Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

10:00am CDT

Unlocking the Hidden Worlds of Student Thinking: An Educator’s Expedition into Thinking Routines

Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Pack your gear and step into a world where curiosity leads the way. In this adventure-themed workshop, teachers will journey through a series of thinking routines designed to uncover the hidden landscapes of student understanding. Along the path, participants will test new strategies, decode student thinking patterns, and chart their own trail maps for implementation. Leave ready to guide your learners on daily expeditions into deeper thinking and discovery.

Presenters

Dr. Colleen Edwards

Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 252

11:00am CDT

Unlocking the Reluctant Writer: Practical Strategies to Boost Secondary Students' Writing Craft

Monday July 13, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 252

Reluctant high school writers often shut down when facing an essay—blank-page panic, weak ideas, poor structure, or zero motivation for timed prompts. This session delivers practical, ready-to-use strategies to help even the poorest writers succeed.

Presenters

Patsy Brantley

ESL teacher, Robertsdale High School

I LOVE what I get to do every day! I hold a Doctorate in Teacher Leader and National Board Certification in English as a New Language.

Maria Diaz

EL Teacher, Robertsdale High

Monday July 13, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 252

Differentiation ELA ELL

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Special Education

12:00pm CDT

Simulations in Science: Bridging 3D Learning with Real-World Connections in Life Science

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 252

In this one-hour session aligned to the Alabama Courses of Study, teachers will explore strategies for effectively using simulations to support 3-dimensional learning, engage students in critical thinking and inquiry, develop higher-level thinking skills, and connect literacy to support student understandings of scientific principles in life science and Biology. Participants will focus on using simulations to connect learning to real-world experiences and make sense of the science behind real-world phenomena.

Presenters

Tiffany Christian

Professional Learning Manager, ExploreLearning

Tiffany Christian is a Professional Learning Manager with ExploreLearning serving the East Coast region. She has over 23 years of experience in educational technology and public education as a gifted math and science teacher, an academic coach, district K-12 science instructional... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 252

Science

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

1:00pm CDT

Simulations in Science: Bridging 3D Learning with Real-World Connections in Earth Science

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 252

In this one-hour session aligned to the Alabama Courses of Study, teachers will explore strategies for effectively using simulations to support 3-dimensional learning, engage students in critical thinking and inquiry, develop higher-level thinking skills, and connect literacy to support student understandings of scientific principles in Earth and Space sciences. Participants will focus on using simulations to connect learning to real-world experiences and make sense of the science behind real-world phenomena.

Presenters

Tiffany Christian

Professional Learning Manager, ExploreLearning

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 252

Science

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

2:00pm CDT

Simulations in Science: Bridging 3D Learning with Real-World Connections in Physcial Science

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

Room 252

In this one-hour session aligned to the Alabama Courses of Study, teachers will explore strategies for effectively using simulations to support 3-dimensional learning, engage students in critical thinking and inquiry, develop higher-level thinking skills, and connect literacy to support student understandings of scientific principles in Physical Science and Chemistry. Participants will focus on using simulations to connect learning to real-world experiences and make sense of the science behind real-world phenomena.

Presenters

Tiffany Christian

Professional Learning Manager, ExploreLearning

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Room 252

Science

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

9:00am CDT

ParentSquare - Level Up Your Communication: Going Above and Beyond with Family Engagement

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Room 252

Ready to boost your family's engagement and excitement? In this interactive session, we’ll show you how to streamline communication and boost family engagement using Groups, Post Add-Ons, and Appointment Sign-Ups. Walk away with simple, powerful tools to connect with families and staff—without adding more to your plate.

Presenters

Scott Hardison

Training Specialist, ParentSquare

I am a Training Specialist at ParentSquare. My role is to educate ParentSquare customers on how to best utilize the product for effective school-to-home communication.

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 252

Community Building Community Engagement Leadership Technology

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Counselors, Special Education

10:00am CDT

ParentSquare - Level Up Your Communication: Going Above and Beyond with Family Engagement

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

Room 252

Presenters

Scott Hardison

Training Specialist, ParentSquare

I am a Training Specialist at ParentSquare. My role is to educate ParentSquare customers on how to best utilize the product for effective school-to-home communication.

