Oct. 1, 2025
Teaching Roots & Student Growth
A partly cloudy day in Lexington turned bright when we met Leigh Allison from Garrison Elementary—a teacher facing her first year with an ELL student and embracing the challenge with heart and strategy. Lee opens up about the early spark that led her into teaching (yes, stuffed-animal classrooms), the power of feeling known at school, and why belonging is the foundation for any real academic climb.
Website: spotlight4success.com
00:06 - Welcome from Lexington Conference
00:36 - Why Lee Came: Supporting an ELL Student
01:07 - Lee’s Path to Teaching
01:52 - ABC Company Overview and Guarantee
02:44 - Classroom Use of ABC Materials
03:32 - Final Thoughts and Conference Takeaway
WEBVTT
00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:09.359
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book Company.
00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:11.279
I'm Devin Pentosa, your host.
00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:16.640
We are here at the Continuous Improvement Conference in Partly Cloudy, Lexington, Kentucky.
00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:21.760
It's a beautiful day outside, and we're enjoying everything going on here at the conference.
00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:24.800
I am here with my special guest, Lee Allison.
00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:33.520
Lee Allison joins us from Garrison Elementary, and we're so happy that you can join us today here at uh at the Kentucky Conference.
00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:34.479
Yes, absolutely.
00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:35.200
Me too.
00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:36.079
All right.
00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:40.640
So, Lee Allison, can you tell me a bit about what brings you here to the conference?
00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:46.240
My district actually um reached out to me and asked me to attend.
00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:50.479
Um this year I have an ELL student.
00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:50.960
Okay.
00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:56.640
Um, and there have been a lot of different sessions to kind of give some guidance with that.
00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:59.200
This is our first time having an ELL student.
00:00:59.280 --> 00:00:59.439
Oh.
00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:04.879
So just um helping prepare me to be the best that I can be for her.
00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:06.400
Oh, that's awesome.
00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:07.599
That's so good.
00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:11.439
Uh, can you tell me a bit about uh your educational journey?
00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:16.239
Um what made you uh kind of go in the direction of becoming a teacher?
00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:17.359
Absolutely.
00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:24.319
So I was the kid, um, when I was little, I would come home and I would line up all of my stuffed animals and teach to them.
00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:27.359
So I was kind of a natural, natural-born teacher.
00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:36.719
Um, but other than that, just the influence teachers had on me inspired me to do the same for other um kids in my community.
00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:38.719
Show the love that they showed me.
00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:50.799
I knew that I had my family, but also having that whole school that I knew cared about me, about my education, it really um influenced me to give that to other students as well.
00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:52.400
Oh, that's wonderful.
00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.280
Thank you for watching Spotlight for Success.
00:01:55.519 --> 00:02:00.400
I am Devin Pentosi, the chief operating officer of American Book Company.
00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:04.719
We are located here in our headquarters in Woodstock, Georgia.
00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:08.319
All of our materials are printed in the USA.
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:20.719
We have course books, ebooks and online testing in grades in mathematics, LA and social studies.
00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:28.960
These materials are all designed to help students achieve higher scores on their state specific and high status assessment.
00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.319
We guarantee score improvement.
00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:41.280
You can get free samples of our materials either in print or in electronic formats at abc12.com.
00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:43.360
We look forward to hearing from you.
00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:47.199
And uh so uh so where did you go to university?
00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.479
Um, Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky.
00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:55.360
Oh wow, so not too far from no just about 30, 40 minutes.
00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:57.680
Um, so very local.
00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:01.120
I I wanted to stay in my community throughout the whole process.
00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:02.800
That is so wonderful.
00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:04.560
And uh what grades are you teaching?
00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:06.400
I teach third and fourth grade reading.
00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:08.159
Oh, okay, that's great.
00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:12.319
And uh I understand you've used uh American Book Company materials before ABC.
00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.840
We started using them last year and I really enjoy them.
00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:17.199
The kids love them.
00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:30.479
Um the best thing about the books are they are rigorous and they are formatted like the KSA, so it gives them that opportunity to practice um and prepare for the big test.
00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:32.159
Oh, that's wonderful.
00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:40.400
Um, and uh, do you have anything you'd like to share with the uh continuing uh continuous improvement conference attendees today?
00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:45.599
Um honestly, I hope everyone's having a great time because I am.
00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:55.680
I've learned so much, and you should definitely look at ordering these resources from them because they truly are amazing and help the students grow.
00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:56.960
Oh, that's awesome.
00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:01.360
Thank you once again, Lee Allison with uh Garrison Elementary.
00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:02.319
Thank you for joining us today.
00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:02.879
Thank you.
00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:04.400
Thank you for having me.
00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:09.359
00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:11.279
00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:16.640
00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:21.760
00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:24.800
00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:33.520
00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:34.479
00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:35.200
00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:36.079
00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:40.640
00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:46.240
00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:50.479
00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:50.960
00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:56.640
00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:59.200
00:00:59.280 --> 00:00:59.439
00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:04.879
00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:06.400
00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:07.599
00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:11.439
00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:16.239
00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:17.359
00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:24.319
00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:27.359
00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:36.719
00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:38.719
00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:50.799
00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:52.400
00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.280
00:01:55.519 --> 00:02:00.400
00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:04.719
00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:08.319
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:20.719
00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:28.960
00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.319
00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:41.280
00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:43.360
00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:47.199
00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.479
00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:55.360
00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:57.680
00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:01.120
00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:02.800
00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:04.560
00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:06.400
00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:08.159
00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:12.319
00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.840
00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:17.199
00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:30.479
00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:32.159
00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:40.400
00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:45.599
00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:55.680
00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:56.960
00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:01.360
00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:02.319
00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:02.879
00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:04.400
