September 3, 2018
Allison Leggett starts every class at American Career College-Los Angeles with a smile.
“The students will wonderfully invite you into their world if you begin with a smile,” she said. “They really need you to teach them the course, they need to get their credits and they need to understand the material. So, go in with a smile, with the knowledge and the confidence to do a great job.”
Leggett compares teaching to build a house. By building on the student’s prior knowledge, she said, teachers can continue to build on it until the students fully understand the topic. Leggett does this by incorporating interactive activities into class.
“I do all kinds of activities, anything that involves their personal insight and their background,” she said. “For instance, we took a look at privileges to explain that it might be a little different than you think. If you were able to physically walk into this room then your more privileged than someone who is in a wheelchair.”
Leggett said she strives to teach each of her students that no matter where they came from, they must always look out for others and give back.
“I want my students to realize that they do have privileges, which sometimes means someone else is oppressed,” she said. “As we stand up and we are very proud of where we come from, it's very important for students to understand there are others behind us. We have to give them a hand and help them catch up. It’s all about giving back to others.”
Ontario Campus: Voted Best Career College in the 2023 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Readers Choice Awards.
LA Campus: Voted Best Career College in the 2023 LA Daily News Readers Choice Awards.
OC Campus: Voted Favorite Career College in the 2023 San Gabriel Valley Tribune Readers Choice Awards.