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

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

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

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