Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

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8:00am CDT

Brain Pump

Tuesday July 14, 2026 8:00am - 3:00pm CDT

Participants will learn how to implement Brain Pump, a movement-based approach that connects physical activity and neuroscience to boost learning, attention, and self-regulation. This session includes hands-on strategies, simple routines, and classroom-friendly activities that promote focus, improve behavior, and support students’ cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Presenters

Misty Blackmon

Education Administrator ADECE (Region Director), AL Dept. of Early Childhood

Dotsy Carter

Education Specialist (FCPK Coach), ADECE

I have been in education for 38 years and I am still learning something new each year that motivates and inspires me to want to share it with others.
Last summer, I attended a "Train the Trainer" Brain Pump PD that connected many dots for me with my job and personal life. Physical movement directly affects brain function, learning and self-regulation. It should be intentionally planned into daily routines and plans in a practical/natural... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 8:00am - 3:00pm CDT
Room 24

Behavior Math Reading

Level Pre-K Teachers

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

Library

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

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

Tie Dye - Good Vibes

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 45 - Art Room

Learn to Tie Dye! Make and take your very own original tie dye!
This is great session for teacher teams, field trips, clubs, field day grade colors, or just a reward for the students you love!
Tie-Dye a class or the whole school!
We will show you how easy it is to set up and have PEACE that it's something everyone can accomplish with fun success!!

Please bring ONE 100% cotton T-shirt and drop in the bucket of solution that morning before you go to the other wonderful sessions,
so it will be ready for you to create your colorful creation!

Presenters

Joyce Garrison

teacher, Rosinton Elementary

Hello!I am excited to be returning to GRITC as a presenter!
I graduated with my bachelors of fine art and master's of education from the University of Montevallo, which is located in Montevallo, AL.
I am married and we live in Loxley. I teach elementary art and I absolutely love it... Read More →

Nancy Timmons

Middle School Art Teacher, Central Baldwin Middle

I have been teaching visual arts in Baldwin County for seven years, working with students from Pre-K through 8th grade. I studied art, religion, and philosophy at the University of West Florida and currently teach 8th grade art, where I enjoy blending creative skill-building with... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 45 - Art Room

Arts STEM/STEAM

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

11:00am CDT

5 Ways to Get Students Involved in a Cooperative Team

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

Room 214

Using cooperative learning in the classroom can be a challenge! Let’s break this down and discuss specific steps and examples that keep team members involved and working positively towards your lesson goals.

Presenters

Doug Caldwell

Instructional Specialist, eMINTS

Inspiring education with digital learning!

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 214

Community Building Community Engagement eMINTS

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

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

Collaboration over Chaos: Simple Systems for Powerful Group Leanring

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

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 →