Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

arrow_back View All Dates

10:00am CDT

Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Teachers are asked to communicate more than ever — but often with too many tools and not enough time.

This session focuses on how to simplify communication with students, families, and coworkers using one consistent approach. We’ll cover when to post, when to message, how to avoid duplication, and how to make sure families actually receive and respond.

The goal is simple: save time, reduce frustration, and make communication feel manageable — while improving connection with the families who need it most.

Presenters

Bryan Phillips

Regional Sales Director, ParentSquare

Regional Sales Director, ParentSquare | Former Chief Information Officer, Hoover City SchoolsWith over 20 years in K-12 education and technology leadership, Bryan brings a practical, student-centered approach to every conversation. He led one of Alabama’s most innovative tech departments... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 201

Community Building Community Engagement

Level All Teachers

10:00am CDT

Canva Essentials Skills

Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 251

Join our workshop to build confidence using Canva in your classroom. Learn how to navigate the Home screen, find and use templates, and share activities. We will dive into the Canva editor and explore tips and tricks to level up your designs. You’ll get hands-on experience using elements, animation, and more. Please bring your laptop for some hands-on learning!

Presenters

Sasha Goman

Canva Learning Consultant, Canva Education

Sasha is a Canva Learning Consultant, and she is a former secondary education teacher. She has a master's degree in Teacher Leadership from Northwestern University, where she studied professional development and coaching. She is excited to help teachers create more engaging and dynamic... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 251

Community Engagement Professionalism

Level All Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Librarians

11:00am CDT

Multiple Intelligence Mania

Monday July 13, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 5

Engage and build confidence in your students through using Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory in your classroom! This workshop will teach you how you are smart, ways to incorporate MI to what you are already teaching in class, and strategies to differentiate your classroom so all learners to feel success. Leave with tons of Multiple Intelligence ideas ready to use!

Presenters

Laura Morin

Gifted Teacher, Magnolia Elementary

Monday July 13, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 5

Community Building Community Engagement Differentiation

Level All Teachers

12:00pm CDT

Let the Games Begin: Simple Strategies to Increase Student Engagement

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 206

In this session, you will learn quick and easy activities to use in any classroom to boost student engagement. This session will be interactive! You will have a time to try out some of the activities you will be learning about.

Presenters

Monica Shaner

Curriculum Leader, Spanish Fort High

Hello, I am Monica Shaner, the Curriculum Leader at Spanish Fort High School. With sixteen years experience in education, my focus is on academic growth and achievement through problem-based learning, differentiated instruction, and data driven resources. I strive to support teachers... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 206

Artificial Intelligence Assessment Community Building Community Engagement Differentiation eMINTS Technology

Level All Teachers

12:00pm CDT

One Tool, Less Work

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 201

Presenters

Bryan Phillips

Regional Sales Director, ParentSquare

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 201

Community Building Community Engagement

Level All Teachers

12:00pm CDT

Magic Studio and Magic Write

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 251

Discover how Canva’s Magic Studio can transform your classroom workflow with powerful tools like the Photo Editor, Video Background Remover, and animations to create engaging, dynamic content with ease. We’ll also explore Magic Write, your AI-powered teaching assistant, and see how it can generate rubrics, lesson content, and classroom resources saving you valuable time while supporting diverse learning needs and streamlining communication. Please bring your laptop for some hands-on learning!

Presenters

Sasha Goman

Canva Learning Consultant, Canva Education

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 251

Community Engagement

Level All Teachers

1:00pm CDT

What’s new in Canva?

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 251

Join us to learn about Canva’s Latest tools. This session offers a seamless introduction to what’s new and how you can use these updates to enhance your creative projects. Join us for an engaging walkthrough and leave inspired to take your Canva experience to the next level. Please bring your laptop for some hands-on learning!

Presenters

Sasha Goman

Canva Learning Consultant, Canva Education

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 251

Coding Community Engagement Leadership

Level All Teachers

1:00pm CDT

Fantastic 5-Minute Tips Ready to Use in Your Classroom!

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 214

Looking for some simple, effective strategies and routines that will enhance your classroom during the upcoming school year? Did you know that eMINTS has a ton of free tips, resources and strategy cards on various topics including technology integration, building classroom culture, and using reflective practice with students? Come experience the tips live and in person, and then feel free to use them all year long!

Presenters

Haylee Anderson

Instructional Specialist, eMINTS National Center

Haylee Anderson is currently an instructional specialist with eMINTS National Center. She has previously been a high school English and Spanish and a middle school ELA educator in Missouri. Her family is the most important thing in the world to her. She lives in Southwest Missouri... Read More →

Doug Caldwell

Instructional Specialist, eMINTS

Inspiring education with digital learning!

