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

Class Bank: Building Responsibility Through Classroom Economics

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

Room 16

A classroom economy system can transform student motivation, responsibility, and financial literacy. This session introduces Class Bank, a structured classroom economy framework where students earn, save, and spend classroom currency while practicing real-world decision-making skills. Participants will learn how to implement and manage a classroom economy without adding extra workload.

Presenters

Stacey Tatum

6th Grade Science/Social Studies, Elberta Elementary

Hello! My name is Stacey Tatum, and I am a 6th Grade Science and Social Studies teacher at Elberta Elementary School. This year marks my first year teaching 6th grade after spending several years in 3rd grade, where I developed a deep passion for understanding how students learn to... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 16

Community Building Community Engagement Leadership Technology

Level All Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Career Tech Teachers

9:00am CDT

Interact Differently: Reimagining Teaching with Interactive Displays & Digital Signage

Wednesday July 15, 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

Wednesday July 15, 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

9:00am CDT

How to Start a Podcast for Your School or Program.

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

Room 95

Covering all the ins and outs of getting started with a school podcast

Presenters

Morrell Baxter

CTE Supervisor, Central Office Staff

Wednesday July 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 95

CTE Digital Citizenship STEM/STEAM Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Counselors

9:00am CDT

Formative Assessment with Pear Deck

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

Room 96

Learn how to engage and assess your students using Pear Deck! Create interactive slide decks that students will love to interact with while delivering content or for gauging learning.

Presenters

Allie Schultze

Wednesday July 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 96

Google Technology

Level All Teachers, Librarians, Special Education

10:00am CDT

Beyond the Tool: Using AI to Simplify Tech and Amplify Learning

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

Room 5

Why spend half a class period teaching technology if your goal isn't to teach technology? It’s time to let AI handle the heavy lifting. In this session, we’ll identify the "hidden tasks" that drain your time and demonstrate how AI can automate the parts of a lesson that aren't being assessed. Learn how to minimize tech-instruction fatigue and maximize the content and skills that define your classroom. The class will focus on both teacher tools and student tools that help maximize instructional time and content focus.

Presenters

Jeremy King

Instructional Technology Coorindator, Central Office Staff

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 5

Artificial Intelligence Assessment Technology

Level All Teachers

10:00am CDT

Spark It Up! IXL Studio Style

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

Room 95

I’m excited to share Spark It Up!, a hands-on session all about IXL Spark Studio. I’ll show you how to use this tool to make skill practice fun, personalized, and meaningful for middle school students—so you can think smarter, not harder when planning and teaching. We’ll explore ways to track student progress, engage learners, and integrate the platform into your ELA and Math lessons. This session is geared toward all teachers of all ages. Ready-to-use strategies to boost student learning will find something useful. You’ll leave with ideas you can use right away—and a little extra inspiration to light up your classroom!

Presenters

Melissa Sessions

Teacher, Daphne Middle School

Anna Hunt

Curriculum Leader, Bay Minette Middle

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 95

Artificial Intelligence Differentiation Technology

Level All Teachers

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

10:00am CDT

Four Strategies to Foster Human-in-the-Loop Critical Thinking

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

Room 214

Discover four practical strategies that help learners use AI to think more critically…not just rely on it for answers. In this interactive session, you’ll explore how to use AI as a thought partner, spot misinformation, promote ethical use, and strengthen human‑in‑the‑loop reasoning. Leave with ready‑to‑use strategies that bring responsible, ethical, and creative AI informational literacy to your learning space.

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 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 214

CTE eMINTS Technology

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Librarians

10:00am CDT

Google Gemini: Your Classroom Assistant

Wednesday July 15, 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

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 96

Google Technology

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

10:00am CDT

The Teacher’s Spellbook: Google Scripts + Gemini Edition

Wednesday July 15, 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

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 3

Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education, Registrars

11:00am CDT

Let the Games Begin: Simple Strategies to Increase Student Engagement

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

Room 20

In this session, you will learn quick and easy activities to use in any classroom to boost student engagement. This session will be interactive! You will have a time to try out some of the activities you will be learning about.

Presenters

Monica Shaner

Curriculum Leader, Spanish Fort High

Hello, I am Monica Shaner, the Curriculum Leader at Spanish Fort High School. With sixteen years experience in education, my focus is on academic growth and achievement through problem-based learning, differentiated instruction, and data driven resources. I strive to support teachers... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 20

Artificial Intelligence Assessment Community Building Community Engagement Differentiation eMINTS Technology

Level All Teachers

11:00am CDT

Smart, Strategic, Intentional: Using CERT to Drive ACT Success

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

Room 3

Discover how to use CERT strategically, not just as an assessment tool, but as a powerful resource for driving intentional instruction, targeted remediation, and meaningful ACT growth. In this session, high school teachers and leaders will explore practical ways to leverage key CERT features, reports, and student supports to strengthen classroom instruction, inform PLC conversations, and promote student ownership of learning. Walk away with actionable ideas and practical strategies.

Presenters

Lauren Lavender

ACT AIM Presenter, ACT AIM

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 3

Assessment Data Differentiation PLCs Technology

Level Administrators, High Teachers, Special Education

11:00am CDT

Technology in the classroom

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

Room 91

Tips and tricks about the MacBook and the Interactive Board and Chromebox

Presenters

Greg Warren

Technician, BCBE Ed Tech

Dick Blackman

Helpdesk Professional, BCBE Education Technology

I have the privilege of answering Helpdesk calls everyday. It is so rewarding to solve issues that our fellow employees are having with technology. My session will talk about the MacBook, the interactive board, and the Chromebox. I encourage you to write down your questions and we... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 91

Technology

Level All Teachers

12:00pm CDT

Magical Strategies for Modern Classrooms with Magic School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 3

This workshop will focus on the in's and out's of Magic School. You will learn to navigate the platform and explore core features designed to save you time. Figure out how easy it is to generate lesson plans, assessments, and engaging materials in minutes. Lastly, we will learn how to easily adapt instruction for diverse learners without the extra workload. This session is geared toward teachers at all levels/contents.

