Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

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9:00am CDT

You Can't Teach A Nervous System That's On Fire: Understanding Student Dysregulation in the Age of Social Media

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Something has shifted in our classrooms. Educators across grade levels and subject areas are reporting the same thing: students who cannot focus, cannot regulate, cannot tolerate uncertainty, and cannot connect the way they once could. And most professional development has responded by adding more — more curriculum, more programs, more policy, more things for already-exhausted educators to implement.

This session takes a different approach entirely.

You Can't Teach a Nervous System That's On Fire is a deep, honest, and surprisingly hopeful look at what is actually happening to the students sitting in our classrooms — through the lens of neuroscience, social media research, and the realities of growing up in an era of unprecedented collective overwhelm.

Participants will leave with:

A clear, accessible understanding of how chronic social media consumption is affecting the adolescent nervous system

The ability to recognize and reframe specific student behaviors through a neurological lens — transforming how they see and respond to their most challenging students

Practical, evidence-informed strategies to support student regulation that require no new budget and no additional programs

Language and tools to share with parents navigating these same challenges at home

This is not a session about blaming phones, diagnosing students, or adding to anyone's workload. It is a session about understanding — because when you truly understand what you are looking at, everything about how you show up changes.

And that changes what is possible in the room.

Presenters

Kristi Bush

Keynote Speaker, Social Media Safety Educator, KNB Communications

Kristi Bush serves as a national education consultant and social media safety advocate. She is a licensed social worker with greater than 20 years of clinical practice and health care experience. She attended Troy and Auburn University where she studied social work and counseling... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Library

9:00am CDT

Interact Differently: Reimagining Teaching with Interactive Displays & Digital Signage

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Room 93

Today’s classrooms require more than just a display — they require tools that actively engage students, support teachers, and create more dynamic learning environments. In this session, educators will explore how interactive displays and digital signage can transform the way teaching and learning happen in the classroom and across campus. Attendees will walk away with practical tips, creative classroom use cases, and simple strategies for using built-in tools from Clear Touch to increase collaboration, participation, and instructional impact.

Presenters

Madison Hunt

Account Manager, Clear Touch

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 93

CTE Data Math PLCs Reading Robotics Science Social Studies Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers, Pre-K Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Special Education

9:00am CDT

General PowerSchool Q&A

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Room 32

Get answers to your PowerSchool questions and learn how to make the most of its features.

Presenters

Joseph Marshall

Enterprise Systems Professional, Other

Enterprise Department

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 32

Data Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, 504 Coordinators, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education, Registrars

9:00am CDT

PowerSchool SIS Basics / Tips and Tricks

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Room 28

Learn the essentials and expert tips to navigate PowerSchool SIS efficiently.

Presenters

Joseph Marshall

Enterprise Systems Professional, Other

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 28

Data Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, 504 Coordinators, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education, Registrars

9:00am CDT

Protecting Students in a Digital Age: Laws, AI-Generated Risks, and National Reporting Tools

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Room 267

This presentation is designed for educators, school administrators, counselors, school resource officers, and safety personnel to better understand the rapidly evolving threats involving online exploitation, sextortion, AI-generated explicit imagery, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The session combines the legal perspective of a prosecutor, the investigative perspective of an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Investigator, and the prevention/intervention perspective of school safety leadership.

The presentation focuses on how generative AI and social media platforms are changing student victimization, what schools should do when incidents occur, and what state and federal laws apply to synthetic or AI-generated child sexual abuse material. It also provides practical reporting tools and response protocols schools can immediately implement.

Collaborative Guests for the presentation:

Cpl. David Tetreau
Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office
Investigator/ Digital Forensic Examiner

Assistant District Attorney Sydnee Corello
Baldwin County District Attorney’s Office

Presenters

Jeffrey Spaller

Safety & Security Supervisor, Baldwin County Central Office

Jeff Spaller is a retired Sergeant from the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office with extensive experience in school safety, community outreach, and law enforcement leadership. During his 25 year plus tenure, he served in multiple divisions and retired while leading and supervising the... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 267

Safety

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Central Office, Counselors

9:00am CDT

Creating Safe & Supportive Environments through Effective Classroom Management

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 269

Classroom Management Strategies

Presenters

Kristie Shankles

MTSS-Specialist, ALSDE

Jonathan Thompson

HPE and AL-MTSS Specialist, ALSDE

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 269

Health/ Wellness Leadership

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers

9:00am CDT

Begin the Journey of True Instructional Leadership with "Discover Kagan"

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 271

Discover Kagan Cooperative Learning. Discover an approach to teaching and
learning that focuses on one core concept: Full Student Engagement. Kagan empowers
teachers to create full student engagement using Kagan’s research-based and classroom
proven cooperative instructional strategies. Instead of engaging one student at a time,
Kagan’s Everyone Answers! structures create an unparalleled level of engagement for every
student, every day. This high-leverage approach addresses eight pressing challenges district
leaders face today. Discover how Kagan helps districts: 1) reduce teacher burnout and
shortages; 2) increase achievement, reduce learning and achievement gaps; 3) drastically
cut disruptive behaviors and referrals; 4) enhance engagement, reduce distractions, and
student boredom; 5) reduce chronic absenteeism; 6) decrease assessment workload while
increasing authentic assessment; 7) improve student well-being; 8) meet the needs of all
learners. Discover what Kagan really is, how it addresses education’s pressing concerns, and
how Kagan works with districts. This Discover Kagan session is an opportunity for your
leadership team to come to consensus, deciding if Kagan is right for your district.

