Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

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9:00am CDT

Practical AI for Educators: Enhancing Instruction, Feedback, and Efficiency Without Losing the Human Touch

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

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming education, but many educators remain unsure how to use AI tools ethically, effectively, and confidently in their daily practice. This session provides a practical, educator‑centered introduction to using AI as a support—not a replacement—for teaching and learning.
Participants will explore real classroom examples of how AI tools such as generative text assistants can be used to streamline lesson planning, personalize feedback, differentiate instruction, and support student engagement while maintaining academic integrity. The session also addresses common concerns, including ethical use, bias, transparency, and appropriate classroom boundaries.
Designed for educators at any experience level with AI, this session emphasizes hands‑on strategies that can be implemented immediately. Attendees will leave with concrete prompts, workflow ideas, and guidance for introducing AI responsibly to students.

Presenters

Roland Weldon

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 206

Assessment Chromebook CTE Data Digital Citizenship ELA Google Professionalism Safety Science Social Studies Technology

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

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

Cafeteria/Auditorium

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
Cafeteria/Auditorium

9:00am CDT

ParentSquare - Level Up Your Communication: Going Above and Beyond with Family Engagement

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

Room 252

Ready to boost your family's engagement and excitement? In this interactive session, we’ll show you how to streamline communication and boost family engagement using Groups, Post Add-Ons, and Appointment Sign-Ups. Walk away with simple, powerful tools to connect with families and staff—without adding more to your plate.

Presenters

Scott Hardison

Training Specialist, ParentSquare

I am a Training Specialist at ParentSquare. My role is to educate ParentSquare customers on how to best utilize the product for effective school-to-home communication.

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 252

Community Building Community Engagement Leadership Technology

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Counselors, Special Education

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

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

Lance Lewis

Supervisor Registrar and SIS Operations, Other

Tabitha Syde

Utility Registrar, BCBE

William Waldrop

Enterprise Systems Professional, Other

Daniel Brawdy

Enterprise Systems Coordinator, Education Technology

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

Teach Smarter, Not Harder: Curriculum‑Aligned Content with Discovery Education

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

Room 255

Discover how Discovery Education simplifies planning with ready‑to‑use, standards‑aligned videos, activities, and lesson supports across all subjects K-12. Walk away with resources you can teach with tomorrow.

Presenters

Tomi Rush

Sr. Partner Success Manager, Discovery Education

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 255

ELA ELL Math Science Social Studies Technology

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

9:00am CDT

Intro to Google Classroom

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

Room 96

This session will introduce the features and functions of Google Classroom. Participants will have the opportunity to follow along and get started creating their own digital environments.

Presenters

Allie Schultze

Librarian, Ann Arbor Public Schools

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 96

Google Technology

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

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

10:00am CDT

Nurturing Norms: Crafting Classroom Community with Confidence

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

Room 214

This session empowers educators to create structured yet flexible classroom environments by providing a comprehensive understanding of classroom norms. Through interactive and practical activities, participants will explore the what, why, and how of norm-setting, fostering a positive learning atmosphere that enhances student engagement and academic success. The hands-on approach ensures that educators leave with actionable strategies ready for immediate application in their educational settings.

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 →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 214

Behavior Community Building eMINTS Health/ Wellness

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

10:00am CDT

ParentSquare - Level Up Your Communication: Going Above and Beyond with Family Engagement

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

Room 252

Presenters

Scott Hardison

Training Specialist, ParentSquare

I am a Training Specialist at ParentSquare. My role is to educate ParentSquare customers on how to best utilize the product for effective school-to-home communication.

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 252

Community Building Community Engagement Leadership Technology

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Counselors, Special Education

10:00am CDT

Pathways to Possibility: Career Exploration with Discovery Education

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

Room 255

Get ready to spark curiosity and inspire tomorrow’s
workforce! In this interactive session, we’ll explore curated
career resources and student-driven career exploration
tools that make real-world learning come alive. See how
Discovery Education helps empower teachers, propel
student growth, and connect your classroom to exciting
career pathways. Walk away with ideas and resources to
help students dream big and take their first steps toward
the future they imagine.

Presenters

Tomi Rush

Sr. Partner Success Manager, Discovery Education

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 255

Continuing Education CTE

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Counselors

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

Tabitha Syde

Utility Registrar, BCBE

William Waldrop

Enterprise Systems Professional, Other

Daniel Brawdy

Enterprise Systems Coordinator, Education Technology

Joseph Marshall

Enterprise Systems Professional, Other

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

Google Gemini: Your Classroom Assistant

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

Room 96

Dive into the features of Google Gemini, an AI chatbot that can help you create plans, assist in designing instruction, and customize your bot to meet your needs.

Presenters

Allie Schultze

Librarian, Ann Arbor Public Schools

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 96

Google Technology

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

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

Practical AI for Educators: Enhancing Instruction, Feedback, and Efficiency Without Losing the Human Touch

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

Room 206

Presenters

Roland Weldon

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 206

Assessment Chromebook CTE Data Digital Citizenship ELA Google Professionalism Safety Science Social Studies Technology

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

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

12:00pm CDT

Sugar and Spice...Not Always Nice: Understanding and Addressing Relational Aggression in Girls

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 254

This session provides school counselors, educators, and support staff with a practical understanding of relational aggression among girls, using key insights from the book, Queen Bees and Wannabes. Participants will explore the secret society of girls, how social dynamics, peer influence, and communication patterns impact behavior, and how adults can respond in ways that build connection, accountability, and healthy relationships.