Presenters

Andrea Niblock

English Teacher, Daphne High School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 3

Artificial Intelligence Assessment Differentiation Technology

Level All Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Counselors, Special Education

12:00pm CDT

RTI Scheduler: Tips, Tricks, and Tea

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 95

Ready to slay your RTI schedule? Join Audrey Anna and me as we dive into the pros and cons of the RTI Scheduler! We’ll show you the tips, tricks, and little hacks that make scheduling less stressful and more strategic—so you can spend less time juggling and more time teaching. This session is perfect for BCBE teachers, but anyone who wants to work smarter (not harder!) with RTI will leave with practical, ready-to-use ideas. Come for the laughs, stay for the strategies, and leave ready to own your RTI game!

Presenters

Audrey Anna Rabalais

Curriculum Leader, Foley Middle

Anna Hunt

Curriculum Leader, Bay Minette Middle

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 95

Community Engagement Data Differentiation PLCs Technology

Level Administrators, All Teachers

12:00pm CDT

Using Amplify to Facilitate Visual Patterns, Number Talks, and Problem Solving in the Secondary Mathematics Classroom

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 93

This session is primarily tailored for 6-12 math teachers but benefit can be found for all math educators with some modifications for earlier grades. We will use Amplify to focus on warmups that involve visual patterns and number talks that help students to connect visual patterns to their mathematical expressions. The number talks will help students develop numeracy skills and compare their ways of thinking with their peers to help them learn to work flexibly and efficiently with numbers. These tasks will be easy for students to start but encourage deeper thinking and can lead to deeper understanding of more advanced solutions.

Presenters

Ashley Burton

Secondary Mathematics and Computer Science Teacher, Robertsdale High School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 93

Differentiation Math STEM/STEAM Technology

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

12:00pm CDT

AI-Powered Studying with NotebookLM

Wednesday July 15, 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

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 96

Google Technology

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

12:00pm CDT

Schoology Unlocked: Making Technology Work for You

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 16

Schoology is more than a place to post assignments, it can be a powerful tool for engagement, differentiation, assessment, and instructional clarity. This session provides practical, classroom-tested strategies for maximizing Schoology in grades 7–12 across all subject areas. Participants will explore ways to streamline workflows, increase student accountability, use analytics to guide instruction, and design engaging digital learning experiences. Walk away with ready-to-implement ideas that support rigor, efficiency, and student success.

Presenters

Christine Hayes

Curriculum Leader, Daphne High School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 16

Schoology Technology

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

1:00pm CDT

The Essential Teacher Tech Toolbox

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 207

Is your 'tab anxiety' real? In this fast-paced, high-impact session, we’re opening the ultimate digital toolbox designed for the modern educator. We are diving straight into the essential, 'can’t-live-without' tools that streamline your workflow, automate the boring stuff, and spark instant engagement. Whether you’re a tech-pro or just trying to survive the next bell, you’ll walk away with a curated kit of digital shortcuts to make your teaching life smoother, faster, and much more fun.

Presenters

Jacquelyn Wilson

Library Media Specialist, Stonebridge Elementary

I am the Library Media Specialist at Stonebridge Elementary. I have been an educator for 13 years. In our school library, I like to promote a culture of reading while also including a variety of makerspaces and research lessons. I am a National Board Certified Teacher and I also facilitate... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 207

Artificial Intelligence Digital Citizenship Technology

Level Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Librarians

1:00pm CDT

From IEP to Independence: Transition Assessments in the Digital Age

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 202

Explore how technology can transform transition planning for secondary students with IEPs. This session highlights digital tools and strategies to conduct meaningful transition assessments, analyze results efficiently, and use data to empower students toward post-school success. Participants will leave with practical ideas to streamline assessments and enhance student engagement using technology.

Presenters

Nancy Caruthers

Teacher, Robertsdale High School

Cassondra Hardy

Special Education Inclusion for Eng 12 & Case Manager, Robertsdale High School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 202

Assessment CTE Data Google/Google Classroom Technology

Level High Teachers, Special Education

1:00pm CDT

One Screen to Run the Room: Engagement and Management Made Simple

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 16

Managing transitions, attention, and pacing can make or break a lesson. Classroom Screen provides a simple digital solution for timers, directions, grouping tools, and engagement supports. In this session, teachers will learn how to streamline routines, increase student independence, and create visually structured learning environments.

Presenters

Stacey Tatum

6th Grade Science/Social Studies, Elberta Elementary

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 16

Community Building Community Engagement Technology

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

1:00pm CDT

From the Wide Lens to the Deep Dive: Pinpointing At-Risk Trends and the Students behind Them

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 92

Learn how to take the pulse of your school and drill down to your most at-risk students in 5 minutes or less. Save future time and effort by quickly finding those "under the radar" kids before they are consuming all your resources. Whether you're developing a school wide initiative or prepping for a parent meeting, PowerSchool's dynamic Analytics and Insights platform has everything you need to get started. Discover how to quickly and efficiently pull meaningful data into an easy to digest format. Participants will also learn about the newest at-risk module coming in the Fall of 2026.

Presenters

Kate Wellborn

Attendance Department, Prevention and Support

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 92

Data Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, Counselors

1:00pm CDT

Easy Video Production with Google Vids

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 96

Jump into the world of video production with Google Vids. Utilize the familiar tools found throughout the Google ecosystem to create engaging and professional video presentations.

Presenters