Jan. 29, 2026
Why Tools Matter When Passion Meets Practice
Bright lights, fresh ideas, and real classroom wins—our trip to LACUE in New Orleans brought all three together. We sat down with fifth grade science teacher Brayondra Allen from Ferriday Upper Elementary to talk about what truly moves the needle for student learning: clear standards alignment, a smart resource mix, and the joy of those “aha” moments when a concept clicks. From the first minutes, her focus is practical and purposeful—learn more to be more for her students.
Website: spotlight4success.com
00:06 - Welcome From LaCUE In New Orleans
00:46 - ABC Materials And Free Samples
01:56 - Goals: Standards, Lesson Alignment, Growth
02:18 - Fifth Grade Science And Resources
03:10 - Aha Moments In The Classroom
03:38 - Gratitude For LaCUE And Closing
WEBVTT
00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:09.599
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book Company.
00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:11.919
I am Devin Pentosi, your host.
00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:19.600
We are here in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the at the wonderful Lekew Conference.
00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:26.640
We're so excited to be here with our special guest, Breondra Allen, otherwise known of as B Allen.
00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:27.039
Hello.
00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:28.160
Thank you for joining us.
00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:29.519
No problem, no problem.
00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:30.399
All right.
00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:32.640
B Allen, uh, she comes to us.
00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.560
B comes to us from Faraday Elementary, Upper Elementary.
00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:36.960
Yes.
00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:39.280
Um, over there in Concordia Parish.
00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:42.479
And we're so happy to have here on the show with us.
00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:44.159
Yes, yes, yes.
00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:45.439
Happy to be here.
00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:46.240
That's great.
00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.960
B, uh, tell me what brings you here to LaCue.
00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.439
Um, I came to Lacue to learn more, to be more for my students.
00:00:53.520 --> 00:01:00.960
Um, I've always wanted to teach, I love my kids, and I have a good passion for it, so I just came here to soak up all I can learn.
00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:01.759
Be a sponge.
00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:02.560
Be a sponge.
00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:03.759
That's a great way to be.
00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:04.640
No kidding.
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.439
Thank you for watching Spotlight for Success.
00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:12.560
I am Devin Pintozi, the chief operating officer of American Book Company.
00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:16.879
We are located here in our headquarters in Woodstock, Georgia.
00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:20.480
All of our materials are originated in the USA.
00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:34.000
We have original materials.
00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:53.439
You can get free samples of our materials either in print or in electronic format at abc12.com.
00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:55.439
We look forward to hearing from you.
00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:00.159
Um, is there anything in particular you're hoping to learn more about while you're here?
00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:13.840
Um, to be able to use the curriculum better than what I am using it for, to make sure that my lesson plans are aligning with the standards for Louisiana, to make sure that we keep growing our students and making sure we're flourishing upward in excellence.
00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:14.960
Oh, that's awesome.
00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:15.919
Yes, yes, yes.
00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:16.719
That's awesome.
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.159
Uh, what grade do you teach?
00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:19.680
I teach fifth grade science.
00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:20.719
Fifth grade science.
00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:20.879
Yes.
00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:21.680
Oh wow.
00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:23.199
Have you used uh that's awesome.
00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:25.439
Have you used American Book Company materials?
00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:27.840
I have, and we also use Amplify.
00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:28.159
Okay.
00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:33.280
And I talked with the vendors earlier, so I'm fine, and it's growing and we're spot on.
00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:34.159
That's great.
00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:37.759
So since you've used American Book Company, have you seen score increases?
00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:38.400
I have.
00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:38.719
Okay.
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:52.800
We do our Amplify, then we go back and we pull from those books and we use it as resources to re not refine, but make sure that we're growing them in their standards that they're lower in where they're kind of weak.
00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:54.719
So we're using it as a resource tool.
00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:56.000
Oh, the ABC.
00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:57.199
Okay, fantastic.
00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:00.080
Oh, look at that!
00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:01.759
Yeah, look at that, right there.
00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:03.919
In all ways that we can.
00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:05.439
That's awesome.
00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:07.120
That's awesome, Brianna.
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.800
So, um, Sabia, uh, tell me a little bit about your journey.
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:17.840
Like, um uh when you're in the classroom, is there a special moment where you're like, wow, that's why I got into teaching?
00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:19.520
Um, let's see.
00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.280
I like the aha moments.
00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:25.680
So I like when they have the discoveries that go along with our lists.
00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:30.960
So it shows me that they're engaged, they're actively learning, and I love to see it.
00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:33.199
That's wonderful.
00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:38.000
Um, do you have anything you'd like to share with the Lakue uh conference family here?
00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:41.520
Um, I would like to say that this is a great experience.
00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:43.199
Keep doing it.
00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:45.199
I know that we're past the 25-year mark.
00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:48.400
I think we're like at the 37th year mark, something like that with Lacue.
00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:50.080
So keep it going.
00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:54.879
It's great for new teachers like myself, and just keep doing what you're doing.
00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:56.240
Oh, that's so awesome.
00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:57.360
Well, thank you so much.
00:03:57.520 --> 00:03:58.159
This is B.
00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:05.199
Allen uh with uh Concordia Parish in a wonderful uh uh Faraday Upper Elementary.
00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:06.400
Thank you for joining us today.
00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:07.599
Yes, yes, yes.
00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:09.199
Thank you for having me.
00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:09.599
00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:11.919
00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:19.600
00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:26.640
00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:27.039
00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:28.160
00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:29.519
00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:30.399
00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:32.640
00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.560
00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:36.960
00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:39.280
00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:42.479
00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:44.159
00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:45.439
00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:46.240
00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.960
00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.439
00:00:53.520 --> 00:01:00.960
00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:01.759
00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:02.560
00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:03.759
00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:04.640
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.439
00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:12.560
00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:16.879
00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:20.480
00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:34.000
00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:53.439
00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:55.439
00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:00.159
00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:13.840
00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:14.960
00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:15.919
00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:16.719
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.159
00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:19.680
00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:20.719
00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:20.879
00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:21.680
00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:23.199
00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:25.439
00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:27.840
00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:28.159
00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:33.280
00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:34.159
00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:37.759
00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:38.400
00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:38.719
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:52.800
00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:54.719
00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:56.000
00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:57.199
00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:00.080
00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:01.759
00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:03.919
00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:05.439
00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:07.120
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.800
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:17.840
00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:19.520
00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.280
00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:25.680
00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:30.960
00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:33.199
00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:38.000
00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:41.520
00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:43.199
00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:45.199
00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:48.400
00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:50.080
00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:54.879
00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:56.240
00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:57.360
00:03:57.520 --> 00:03:58.159
00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:05.199
00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:06.400
00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:07.599
00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:09.199
