Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Jackson-Sessions
Hi Kayla, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After working in radiology for ten years, I decided to finally make the jump to a career that always had my interest. A career in education. I accepted a position at Keiser University in Jacksonville as an instructor in their Radiologic Technologist program. This was my first exposure to the educational side of radiology and it was just as rewarding as I imagined. This positioned also encouraged me to continue my education, so I enrolled in the M.A. Educational Leadership program at UCF.
Even though I imagined a career in education to be long term, life had different plans. Still pursing my master’s degree, I left Keiser to return to the hospital as a CT technologist to accommodate my schedule as a new mother. Luckily, my time at Keiser introduced me to other professionals in the educational world. I was given a wonderful opportunity to teach adjunct for a remarkable hybrid MRI program, Pulse Radiology Institute.
I believe my biggest motivator to help others in their academic journey was the fact that I was both a student and a teacher at the same time. I shared the same struggles as my students as we balanced work, family, and school. I soon realized that I simply needed to “relearn” learning. I strived to be the best student and soak up all the knowledge I possibly could, but the simple fact was that there just was not enough time in the day. If I wanted to be a success story, I had to make study time as effective as possible while time managing the busiest schedule I had known. About halfway through my time as a student, I decided to make that change in my school habits. This is not to say that balancing life as a student was easy, but I found a way to make it easier. I found a way to succeed. The best part, I was able to share my newly learned study habits with my students.
I felt as if I was really thriving and starting to understand what it meant to be a successful student. After teaching for about a year for Pulse Radiology Institute, while also seeing the struggles my step daughters were facing in their academics, I realized how so many of us simply do not know how to study. That’s when I knew that my skills could help so many students of all ages in our community. That’s when I started, Study Skills with Sessions.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Let’s just say this road is a lot like the country back roads that was taken in my childhood in Arkansas. Ha. When I first had this brilliant idea to start Study Skills with Sessions, I immediately wanted to know if our community found it to be a great idea. Not having many resources, I went to the one place I knew to go… Facebook. I reached out to the mom groups in my area to see if this concept would be something of interest to help their children. The feedback was pretty phenomenal. Many mothers were saying how this would be great for their children as they were struggling in school. That giving them guidance could be very beneficial. That’s when I was like, “Okay, Jacksonville. I’m going for it!” The journey began as I created my very first website and worked on curriculum. I partnered with a really incredible organization out of Fruit Cove, The Playful Family, and my first workshop had an official date.
Now, the real struggle become evident. I reached out to all those mom groups to give them the information to my workshop… and my posts were deleted. Business promotions were not allowed. Luckily, when I first reached out to get a census of who would be interested, I saved the names of all the moms who said they were. So, I took it a step further and messaged them all individually to tell them about my upcoming workshops. No replies. Okay, now what? I found a few Facebook groups in our area that allowed business posts and I posted weekly. I created flyers and passed them around the area.
Not a single student registered for my first workshop. What a waste of time, I thought. Then, by the grace of God, I had three students register for my next workshop. I had so much fun. I presented like I’ve never presented before. It was by far the proudest I have ever felt.
My biggest struggle still do this day is getting people in. Sometimes, it’s hard not to take it personal, but then I just have to remember “my why.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I provide study skills for our community members with an emphasize on middle school students. I believe that it is crucial to learn these skills in the middle school as that is such a transitional period before high school when grades start to stick on transcripts. You see, I teach for an associate’s level program and I have firsthand witnessed how lack of study skills can be a huge roadblock in reaching career goals. Study skills is also a very broad term for how I can guide students to be their best version. I provide guidance in note and test-taking skills, test anxiety, and help those with ADD. Memorization techniques are a gamechanger, but these differ between subjects. Memorization is not going to help with algebra. Repetition, on the other hand, is a great way to grasp algebra. I do not just give great study techniques, I go in depth on efficient study time. If a student spends hours studying for an exam and still doesn’t pass it, that can cause some serious negative effects. Confidence may be thrown out the window. If studying isn’t so daunting, then maybe that student will actually study. The space, the time, the effort, and the willpower all play a huge part in a student’s success. Time management is huge! I help students, especially our younger students, understand how planning for study time and homework could be the key to their success. I am great with students of all ages, and most importantly, I continue to do the work. I continue to research, experiment, and further my knowledge in all the best study tactics. I am very professional, but very fun and energetic which makes me a great match for those of all ages.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I am so glad you asked this. Student, or academic, success is not solely defined by a report card. History reminds us of this. Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and heck, even Steve Jobs are perfect examples of brilliant minds who were frankly bad students. Now, I’m not saying that every “bad” student is a brilliant mind, but I am saying that success comes in all forms. What matters to me? Recognizing and celebrating the wins, no matter how small.
For these middle school students, their parents know them. Their teachers know them. For a student who is completely apathetic to their academics and then suddenly gives effort, that is success. Maybe this students only studies by reading their textbook the night before an exam and does poorly on said exam. Then maybe this student realizes that is not the best way to prepare and starts to create written study guides. That is success. Maybe it’s saying no to hanging out with friends one night to prioritize their schoolwork. That is success.
Sometimes grades just don’t turn out as great as we hoped. It’s recognizing that something needs to change and simply making those changes.
Pricing:
- Workshops will resume at the beginning of the year and each workshop is usually about $20.
- Individual sessions vary, but range from $30-$50 a session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://studyskillswithsessions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/study_skills_with_sessions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559348593169
