Spotlight 4 Success | "Say Yes To Better Teaching With Tech" | LACUE 2025

1/29/2026

Say yes first, figure it out together—that’s the spirit of this conversation with Tracy Phillips from Washington Parish, recorded live at LACUE 2025 in New Orleans. Tracy has taught nearly everything from fourth grade English to biology and civics, and she shares how a single decision to attend a tech-forward conference reshaped her planning, assessment, and classroom culture. Website: spotlight4success.com

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Spotlight 4 Success | "Why Tools Matter When Passion Meets Practice" | LACUE 2025

1/29/2026

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

Spotlight 4 Success | "Canva, Kids, And Coffee-Fueled Score Gains" | LACUE 2025

1/29/2026

The buzz of a great education conference can change a school year. From the floor of LACUE in New Orleans, we sit down with Gladys from St. Landry Parish to explore how curiosity about AI, beginner-friendly Canva workflows, and trusted practice materials can turn everyday lessons into steady student growth. She brings 15 years in the classroom to the table, sharing why those eureka moments still guide every decision and how thoughtful prompts help students discover ideas for themselves. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Tech, Teachers, And Real Results" | LACUE 2025

1/27/2026

The best conference takeaway is the one you can use on Monday. That’s exactly what we set out to capture in this conversation with Shayla Pandja, the English instructional coordinator for St. Landry Parish, recorded live at LACUE in New Orleans. We dig into the real work of supporting high school teachers: choosing a core curriculum that builds knowledge and skills, layering on targeted practice that mirrors assessments, and making sure every classroom can actually access the tools that promise improvement. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Teaching With Heart And AI" | LACUE 2025

1/27/2026

What happens when a first-year teacher pairs AI with a lesson on kindness—and sees her fifth graders raise their voices with empathy? We sit down with Bethany Collette from Concordia Parish to explore a classroom model that treats technology as a tool and human connection as the goal. From generating relatable reading passages to crafting quick exit tickets, Bethany shows how simple AI workflows free up time for deeper discussion, small-group coaching, and the kind of peer feedback that actually moves writing forward. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Teaching Wins That Last A Lifetime" | LACUE 2025

1/21/2026

The buzz of New Orleans sets a vibrant backdrop as we sit down with Emma Jones from Bogalusa City Schools to unpack how professional learning becomes real student impact. Emma has attended LACUE for five years, and she returns for one reason: to bring home resources she can use tomorrow. From technology that makes lessons click to ideas that elevate student projects, she shares how conferences fuel practical change and renew her energy for the classroom. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Robots Didn’t Grade My Papers, But They Did Crash The Party" | LACUE 2025

1/21/2026

Walk the LACUE floor with us and meet Lesley Moore, a first-year graphic design and digital media teacher from SPIMA Academy in East Baton Rouge, who’s navigating a new role while chasing the right technology for her students. From the buzz of New Orleans to the quiet of a classroom where a grieving student needed a listener, this conversation blends the promise of AI with the heart of teaching. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Don’t Take The Elevator, Take The Mic" | LACUE 2025

1/20/2026

The floor at LACUE buzzes, but what stands out is a simple transformation: a teacher who once felt overwhelmed now walks with a plan to hand the mic to her students. We sit down with Lauren Domangue to trace how a yearbook program stretched into social media, and why podcasting is the natural next leap for a high school of 1,400 voices. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "From Librarian To Leader" | LACUE 2025

1/13/2026

What if your next conference trip rewired how your district learns? Sitting with instructional coordinator Samantha David at LACUE New Orleans 2025, we trace a path from librarian roots to a role that multiplies impact by teaching teachers, curating practical tools, and building the kind of network that turns ideas into adoption. Samantha brings a clear-eyed view of professional development: it has to be usable on Monday, aligned to standards, and respectful of teachers’ time, or it won’t last. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Teacher Of The Year, Student First" | LACUE 2025

1/12/2026

Curiosity is contagious when a classroom feels like a journey. We sit down with Louisiana Teacher of the Year Lorie Hutchins at LACUE 2025 to uncover how she turns social studies into immersive “mini field trips,” builds trust with the toughest kids, and uses technology to amplify—not replace—human connection. From ancient civilizations to local culture, Lori shares a playbook for engagement that is joyful, practical, and grounded in real classrooms. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Esports, Python, And AI" | LACUE 2025

1/7/2026

A hallway chat at LACUE 2025 turns into a masterclass on making technology serve learning, not the other way around. We sit down with Louisiana educator Anthony Swallor, who teaches math and physics, runs Python courses, coaches esports, and keeps the school tech humming—proof that small campuses can deliver big outcomes with the right strategy. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Punnett Squares Walked So Mitosis Could Run" | LACUE 2025

1/5/2026

What if state test prep didn’t feel like test prep at all? We sit down at LACUE in New Orleans with tech facilitator and veteran biology teacher Christina Verberne to unpack a simple, repeatable system that turns anxiety into confidence and practice into real learning. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "We Came For Beignets, Stayed For Score Gains" | LACUE 2025

12/29/2025

A school doesn’t climb a letter grade by accident. We sit down with Richwood Middle’s Errika McBride to unpack how intentional coaching, aligned resources, and purposeful technology helped move the needle on state assessments—and why the work continues after the first big win. Errika’s philosophy is crisp: grow teachers to grow students. She describes what daily support looks like in classrooms, how to keep goals visible without creating burnout, and the simple systems that turn strategies into habits students can feel. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Robotics, CTE, And Real Gains" | LACUE 2025

12/22/2025

What turns a struggling school into a rising one? We sat down with Richwood Middle School educator Roderick Hannibal at LACUE in New Orleans to unpack a practical blueprint: combine structured study, hands-on robotics, and clear career pathways so students see where their effort leads. Website: spotlight4success.com

Spotlight 4 Success | "Books, Beasts, And Borrowed Time" | SCLA 2025

12/3/2025

Curious how a zoo brings the wild into your local library? We sat down with Andrea Robichaud, education specialist at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, at the South Carolina Library Association to share how summer reading themes transform into lively, hands-on programs for families. From last year’s exploration of color—how animals signal, hide, and communicate, and how keepers use color to organize care—to this year’s Unearthing a Story, we connect fossils and ancient creatures to the behaviors of modern animals kids can see today. Website: spotlight4success.com

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