We were lucky to catch up with Daejah Ashley Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Daejah Ashley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

As a high school student, I played an active role in my community. I was the leader of different clubs within the student body. This awarded me the opportunity to connect with my younger peers. Through hosting and spreading the word about upcoming school events, I became well-known among students in elementary and middle school. I used my platform to make students feel seen and heard and did my best to provide a positive outlet for students to express themselves. For example, as head of an organization called Student Christian Movement, I helped students grow in community with one another as they sought strength, comfort, and guidance in dealing with their home and school life.

As I grew bonds with my younger peers, students began confiding in need of personal and academic support. I remember being in the midst of five seventh-grade students, they were talking about how this subject area was difficult and this teacher’s teaching style was boring, and then they all suddenly and simultaneously looked up at me. It was as if something clicked before they all said with certainty, “You can help us!”

These students and I had already built a bond that made them feel comfortable sharing how they felt, and they trusted me with their discouragements. I knew that I could relate to them because I was once that kid. As a child, I once needed a tutor. I was the child who experienced situations where I was overlooked because I was not one of the academically gifted. I was the shy kid who knew they didn’t know what they were doing but was too afraid to raise their hand.

I never knew the power of one person’s impact on your life until one woman stepped in and changed mine. Every afternoon, I would peer out of the window and patiently wait for her arrival. She made learning simple and never made me feel behind for taking my time. When she taught me, I never felt the anxiety I felt when I went to school; or the pressure to pretend like I knew all the right answers. Looking back at the teaching methods she employed, I admired the way that she prepared each lesson with my unique learning style in mind. She was flexible to change her approach if she noticed that I did not understand it taught in one way. I never felt the need to be perfect, and I never felt judged for the way I learn.

Within a few days, I received inquiries from other parents around campus who desired their children to receive academic support. This served as a confirmation of what I knew was needed. This would be my opportunity to pay it forward through peer tutoring.

At the time, there were no other student-led academic support small groups. My mission was to help students build better study habits, write in all subject areas and gain confidence. I noticed students struggled to retain and explain the information they were learning in different subject areas. I sought ways to combine their reading and writing skills. This would help each child remember and use the information they were given and prove that they understand what they were learning when completing examinations and tests.

From childhood, I was always told that I thought differently than everyone else and had a unique way of processing information. This weakness could be used as my greatest strength because I knew some kids thought like me and needed someone to show them that there was a method to their madness.

A benefit to my approach was that I prioritized students’ learning styles. The information was given in a way that best served each child: whether the child was a visual, hands-on, or written learner. In addition, every child’s personality and unique interest were celebrated to ensure that the experience was memorable because it was individualized.

As I grew my instruction with the latest research-based practices, I began offering virtual one-on-one sessions. My students become accustomed to online learning while developing their motor skills when asked to type. I believe it is important to make learning practical for students so that they realize that learning is useful both inside and outside of the classroom.

The most exciting part about this journey has been growing alongside my students. I have committed to becoming a constant learner and utilizing the best practices for my students. As I have embarked on this journey, it has become bigger than helping students develop their essay-writing skills but more about watching them become student authors, poets, and confident public speakers.

Watching my students write willingly and take ownership of the pieces they create is the best feeling in the world. To know that each one of my tutees is given the tools to take the world by storm through communicating verbally and in written form is all that I could ask for.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I became an online tutor through peer tutoring in high school. As a senior, students naturally gravitated toward me. I used my influence to connect with students personally while providing academic support.

There was a definite need for peer tutoring on campus. The problem was not that students didn’t want to learn. The problem was that the information needed to be taught in a way that was relatable and fresh for students to receive outside of just giving students a lecture. I was the one to start that movement by using the latest research-based practices to support students’ ability to retain and explain the information they were learning verbally and on paper.

I offer a virtual one-on-one tutoring program where I assist 3rd-8th grade scholars for 5 months to achieve creative writing independence and confidence. We utilize my five facts framework, which teaches students how to think critically, write fluently, describe, and structure their ideas throughout the writing process efficiently as they become student authors.

Students no longer experience anxiety and fear when asked to write independently. This program reignites children’s love for writing by not telling them what to think but teaching them how to think critically. This gives them control over the narrative they want to share with the world. Students develop confidence in the sound of their voices on pen and paper to produce bodies of work that they are proud of willingly.

“When I am in class with you it feels like I’m in a whole other world.” This was the first comment a student made about my sessions and it has stuck with me since then. Learning for me has always been more than a lesson but an experience. Providing a safe space for students to express themself and feel seen will always be one of my greatest achievements. I have been privileged to assist students on the islands of Grand Bahama, and different parts of the United States as well as Canada. This impact shows the diversity of students’ learning styles and academic needs. There is no one size fits for students and no child should have to feel like their creativity has to be limited.

“When I am in class with you it feels like I’m in a whole other world.” This was the first comment a student made about my tutoring sessions. Learning for me has always been more than a lesson but an experience.

Providing a safe space for students to express themself and making them feel seen will always be one of my greatest achievements. I have been privileged to assist students on the islands of Grand Bahama, Canada, and different parts of the United States. This impact shows the diversity of students’ learning styles and academic needs. No child should feel like their creativity has to be limited.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started posting on social for business in 2020. Initially, I was inconsistent, barely aware of my brand colors or who my audience was. I posted the same aimless carousels until reels became a popular phenomenon. When reels first came out, I was against them because I was stuck in my ways of posting. Eventually, I decided to consider the kinds of posts I enjoyed viewing. To no surprise, reels were my content of choice, and I developed my understanding of showing up for my business.

To me, this meant having fun unapologetically and choosing to grow as I go. There was no magic formula, but continuing to practice. Committing to consistency has helped me sharpen my view of why I post and my target audience. Through practice, I found my voice as a storyteller and became more comfortable with whom I viewed my target audience to be.

My biggest advice is to commit to showing up for yourself even when you don’t have all the answers and to not get caught up in the details of perfection that try to consume you.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Quality over quantity.

When I first found my footing with social media, I felt as though I needed to post a thousand times a day to make an impact. However, I realized that the more energy I put into a few posts made each post more valuable to the consumer. Posting more helped to build my momentum and consistency when showing up online. However, posting less helped me to define my focus for each post to create intentionally with an intended meaning.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.a1academics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a1academicsllc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A1academics1