Presenters

Aaron Diaz

Director of Implementation Support, Kagan Publishing and Professional Development

Dr. Aaron Diaz has served as a bus driver, coach, teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He is passionate about improving pedagogy, teacher support, community engagement, relationshipbuilding, and strategic planning—especially through the use of Kagan Cooperative Learning... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 271

Leadership

Level Administrators, Central Office

10:00am CDT

Empowering Thinkers: Mastering the Three Phases of Classroom Inquiry

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 5

In this session, we will explore a comprehensive, three-phase framework for integrating inquiry-based learning into your classroom using technology.
. Effective inquiry goes beyond simply asking students for answers; it is about structuring lessons, empowering students to drive their own curiosity, and purposefully guiding their cognitive processes.

Presenters

Jeremy King

Instructional Technology Coorindator, Central Office Staff

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 5

Artificial Intelligence eMINTS Technology

Level Central Office, All Teachers, Librarians

10:00am CDT

General PowerSchool Q&A

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 32

Get answers to your PowerSchool questions and learn how to make the most of its features.

Presenters

Joseph Marshall

Enterprise Systems Professional, Other

Enterprise Department

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 32

Data Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, 504 Coordinators, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education, Registrars

10:00am CDT

PowerSchool SIS Incidents

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 28

Manage and track student incidents with ease using Simple.

Presenters

Lance Lewis

Supervisor Registrar and SIS Operations, Other

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 28

Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers, Pre-K Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, 504 Coordinators, Career Tech Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education, Registrars

10:00am CDT

The Teacher’s Spellbook: Google Scripts + Gemini Edition

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 3

Step into The Teacher’s Spellbook and discover how to transform your daily tasks into automated “magic” using Google Apps Script and Google Gemini. This session is designed for educators with little to no coding experience who want to save time, reduce repetitive work, and streamline classroom and administrative workflows.

Participants will explore how Google tools like Sheets, Forms, and Slides can be enhanced with simple scripts to automate tasks such as sending emails, organizing data, generating reports, and creating presentations. The real “cheat code” of the session is learning how to use Google Gemini to write these scripts—no coding background required.

Through real-world examples, including large-scale event management and classroom applications, attendees will leave with practical strategies, ready-to-use prompts, and the confidence to begin automating their own workflows immediately.

Presenters

Miranda Mosley

Instructional Technology Resource Teacher, MCPSS

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 3

Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education, Registrars

11:00am CDT

Tiered Instruction: Igniting Curiosity

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 269

Explore Tier I Instruction Strategies for engagement.

Presenters

Kristie Shankles

MTSS-Specialist, ALSDE

Jonathan Thompson

HPE and AL-MTSS Specialist, ALSDE

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 269

Data Leadership PLCs

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers

11:00am CDT

PowerSchool SIS Reporting and SubReports

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 28

Dive into reporting features to gather valuable insights from PowerSchool SIS data.

Presenters

William Waldrop

Enterprise Systems Professional, Other

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 28

Data Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, 504 Coordinators, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education, Registrars

1:00pm CDT

Consistency Wins: Building a Districtwide Communication System That Works

Tuesday July 14, 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

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 →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 201

Community Building Community Engagement Professionalism Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office

1:00pm CDT

Trauma-Informed Approach Overview: A Pathway Toward Student Success

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

TBA

This overview of trauma-informed education equips educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to cultivate a compassionate classroom culture. Participants will gain insights into the neurological, emotional, and social effects of trauma on learning.(Condensed Version)

Presenters

Kristie Shankles

MTSS-Specialist, ALSDE

Jonathan Thompson

HPE and AL-MTSS Specialist, ALSDE

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
TBA

Community Building Health/ Wellness Leadership

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers

2:00pm CDT

Canva Code and Magic Activities

Tuesday July 14, 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

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 →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Room 251

Community Engagement Leadership Coding

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers, Librarians

2:00pm CDT

English Learner Data: What Leaders Need to Know

Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

Room 28

This session helps district and school administrators use English learner data to inform program planning and instructional support. Participants will review indicators related to English language development, academic outcomes, and program effectiveness, and explore how these data can inform decisions and strengthen services for ELs.

Presenters

Stephanie Montiel

ESL Supervisor, BCBE

I acquired my love for teaching while working in Paraguay as a Peace Corps volunteer. I hold a master's degree in English as a second language (ESL) and an education specialist degree in teacher leadership, both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I completed a schoo... Read More →