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 252

Community Building Community Engagement Leadership Technology

Level Administrators, All Teachers, Counselors, Special Education

11:00am CDT

ACAP Bootcamp: Mastery in Motion

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

Room 252

In this session, participants will explore an ACAP Bootcamp model in which students are strategically grouped across classrooms and rotate through a series of focused instructional stations led by multiple teachers. Each data-driven station is designed to address a specific ACAP-aligned standard or skill, allowing students to engage in concentrated practice through varied instructional approaches that directly address student needs and support improved performance on the ACAP assessment.

Presenters

Tyler Barber

Teacher-Math, Daphne Middle School

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 252

Assessment Community Building Data Differentiation ELA Math PLCs Science Social Studies

Level Middle Teachers

12:00pm CDT

Lightspeed Classroom: Digital Classroom Management

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

Room 252

Teachers will learn navigation, class controls, and best practices. The session will highlight features such as screen monitoring, site restriction controls, and real-time student feedback tools that support differentiation by enabling teachers to customize instruction, provide targeted interventions, and foster student independence. Participants will leave equipped with strategies to use Lightspeed Classroom effectively to meet diverse learner needs.

Presenters

Scott Meeks

Sr. Strategic Account Executive, Lightspeed Systems

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 252

Level All Teachers

1:00pm CDT

Lightspeed Classroom: Digital Classroom Management

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

Room 252

Presenters

Scott Meeks

Sr. Strategic Account Executive, Lightspeed Systems

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 252

Level All Teachers

9:00am CDT

Collaboration over Chaos: Simple Systems for Powerful Group Leanring

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

Room 252

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

Wednesday July 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 252

Behavior Community Building eMINTS

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

10:00am CDT

Strengthening Secondary MTSS Through High School PST and Grade Level PLC Collaboration

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

Room 252

Discover how Robertsdale High redesigned its Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Problem Solving Team (PST) processes to strengthen Tier 1 instruction and guide targeted interventions through collaboration with Grade Level PLCs. Participants will explore how PLCs and PST teams analyze academic, attendance, and behavioral data through a shared problem-solving framework. The session highlights practical tools including meeting protocols, RTI-Scheduler integration, teacher feedback systems, and collaborative decision-making structures. Attendees will leave with replicable strategies for aligning PLC collaboration with MTSS systems to increase teacher ownership, strengthen collaboration, and improve student outcomes.

Presenters

Nancy Caruthers

Teacher, Robertsdale High School

Annie Freeman

Curriculum Leader, Robertsdale High School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 252

Data Differentiation Google/Google Classroom Leadership PLCs

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

11:00am CDT

From Data to Action: How the RHS Guiding Coalition Drives Learning, Leadership, and Results

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

Room 252

Join the RHS Guiding Coalition as they share how they drive student learning by analyzing data using the “Here’s What, So What, Now What” framework and how that thinking translates into real decisions at the classroom and school level. Learn how the GC clarifies schoolwide priorities, keeps PLCs aligned to essential outcomes, and protects teams from initiative overload. Discover how they build capacity in teacher leaders, model effective collaboration, and share best practices across teams. The session will also highlight how the GC monitors work of the PLCs. Walk away with practical strategies to strengthen leadership, collaboration, and results in your own team or .

Presenters

Nancy Caruthers

Teacher, Robertsdale High School

Annie Freeman

Curriculum Leader, Robertsdale High School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 252

Data Differentiation Leadership PLCs Professionalism

Level Administrators, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Special Education

12:00pm CDT

ACAP Bootcamp: Mastery in Motion

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

Room 252

Presenters

Tyler Barber

Teacher-Math, Daphne Middle School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 252

Assessment Community Building Data Differentiation ELA Math PLCs Science Social Studies

Level Middle Teachers

1:00pm CDT

Power of the PLC: Collaboration with 8th Grade Teachers. #StrongerTogether

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

Room 252

Baldwin County teachers from across the district who teach the same course will collaborate together. Collaboration topics may include quarters one to four, from activities, PLCs, preparing students for ACAP/ACT/AP assessments, curriculum/pacing guides, common formative assessments, IXL, AI, math strategic plan, or other topics. Please bring ideas to talk about or share with fellow 8th grade teachers.

Presenters

Ashley Burnett

Teacher, Elberta Middle

Hello,

My name is Ashley Burnett, and I've been teaching Math at Elberta Middle School for 4 years. My teaching career started in Katy, Texas where I taught 6th grade math for 4 years and Read 180 for 1 year. I have also taught Math and ELA in Escambia County, Florida for 3 years.
... Read More →