Jessie B's Academy focuses on providing excellent care and exceptional educational experiences to all students. We welcome all children - using a blended teaching atmosphere as opposed to most schools that segregate students based on their learning capabilities.
We feel children learn best from each other. Adults teach students based on what they consider as the normal protocol. However, we have witnessed children sharing their style of learning + understanding with other children and observed that children learn faster from other children.
Jessie B.'s Academy teaches children that:
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We are all the same no matter how we look.
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Everyone wants to be treated kindly.
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Learning doesn't stop in the classroom, plus, it is fun!
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There are different learning styles and their friends may have a different style than their own, yet, all learning styles are good!
Meet
Mrs. Jessica Black (Gant)
Hello, my name is Mrs. Jessica Black (Gant), founder of Jessie B.'s Academy! Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, I attended the Hazelwood School District/ Special School District. From my own experience, I knew I wanted to help other students with special needs and change the narrative that just because someone learns differently, we should not discredit nor limit their potential. I attended a four-year university where I received a BS in Human Development and Family Studies. I did my internship at a blended school, which reinforced my thinking about, blended classes within the school. I was employed by the St. Louis Special School District, where I held the position of a Behavior Specialist for several years. The culmination of my own experiences in school, college internships, and working for the Special School District, drove me to follow my dream and open my own blended learning academy.
In the second grade, I thought I was going crazy. The words and letters I saw did not make any sense as I was not seeing what my friends saw. You cannot imagine how it felt to not be sure of what you were seeing - words and letters in the incorrect order. I was devastated. I was evaluated without my parent's permission and subsequently diagnosed with dyslexia. Due to my diagnosis, I repeated the second grade. I was heartbroken and felt left out of my class activities when I went to the resource classroom for help. Despite feeling left out of class activities, I pushed myself to succeed. I listened, paid attention, and practiced the techniques the resource teachers taught me. When I got to high school, I had learned how to advocate for myself and I was determined to be enrolled in general classes. My resource teachers were very encouraging and due to their ongoing support, I developed techniques and habits that allowed me to work my way back and enter general level classes as a senior.
