5 Questions with Kaydene Leachman-Minott

Kaydene Leachman - Minott “the lover of all things to do with Education and Children” is a Literacy Specialist, a Literacy Teacher, and an English Language and Literature Teacher. She also owns Bright Start Tutors Solution and the Lesson Plan Genie and enjoys listening to alternative gospel music such as gospel reggae. She believes that her purpose in life is to be a catalyst of change for her students, and this has inspired her to create multiple initiatives to eradicate illiteracy and poor academic performance in schools.

Tell a little about your education journey.

My name is Kaydene Leachman-Minott. I am a Literacy Specialist, Literacy Teacher, an English Language and Literature Teacher and a Primary Educator. I have garnered a Bachelor’s Degree in Language and Literacy from the Mico Teachers University College and a Diploma in Primary Education from the St. Josephs Teachers’ College and I’ve been teaching for five years.

What inspired you to become a Literacy Specialist?

My love for reading came from my grandmother who gave me my first book, we would sit for hours discussing the latest book. Reading and books were synonymously linked to my grandmother, it reminded me of how she would girlishly giggle at amusing jokes or chastised the antagonist over any little slights, her comforting silence assured me, that she had found ‘the one’ book that could transport me to places out of my reach and it helps us to bond. She is one of my main inspirations for being a Literacy Specialist. I would see a lot of illiterate children in my community who had difficulties reading or they may not have the necessary help to read and I wanted to eradicate illiteracy and let them discover that they can explore the world around them through reading, I love seeing children ‘light up’ when they read something new and I wanted them to be bigger than their situations thus, being positively transformed through literacy and education. I want to give to them what my grandmother gave me: the gift of knowledge.

Many students need help with literacy across Jamaica. Leave one strategy that parents can use to help their children at home.

The home is the first place children learn how to adapt and strive. It is where the norms, rules and expectations are applied and mastered. I believe that literacy is the backbone of all educational instructions such as phonics and phonemic awareness. Parents are the first teachers who will impart knowledge, they can foster their child’s cognitive development by helping them to recognize and read words fluently by connecting the letters and their sounds by using colourful books, audiobooks or stories on YouTube, or parents could help their child/children make questions and answer questions after reading which will help them to understand what they’ve read thus gaining confidence with their reasoning.

Tell us about the Bright Start Tutors Solution and the Lesson Plan Genie, their goals, products and services provided, and how they can be acquired.

My love for children and literacy lead me two create several businesses centred around educating and developing individuals so, they can manifest their God’s given purpose. I am the Founder and Managing Director of the Bright Start Tutors Solution and the Lesson Plan Genie. Its aim for the Bright Start Tutors Solution is, to eradicate illiteracy thus transforming individuals into critical thinkers who can positively contribute to their communities and societies. Bright Start Tutors Solution is an online learning platform that offers remote one on one or group classes in Literacy, Linguistics and Language to people ages 6 years old and older. Classes are taught by qualified and reputable Literacy Specialists, English Language & Literature Teachers and Primary Educators with years of experience and knowledge. The lessons are tailor-made based on individuals’ needs and capabilities, they’re fun interactive and engaging. At the end of an academic term or period, students will receive progress reports, consultation and feedback about their progress and growth, to set children on a ‘Brighter Path’ in academics. Persons can contact the Bright Start Tutors Solution at (1876)542-4401 or visit our Instagram page at @brightstartedu.

I also spearhead the Lesson Plan Genie, which is a business which helps educators to be their best selves in the educational landscape through the creation of lesson plans using the NSC Curriculum, the 5E approach, or the STEM and STEAM approaches. I also hold workshops and consultations with educators, create charts/materials, power points, google slides, exam and test papers and edit books for commercial distribution, and create educational resources and paraphernalia to ease teachers’ and schools' administration lives. The aim is to allow educational professionals to easily carry out their jobs effectively while they can live their lives without the hassle and intricacies of teaching. If persons wish to take the hassle out of teaching, I can be contacted at 1876542-4401 or they can visit my Instagram page at @the_lesson_plan_genie.

How do you create a balance between being an Educator and an Entrepreneur?

I try to create a balance by asking God for his endurance, strength and fortitude to go on since, it isn’t easy being a mother to a beautiful bouncing baby girl, a wife and a business owner and manager for several businesses while teaching full time. Notwithstanding this, I receive tremendous help from my wonderful husband, my cheerleader, my prayer warrior, and a wonderful woman of God: my mother. My biggest supporter is God, he is my helper, keeper and provider on this journey of being an entrepreneur, mother and wife; without him, I couldn’t have undertaken all these responsibilities.