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

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

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

11:00am CDT

180 Days of Reaching and Teaching

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

Room 5

This session is geared towards non-tenured, new teachers who desire guidance on how to make connections with students. In today’s ever-evolving educational landscape, school teachers are given the power and the responsibility of building student confidence while building and sustaining their self-efficacy. This complex relationship requires sound judgment and authentic positive relationships. This interactive session offers the opportunity to participate in a scenario-based conversation rooted in real-world teaching events. Participants will examine each case, consider multiple perspectives, and determine the best course of action. Through guided facilitation, this session will enhance awareness of the uniqueness of students, sharpen decision-making, and promote collaborative problem-solving among educational leaders.

Presenters

Dr. Tiara Bailey

Assistant Principal, Foley Middle School

Dr. Bailey brings 24 years of experience in secondary education and five years in administration, with a focus on teacher self-efficacy and student relatedness. Having taught general sciences as well as advanced and full-inclusion science courses — including Biology, Life Science... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 5

Behavior

Level All Teachers

12:00pm CDT

Taking the Mystery Out of Executive Function

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

Room 267

Learn to identify specific executive function skills and how they influence academic, behavioral, and social development in children and young adults. Leave with practical activities you can implement in the classroom to bolster students’ executive function skills!

Presenters

Chaelah Jenkins

Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Advanced Behavioral and Educational Consulting, LLC

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 267

Assessment Behavior

Level 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

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

1:00pm CDT

Math Therapy: Adding Confidence, Subtracting Fear

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

Room 17

How often have you heard someone say "I am bad at math"? In this session we will discuss what 'Math Therapy' is and how it looks inside your math classroom. We will explore math trauma, where is comes from, and the impact it has on our students. What can we do to help these students to believe and achieve! We will discuss some small changes that we can make inside our classroom to help support out students and build that math confidence. Come explore the 5 steps to helping student build a better relationship with math!

Presenters

Melissa Sessions

Teacher, Daphne Middle School

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 17

Behavior Community Building Math

Level All Teachers

Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference - GRITC 2026

8:00am CDT

Misty Blackmon

Dotsy Carter

9:00am CDT

Kristi Bush

10:00am CDT

Haylee Anderson

11:00am CDT

Dr. Tiara Bailey

12:00pm CDT

Chaelah Jenkins

12:00pm CDT

Sherry Rainbolt

12:00pm CDT

Angela Hurst

Savanah Miller

12:00pm CDT

Annie Freeman

1:00pm CDT

Melissa Sessions

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