Dadrianne Segree: teaching students to succeed

When Dadrianne Segree started studying for her psychology degree at the University of the West Indies, she decided to earn pocket money by tutoring sixth graders for their Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

Today, that small venture has transformed into a registered business, Superior Tutoring Services, catering to students, ranging from basic school, to adult learners.

"A lot of times people shy away from the slower learners because there is a lot of stigma attached to these children, saying they are unruly etc, but I love challenges. It pushes me to find techniques to help them" Segree told THE STAR.

The 24-year-old Wolmer's Girls past student operates from her home in Angels, St Catherine and also offers home visits. She explained that she takes the time out to assess each student to identify their learning style, then alters her tutoring to match the child's needs.

Career fairs

"My whole aim is to make learning fun, to find ways to ensure children are learning, without them feeling like it's leaning because they oftentimes think learning is stressful. I even host career fairs to open their eyes about the options out there." She tutors students for various exams including GSAT, Grade Four Literacy Test, Caribbean Secondary Examination Council English, and also offers home work assistance for high school students.

Since starting in 2013, Segree has tutored some 30 students, in addition to volunteering at various primary schools, where she said she has seen great success in her students.

"I measure success differently from most people. I had a fifth grade student who had a lot of literacy issues and he was able to score 10 out of 12 in his Communication Task. Even though he was not placed in a tradition high school, looking back on where he's coming from, that's still success," Segree recalled.

In the near future, Segree plans to attain her master's degree in cognitive learning to better aid her students using psychology. She also plans to expand and relocate to a more central location, but still maintain an intimate learning environment.

"I really want to further my studies to be able to diagnose learning disabilities, because I don't think we as a nation pay enough attention to learning disabilities. We are so quick to put children in brackets of 'bright' and 'dunce'," she said.

Her advice for persons looking to establish a career in tutoring is, "It's not easy, but if you're truly passionate about it, then go for it, because it's hard to fail when you have passion."