Teachers don’t have an easy job, and what works in one classroom doesn’t always work in another, but one thing is for sure: teachers have a lot to teach, not just to their students, but to one another. With school going on, it’s not an easy feat for teachers to get together to share ideas and strategies for teaching lessons or discuss what has or has not worked for them over the years. That’s where GRITC comes in. Standing for Gulf Coast Regional Innovative Teaching Conference, the yearly event gives teachers the chance to come together and present as well as listen to nationally renowned speakers and over 75 presenters. The sessions are small, interactive and hands-on, limiting each to 25 participants to ensure everyone gets the chance to interact with the presenters and share ideas.

“This conference is about anything that has to do with teaching,” said Secondary Curriculum Supervisor at Baldwin County Public Schools Tiffany Goldschmidt. “It could be sharing your resources, a particular lesson that worked really well, strategies you used with students, anything. There’s typically over 100 offerings, different titles or sessions that are offered, and we provide something for Pre-K through 12th grade teachers and administrators.”

The conference takes place at Fairhope Middle School for a period of four consecutive days, normally lasting from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Teachers from Baldwin County’s District can attend for free, and those from outside the district can pay $50 for the four-day event. During last year’s GRITC, 550 participants attended. The biggest number of presenters are teachers themselves teaching the things they have learned to their fellow educators. Courses are offered in all forms of academics as well as general teaching strategies and tips. Most sessions last from 50-55 minutes and at any time there could be approximately 40 separate sessions taking place throughout the school. Food trucks are onsite so attendees can enjoy lunch together.

Keynote speakers are a big point during the event, and are typically nationally recognized by teachers, from famous Twitter bloggers or authors. GRITC started 11 years ago with a heavier focus on technology use in the classroom and attracted 200 teachers to Robertsdale Elementary School. Over the years the event has grown so much it has moved into a larger school, and is still growing.

“Building relationships has been our big thing for the past three years, and that’s where our focus is,” said Educational Technology Support Services Coordinator at Baldwin County Board of Education Jeremy King. “We’ve been doing it with eMINTS, we do it with GRITC; we’re trying to get those teachers to see the importance of knowing those kids that come into your classroom, identifying with them; that’s what we’re trying to get done with these programs.”

Even the logo for GRITC centered around student involvement, as a contest was launched to allow Baldwin County students the chance to design the logo to be used for the conference. A student from Orange Beach won in the end, and was awarded at school for his success.

“That’s what the conference is all about, because the reason the teachers are there and the reason they come to eMINTS at night is because of their students. That’s what really brought it all together,” said Goldschmidt.

Registration for GRITC normally begins in Feb., and you can check out the website for more information: http://apps.bcbe.org/gritc.