This year we are launching ‘IN THE HOT SEAT’, a monthly around town entrepreneur guide sharing experiences, showcasing products & services and help to connect searchers with sources.
You will hear about a fellow entrepreneur, their story, their unique offering as well as their own needs in the near future. So if you are an entrepreneur looking for dodging the pitfalls or a consumer searching for a solution to your needs or if you are a business owner looking to provide your offering to the interviewees, make sure you check into THE HOT SEAT every month!
We are kicking off May with Dr. Patricia Porter who has developed her business Leading to Learning after a dedicated career as a teacher.
THE BUSINESS
Are you a parent, a grandparent, teacher or business entrepreneur? Then this information may well impact your life in the most significant way. Read on and be amazed to hear the story of a school teacher that upon retirement took herself back to school to do her PhD on a subject that has been so close to her heart for over 35 years – understanding why children struggle at school!
Leading to Learning, a Diagnostic Learning Assessment Program was started by Patricia Porter following a passionate career in teaching. Having had international teaching experience in the UK and then Canada, Patricia recognized the missing link between the discrepancies of children’s varying learning styles with a one-style fits all learning environment.
She took herself back to school to study for her PhD in parents and teacher communications in relation to struggling students. At 67 years old she is as passionate as ever to share her findings, which after 4 years of careful refinement she has transformed into a proprietary assessment program for children 5-16 years old that will answer the question of how your child likes to learn.
Patricia discovered that children learn in 8 different ways. Once you understand how your child likes to learn, the struggle stops and the results are hugely noticeable.
The Core Offering
In her carefully defined 5-Stage Process she helps parents, children and teachers understand children’s learning gaps and skills and then defines the right approach to resolving learning issues with astounding results.
The process includes parent’s consultation, children’s Smart Pie© and Learning Skills Profile© that highlight learning gaps and skills. Parents get a report that they can show to their child’s teacher.
The most important benefit of this assessment is the relief that both kids and parents feel as well as peace of mind that comes with increasing future learning abilities and outstanding results.
A typical assessment program can take up to three weeks however can be expedited in urgent cases.
Private schools as well as traditional schools embrace Dr. Porter’s Leading to Learning Pathfinder Program©. However discussions will be taking place at regional school board levels to make this assessment accessible to parents of children struggling to learn.
The Sales Channels
Programs are currently available to download through the website www.leading2learning.com. One-on-one in-person sessions are available on request. If you want to find out more please sign up for the free Tips to Parents download or connect with Dr. Porter through LinkedIn or her Facebook Page or her weekly blog.
The Accolades
Greatest accolades are the changes taking place in a child. Their self-confidence increases and disruptive behavior stops because the child is now engaged in learning. Two success stories highlight the power of the assessment program:
First there is little Jay who at 5 years old was about to be thrown out of kindergarten because he was so disruptive. Teachers were fed up. The Leading to Learning Assessment showed the child’s language ability was at a 3 year old instead of 5.
Then a high school girl that was deeply depressed and thought she would fail high school. After the Leading to Learning Assessment, her identified learning style enabled her to become top of her year.
So if your child struggles at school, has a tendency to depression or ‘acts out’, Dr Porter’s program may well be the resolve.
The News
Dr. Porter is just putting the finishing touches to her first book. YOUR KID CAN’T WAIT – Discover Your Child’s Path to Success – which will be launching at the end of May and will be available as an e-Book to download from her website.
Thank you, Patricia for putting your passion before retirement and helping parents and their children to understand learning styles to then exceed in everything they do.
THE ENTREPRENEUR – we asked:
What do you like and dislike about being an entrepreneur:
LOVE – She describes her excitement of following her passion based on her own values and beliefs outside the school system. She has always been a bit of a rebel as a teacher within the system. She is thrilled to finally being able to offer a solution to a crucial problem that has concerned her all her teaching career.
HATE – The fact that one person has to be able to do so many jobs that have nothing to do with the passion piece but are part of running a business. Most of these tasks are really not her forte. Initially another big learning curve was to adjust the amount of information shared with parents and children to not cause overwhelm.
Who or what has been most enabling to your business and why?
Getting a business coach. Although it took some time to recognize the need, she now works with a coach in California who not only listens to what she says but also to what she means.
As well, seeing the lights go on in each and every child’s eyes as they now understand. The relief and gratitude in parents is fuel enough to continue the passion of bringing this transformation to as many families as possible.
Which secret weapon(s) in your arsenal of resources could you not do without?
1. I am addicted to WiFi and need to be connected at all times
2. I love Skype and the way it allows me to connect to parents anywhere at anytime
3.) Working with systems – After all those years I have even somehow managed to wean myself of paper 🙂
Having said that if there ever has been a hard way to get things done – I have done it – I have been through all the pain first. I am a self-diagnosed backwards learner!
What has been your biggest achievement and growth?
My greatest growth has been personal. Changing from being a teacher within a system that I loved, to looking back in from the outside, recognizing what this system can and can’t do. And also – Making it as an entrepreneur!
As the final question how can readers and listeners can help you grow in the future? What resources will you need? What products are you about to purchase?
Essentially I really need three things:
1.) More people to talk to about making this program available to all parents in the school system.
2.) I needs to get message out – venues and speaking opportunities and events to bring more relief and hope to more parents and children.
3.) As for purchasing in the very near future I am looking for the ideal CRM system as well as 1ShoppingCart to expand my online downloadable portfolio.
Now we want to thank Patricia Porter, for sharing her story, for putting her passion before retirement and for caring as much as she does about relieving unnecessary struggle for children who are taught one style while they may flourish much better through another. Thank you, Patricia Porter from Leading to Learning!
Dr Patricia Porter, Principal of Leading to Learning
p: 1.604.733 0543 e: patricia@drpatriciaporter.com w: www.leading2learning.com
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