Spotlight 4 Success

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Ever wonder how a career in libraries begins? We’re on the floor at the South Carolina Library Association conference in Columbia talking with USC student Bobbi Elmore about the moment a middle school volunteer shift became a calling and how that spark now guides her path through the Master of Library Science. It’s a short, lively conversation that puts heart and practicality side by side: what the MLS really covers, ...

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Ever wonder how a six-year-old learns to think like a programmer? We sit down with Barbie Day of Pratt Elementary to explore what early computer science looks like when it’s playful, structured, and genuinely empowering. From color-matching commands to first steps in debugging, Barbie shares a classroom approach that builds problem-solving skills long before students write their first line of text-based code.

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A single smart board changed everything. That first taste of interactive teaching sent Jill White from a third grade classroom toward a master’s in educational technology and, ultimately, into the role of technology director for Porter Consolidated. We sit with Jill at the OKSTE conference in Tulsa to unpack how she bridges instruction, infrastructure, and daily classroom needs—without drowning teachers in complexity.

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The energy of OKSTE buzzes in the background as we sit down with fifth grade ELA teacher Kari Damron from Sayre Elementary, and the conversation goes straight to the heart of classroom life. Kari paints a vivid picture of a pivotal year where kids step toward middle school, and ELA becomes the spine that supports both academic skills and character. She shares how a dependable “purple book” from American Book Company k...

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Middle school isn’t the hallway between “cute” and “chaos”—it’s the proving ground where students decide who they’re becoming. We sit down with Anna Crooke, a veteran educator and board member for the North Carolina Middle Level Educators, to unpack why the middle years carry outsized impact and how a conference like NCMLE fuels real classroom change. From her roots in a family of teachers to roles spanning classroom,...

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If you’ve ever wondered how a single moment can reroute a life, Joe Pizzo’s story will stick with you. We caught up in sunny Charlotte at NCMLE, where Joe and his colleague Ken Pasic submitted six session ideas—and were shocked when all six were accepted. That win set the stage for a wide‑ranging talk about what really moves the needle for middle‑level learners: hearing great language, seeing caring adults model curio...

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A spark in a science lab. A brave ask for help in a lunchroom. A reminder from a keynote to keep planting seeds even when the harvest feels far away. This conversation from NCMLE in Charlotte brings the heartbeat of school to the surface as we sit down with eighth-grade science teacher and AVID educator Erin Burton and assistant principal Michelle Posley Lee from Southeastern Randolph Middle School.

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What if your classroom AI refused to write the paper—and taught students how to think instead? We sit down with Brittany Ordu from TrekAI at the Gacis conference in Athens, Georgia to unpack a teacher-built, student-centered platform that puts privacy, safety, and authentic learning first. Rather than handing out answers, TrekAI prompts learners to explore themes, gather evidence, and connect new ideas to what they al...

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Policy shifts don’t raise scores—people and routines do. From a busy hallway in Lexington, we sit down with Principal Angie Alexander of Ferristown Middle School to unpack how Kentucky’s new accountability pathway and the push for “vibrant learning” translate into daily wins for real students. Angie shares a grounded playbook: align resources to standards, make math engagement visible, and build relationships that kee...

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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.

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Ever wonder what flips the switch from “I don’t get it” to “I can explain it”? We sit down with educator and leader Miranda Stockton in a bustling corridor at the Continuous Improvement Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, to trace how a college love for chemistry became a mission to make learning tangible. Miranda shares the moments that changed her practice—watching students light up during hands-on labs, designing ta...

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The specialist, who manages technology and state testing at their school, reveals how ABC resources have transformed their testing outcomes. "I know we've seen great success in our test scores over using the resources and stuff over the last couple of years," they explain, offering a refreshingly candid assessment of what's actually working in the classroom. As educators know, finding resources tha...

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Ever wondered how educational tools and programs are evaluated to ensure they actually work? Dr. Rachel Schechter, founder of UXD Research, pulls back the curtain on this fascinating process during her conversation with Devin Pintozzi on Spotlight for Success.

Organizations: https://lxdresearch.com/decoding-research-review-organizations. 

How to get certified: https://lxdresearch.com/how-to-get-essa-...