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 214

Community Building Community Engagement eMINTS

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

1:00pm CDT

Show Me The Money, We Up Next

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 269

This session will engage the participants to understand and learn their asking style. Where every level need the understanding of the importance of fundraising and introduce the exploring post and exploring club workforce development program of 6th-12th grade.

Presenters

William Bryant

Scout Executive/CEO, Mobile Area Council, Scouting America

William Bryant, Jr. is the Scout Executive/CEO Mobile Area Council, Scouting America. He is the immediate past Revenue and Membership Growth Coach for the National Office of the Boy Scouts of America. William is a Subject Matter Expert in Fund Development. In his over 15 years of experience, Willia... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 269

Community Building Community Engagement Leadership Professionalism

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Pre-K Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Counselors

1:00pm CDT

Consistency Wins: Building a Districtwide Communication System That Works

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 201

Strong schools don’t just communicate more — they communicate consistently.

In this session, district and school leaders will explore how to create a unified communication approach that reaches every family, reduces staff confusion, and builds trust across the community. We’ll walk through practical ways to align principals, central office teams, and school staff around one system, clear expectations, and simple workflows that actually get used.

This is not about adding another tool. It’s about using one system well — so families know where to look, staff know what to do, and communication works when it matters most.

Presenters

Bryan Phillips

Regional Sales Director, ParentSquare

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 201

Community Building Community Engagement Professionalism Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office

1:00pm CDT

One Screen to Run the Room: Engagement and Management Made Simple

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 16

Managing transitions, attention, and pacing can make or break a lesson. Classroom Screen provides a simple digital solution for timers, directions, grouping tools, and engagement supports. In this session, teachers will learn how to streamline routines, increase student independence, and create visually structured learning environments.

Presenters

Stacey Tatum

6th Grade Science/Social Studies, Elberta Elementary

Hello! My name is Stacey Tatum, and I am a 6th Grade Science and Social Studies teacher at Elberta Elementary School. This year marks my first year teaching 6th grade after spending several years in 3rd grade, where I developed a deep passion for understanding how students learn to... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 16

Community Building Community Engagement Technology

Level All Teachers, Pre-K Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Librarians, Special Education

2:00pm CDT

Kagan Meets AI: Cooperative Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

Room 3

Artificial intelligence tools are quickly becoming part of today’s classrooms—but how do we ensure students remain active thinkers rather than passive consumers? This session explores how educators can combine AI tools with Kagan Cooperative Learning structures to increase engagement, collaboration, and critical thinking. Participants will experience practical classroom activities where AI helps generate prompts, discussion topics, and review questions that students process through cooperative structures. Walk away with ready-to-use ideas for blending emerging technology with proven instructional strategies.

Presenters

Makenzie Cunningham

Instructional Coach, Rosinton Elementary

Makenzie Cunningham is an instructional coach at Rosinton with 11 years of experience in education. She has taught second, third, and fourth grades, as well as special education for pre-K through first grade. Makenzie has completed both Kagan Coaching and Instructional Coaching certifications... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Room 3

Artificial Intelligence Community Engagement

Level Elementary Teachers

2:00pm CDT

One Tool, Less Work

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

Room 201

Presenters

Bryan Phillips

Regional Sales Director, ParentSquare

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Room 201

Community Building Community Engagement

Level All Teachers

2:00pm CDT

RTI Scheduler: Tips, Tricks, and Tea

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

Room 95

Ready to slay your RTI schedule? Join Audrey, Anna, and me as we dive into the pros and cons of the RTI Scheduler! We’ll show you the tips, tricks, and little hacks that make scheduling less stressful and more strategic—so you can spend less time juggling and more time teaching. This session is perfect for BCBE teachers, but anyone who wants to work smarter (not harder!) with RTI will leave with practical, ready-to-use ideas. Come for the laughs, stay for the strategies, and leave ready to own your RTI game!

Presenters

Audrey Anna Rabalais

Curriculum Leader, Foley Middle

Anna Hunt

Curriculum Leader, Bay Minette Middle

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Room 95

Community Engagement Data Differentiation PLCs Technology

Level Administrators, All Teachers

2:00pm CDT

Canva Code and Magic Activities

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

Room 251

Discover how Canva’s AI tools, Magic Activities and Canva Code (no coding knowledge required), can transform your classroom. In this session, you’ll explore how these innovative features make it easier than ever to create engaging instructional materials, streamline classroom management, and design interactive games and activities aligned with academic standards. Learn how to harness AI to promote higher-order thinking skills, encourage creativity, and save valuable planning time while making learning more dynamic and meaningful for your students. Please bring your laptop for some hands-on learning!

Presenters