math teacher and DoD STEM Ambassador from New Jersey. She came to Fort Worth hoping to “make math easier and more interesting for all students” and left with a new mindset about how learning happens.

“It helped open my eyes to ways my students learn,” Thomas said. “I went in with an open mind, hoping to learn some new things I could use in my own classroom.” 

By the end of the three days, Thomas had not only gathered new teaching tools but also developed a deeper appreciation for seeing lessons through the student’s lens, aligning content vertically across grade levels, and practicing culturally responsive teaching.

“It was interesting to see how gaps in vocabulary or changes in approach could make students lose interest in the material,” she explained, referring to a vertical articulation exercise that traced a single topic across grade levels. “That really showed me how important it is for teachers to communicate with each other across grades.”

For both teachers, the workshops provided more than strategies—they offered a powerful mindset shift. Jiminez’s biggest “aha!” moment came with a lesson called “Postmortem of a Protagonist.”

“I love this activity because it works with every novel we read in class and gets the students talking about the character and the choices they made throughout the novel,” she said. “It allows students to draw or illustrate their responses, which helps them visualize their writing. There’s even a science connection, which the kids love.”

These moments of discovery capture what NMSI workshops do best: transform theory into classroom-ready practice that engages students across subjects and grade levels. 

Fostering Engagement and Visible Thinking

A central theme of the workshop is making learning active and visible—something both Thomas and Jiminez have brought back to their classrooms in different ways. For Thomas, that meant embracing strategies like whole-class annotation to turn abstract math concepts into movement and discussion. 

“I loved seeing how a simple movement or visualization could help students connect concepts in real time,” she said. “It made me realize that hands-on learning can really help students see their own thinking.”

For Jiminez, it meant leveraging creativity and cross-disciplinary connections to deepen comprehension. 

“My students have learned to think critically about what they are reading and are able to comprehend the reading better because of that,” she said. “They can see past the words on the page and think like the characters to understand what they’re reading on a deeper level.”

That kind of visible thinking, where students externalize ideas, debate, and construct meaning, is at the core of NMSI’s professional learning philosophy. Teachers aren’t passive recipients of content; they’re active learners collaborating, experimenting, and reflecting together—just like students should be.

“It’s different from other professional development,” Thomas added. “You don’t just sit and listen. You’re doing the work, and that changes how you think about teaching.”

Preparing Students for a STEM Future

Both Thomas and Jiminez left their workshops with a renewed focus on preparing students for a complex, interconnected future.

“It’s not just about solving equations; it’s also about getting students ready to be creative and flexible in any job they might have in the future,” Thomas said. “The workshop focused on problem-solving, working together, and critical thinking, which are all important skills for STEM jobs.”

Likewise, Jiminez saw how integrating art, science, and discussion into reading activities gave her students ownership of their learning. “It gets them talking, questioning, and analyzing in ways that matter beyond the classroom,” she said.

The Long-Term Impact: Lasting Change in Classrooms and Confidence

The benefits of NMSI’s work extend far beyond the initial workshops. Teachers receive ongoing support and guidance, building long-term professional relationships that strengthen their instructional practice. Many educators I’ve worked with for five years or more report that student passing rates continue to improve year after year as they apply the workshop strategies.

This work is deeply personal. I was the only one in my family to graduate high school, and it was a physics teacher's dedication that changed the trajectory of my life. NMSI aims to reach students who are “farthest from the point of success,” providing teachers with the tools to create opportunities that can transform not just individual lives, but entire communities. When educators like Tina Jiminez and Kia Thomas bring these strategies back to their schools, the ripple effect can last for generations.