Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

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10:00am CDT

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

This workshop is designed to help participants deepen their understanding of the Standards for Mathematical Practice and learn to develop effective lessons grounded in the standards. These lessons will allow students to go beyond memorizing facts, formulas, and mnemonics and instead focus on developing a deep conceptual understanding of underlying principles. Teachers build skills to engage students and advance mathematical understanding through the Standards of Mathematical Practice. Participants review grade-appropriate content standards and collaborate on potential teaching strategies to achieve student understanding. Participants also work collaboratively to identify mathematical tasks to develop students' capacity to meet the Standards of Mathematical Practice.

Presenters

Tiffany Christian

Professional Learning Manager, ExploreLearning

Tiffany Christian is a Professional Learning Manager with ExploreLearning serving the East Coast region. She has over 23 years of experience in educational technology and public education as a gifted math and science teacher, an academic coach, district K-12 science instructional... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 253

Math

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

11:00am CDT

Teaching for Understanding in Mathematics

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

Room 253

Teaching for Understanding in Math is designed to help participants use Gizmos to help students reason mathematically and develop a deeper understanding of math concepts. The instructor discusses and models best practices for inquiry-based teaching with Gizmos in mathematics. Teachers learn how to use Gizmos to develop effective mathematics instruction that strengthens students' understanding of mathematics.

Presenters

Tiffany Christian

Professional Learning Manager, ExploreLearning

Monday July 13, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 253

Math

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

12:00pm CDT

Re-engaging the Unenthusiastic: Best Practices for Large-Scale Group Work

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

Room 253

Managing 40 to 65+ students during hands-on, collaborative projects can feel overwhelming—especially when working with unenthusiastic learners and high-risk materials like paint, hot glue, and papier-mâché. This interactive session provides educators with practical, field-tested frameworks to transform large, potentially chaotic classrooms into safe, dynamic, and highly collaborative creative studios. You will learn actionable strategies for setting up clear safety protocols, structuring groups to ensure every student remains accountable, and managing the distribution of messy materials without losing valuable instructional time. Designed for teachers/staff who need to command attention with a large group. This session will leave you equipped with a "Studio Management Blueprint" to inspire even your toughest crowds and turn reluctance into active engagement.

Presenters

Aubree Bishop

English & Theatre, Robertsdale High School

Hi, I’m Aubree! I spend my days teaching 9–12th Theatre and 9th English, where I specialize in turning "I can't" into "I did it myself." My colleagues say I’m organized and hilarious; my students say I’m sarcastic, dramatic, and "mostly nice."I live for building community... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 253