Presenters

Sherry Rainbolt

Prevention and Support Supervisor, Central Office Staff

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 254

Behavior

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Pre-K Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

12:00pm CDT

Big Feelings, Big Behaviors: Helping Students Reset in K–6

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 19

Big feelings. Big behaviors. Real solutions.

If you’ve ever felt your classroom shift in seconds from calm to chaos, this session is for you. Join us for an energizing, no-fluff deep dive into how to confidently handle escalating behaviors without power struggles, shutdowns, or lost learning time.

You’ll learn how to catch the early warning signs before things blow up, use game-changing de-escalation language that actually works, and put proactive strategies in place that help students regulate and refocus. Built for K–6 educators, this session is packed with real talk, real strategies, and ready-to-use teacher scripts you can take back and use immediately.

Walk in curious—leave feeling confident, equipped, and ready to take back your classroom.

Presenters

Angela Hurst

K3 Project Success Teacher, Pine Grove Elementary

I am a dedicated educator with 22 years of experience teaching 3rd and 4th grade. I currently serve as a Project Success Teacher, where I work closely with Tier 3 behavior intervention students to support their growth and success. I’m a proud wife to David and mom to DJ and Zach... Read More →

Savanah Miller

Special Education Teacher

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 19

Behavior Differentiation Safety

Level Administrators, Pre-K Teachers, Elementary Teachers, 504 Coordinators, Counselors, Special Education

12:00pm CDT

Collaboration over Chaos: Simple Systems for Powerful Group Learning

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 16

Effective collaboration does not happen by chance — it is intentionally designed through structured routines, purposeful tasks, and a classroom culture that values student thinking.

Participants will experience collaborative structures from a learner perspective and examine practical systems that support productive group work, including flexible grouping methods, role development, formative monitoring strategies, and reflection protocols.

Presenters

Annie Freeman

Curriculum Leader, Robertsdale High School

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 16

Behavior Community Building eMINTS

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

12:00pm CDT

ParentSquare - Game Plan for Groups: Athletics & Activities Edition

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 91

Coaches and club leaders—this one’s for you. Learn how to set up and manage your team using Groups, from adding guest users to organizing practices and games with the calendar. We’ll also cover post permissions and powerful add-ons so you can keep everyone informed, engaged, and ready for game day. Bring all of your questions and let's go!

Presenters

Scott Hardison

Training Specialist, ParentSquare

I am a Training Specialist at ParentSquare. My role is to educate ParentSquare customers on how to best utilize the product for effective school-to-home communication.

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 91

Community Building Community Engagement Leadership Technology

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Counselors, Special Education

12:00pm CDT

AI-Powered Studying with NotebookLM

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 96

Unleash the power of your personalized and protected AI assistant with NotebookLM. Find out how to create accessible study guides and learning aides for you and your students.

Presenters

Allie Schultze

Librarian, Ann Arbor Public Schools

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 96

Google Technology

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

1:00pm CDT

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

Tuesday July 14, 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

Doug Caldwell

Instructional Specialist, eMINTS

Inspiring education with digital learning!

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 214

Community Building Community Engagement eMINTS

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

1:00pm CDT

ParentSquare - Data-Driven Communication & Secure Family Engagement

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

Room 91

Designed for principals and administrators, this session focuses on turning insights into action. Explore how to leverage ParentSquare reports to monitor engagement and make informed decisions, while also learning how to securely share important documents with families. We’ll also cover best practices for launching StudentSquare at your site and how to use data to keep a real-time pulse on communication across your school. Walk away with practical strategies to communicate with confidence.

Presenters

Scott Hardison

Training Specialist, ParentSquare

I am a Training Specialist at ParentSquare. My role is to educate ParentSquare customers on how to best utilize the product for effective school-to-home communication.

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 91

Community Building Community Engagement Leadership Technology

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Counselors, Special Education

1:00pm CDT

CAPP Process

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

Room 255

Go over with referring administrator's the process on a referral to the CAPP program.

Presenters

Michael Cook

Director of Services, Drug Education Council

Married three children and six grand children. Retired from a 30 year career in Law Enforcement went to work with
The Drug Education Council in 2015 and now the director of services. Would love to talk to administrators about the CAPP program and the referral process.

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 255

Community Engagement

Level Administrators, Counselors

1:00pm CDT

Strengthening Secondary MTSS Through High School PST and Grade Level PLC Collaboration

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

Room 16

Discover how Robertsdale High redesigned its Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Problem Solving Team (PST) processes to strengthen Tier 1 instruction and guide targeted interventions through collaboration with Grade Level PLCs. Participants will explore how PLCs and PST teams analyze academic, attendance, and behavioral data through a shared problem-solving framework. The session highlights practical tools including meeting protocols, RTI-Scheduler integration, teacher feedback systems, and collaborative decision-making structures. Attendees will leave with replicable strategies for aligning PLC collaboration with MTSS systems to increase teacher ownership, strengthen collaboration, and improve student outcomes.

Presenters