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

Wednesday July 15, 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 →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Library

9:00am CDT

“L.E.N.S.: Looking at Behavior Through the 504 Lens”

Wednesday July 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Room 92

Participants will explore how behavior can be understood through the **L.E.N.S. framework—Learn, Evaluate, Navigate, and Support—**to better recognize when student behavior may be connected to a disability under Section 504. This training will help educators identify potential 504 indicators, evaluate behavior within the context of student needs, navigate appropriate procedures while maintaining compliance with Section 504. Participants will leave with practical tools to shift from simply reacting to behavior to responding with informed, supportive interventions.

Presenters

Dionne Dunton

Supervisor, Central Office Staff

Wednesday July 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 92

Behavior Data Differentiation Health/ Wellness

Level Administrators, All Teachers, 504 Coordinators, Counselors

10:00am CDT

In District Fundraising for Clubs/Teams

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 255

Baldwin County Public School’s After School Care program introduces the In-District Contract. These contracts allow high school and middle school organizations to earn funds by making presentations and teaching lessons to elementary school students during the After School program. These contracts are available for summer, fall, and spring semesters, offering opportunities for all groups to earn money for their organizations and recruit future members.

Presenters

Jacque Helms

ASC Coordinator, Central Office Staff

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 255

11:00am CDT

From Gloom to Bloom: Four Strategies for Building Positive Learning Spaces

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 214

Discover four research-based strategies to energize your classroom by cultivating joy and emotional well-being. This fast-paced session blends Prosocial Education, active learning experiences, and classroom management strategies to boost engagement and improve classroom climate. Leave with practical techniques to foster positivity, strengthen relationships, and support learner success.

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 →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 214

Community Building eMINTS Health/ Wellness