We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jennifer Patterson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’m a conceptual thinker–one who looks from the top down and sees the big picture, then works on building it out. Often, before I am even fully aware of it, glimpses of the thing that I am meant to do or be part of shows up in whatever season I’m in as part of my current assignment. Later, when it begins to bloom and blossom, what was not so obvious becomes clear puzzle pieces to the big picture.
It was my first year as an elementary school teacher. I was assigned to a 2nd grade class of 17 sweet, well, mostly sweet boys and girls who were usually ready to learn daily. I was 23 with my bachelors and masters degrees in elementary education in tow, ready to take on the world with my head full of creative, innovative strategies. I didn’t have much experience teaching, but what I did have was a lot of energy and an incredible desire to facilitate knowledge and create relevant opportunities for students to be successful. The teaching/learning cycle excited me to no end. I loved being part of a students’ AHA moments or light bulb moments.
Once that first year started, I immediately recognized that a few of my students were below level readers. I had no intentions of leaving them behind, so I cooked up an idea to help them practice and improve their reading skills outside of the classroom. I was in possession of a Sesame Street book bag, complete with early readers and related activities that I sent home with these students to supplement their reading practice time. I didn’t know then what I know now, but I did what I knew to do at the time.
As I continued teaching a few more years, I recognized a specific, growing affinity for reading. I was interested in exploring it more in order to expand my knowledge base and expertise so that I could be more effective as a practitioner. In the meantime, I dreamed about owning and running my own educational supplemental initiative or starting a school. I made notes and came up with names for years while a classroom teacher. I wanted to help students succeed…especially those who weren’t having great success in mainstream education. I wanted to create something that didn’t have cracks for students to slip between.
Periodically, while holding down my full-time gig in the classroom, I also taught part-time in supplemental educational initiatives to help guide students identified as below-level or at-risk for failing as well as those whose parents desired enrichment for them. None of those very expensive programs really seemed to scratch where students itched relative to their significant academic success. The programs were either scripted, canned, or simply did not provide enough “wiggle” room for innovation or creativity needed in identifying and meeting student needs.
My approach had to be different than everyone else’s. It couldn’t be just more school. It had to be something that addressed the holistic student that would take into account dynamics like interests, skill strengths, needs for skills growth, brain breaks, information processing preferences, and attention span and instructional matches. My approach had to be one that considered student self-perceptions, motivation levels, engagement levels, and how those impact subsequent achievement or success. I was most excited about developing this approach because it challenged me to be innovative and creative. I wanted to come out of the classroom and work from the outside in for more impact. I wanted to be part of increasing student confidence in themselves as learners as well as guiding them to become self-motivated learners who navigate learning with stealth because they have the right tools.
Jennifer, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
At My Bookworm Project Educational Services LLC, we help individuals solve reading problems. Because reading is a complicated process, my superpower includes matching “just-right” resources and strategies with individual learners so they can systematically, developmentally, and progressively improve their holistic reading skills profile. As an elementary school teacher, I developed a keen desire to expand my knowledge base and expertise as a practitioner relative to reading skills development because it was the solid foundation students needed for information processing and learning across subject areas–not just for the reading context. Students who navigate reading skillfully will improve their overall academic success! But, it’s not just about academic success….reading impacts so many areas of life and effective reading provides an effective GPS toward success in higher educational pursuits as well as jobs and career paths.
I wanted to dive deeper into the literacy learning process in order to subsequently make a wider impact, which led me to specialize in reading and literacy for all ages through pursuing a doctorate in reading and literacy. I created My Bookworm Project in 2015, after about 15 years as a teacher in elementary and college classrooms to focus on the individual needs of students and how I could help them improve holistically. Currently, my focus centers on early literacy skills development for learners in Pre-K to 3rd grade. With this focus, I get to provide really cool reading/literacy hacks and guidance to assist parents, caregivers, and practitioners who work with children in reading by helping maximize time and produce positive achievement outcomes!
Focusing on improving skills builds reading confidence, motivation, engagement, and eventual success. That’s what we’re about! We do this by offering a variety of products and services that center on effective reading development. Currently, we provide diagnostic reading assessments, consultation services, partnerships with community initiatives for reading development/improvement, and the first few products in our new product line that includes resources for the alphabetic principle and phonics for PreK-3 grade readers. We also offer an e-resource for reading hacks for home for parents and caregivers of K-5 readers. Our YouTube channel provides cool read-aloud resources and opportunities to not only enjoy good books, but also practice key reading skills connected to these great stories.
Our brand is positioned to target the holistic reader by connecting reading and developing/improving skills to everyday life contexts. We address each student on an individual basis. No canned programs or curriculums here. Each student’s specific needs are taken into account as the basis for identifying reading skills interferences or gaps, settling on “just right” strategies, activities, and tools that match with each student’s needs, and plotting a path forward toward success.
Further, we recognize that reading is not an isolated skill that only matters in the classroom. It matters everywhere. One of our tag lines is “Reading Matters” and we want those who connect with and utilize our services and products to experience and develop a comprehensive perspective about their own reading profiles. We want them to experience success and develop a personal motivation to continue practicing as they witness their own successes and the fruit of their labor along the way.
Have you ever had to pivot?
At the beginning of the pandemic, in 2020, the world shut down and it almost seemed that my small business would as well. At the time, I provided private tutoring services to students as part of my business offerings and I did my best to pivot all of my clients to a virtual format for our tutoring sessions. I was successful in transferring most of my clients for the 2nd semester. By the time the school year ended and summer sessions were looming, I felt myself slowly edging toward burnout. Teaching via screens was challenging in many ways. It was also exhausting. Overall, it just wasn’t the same not being in the same space as my students and still expecting great results.
I struggled through summer sessions in 2020 and by the time the new school year started in the fall, I was closer than ever to the edge of burnout. I had never in my entire teaching career ever come close to burnout before. This was new for me. By mid to late 1st semester, I didn’t think I would make it. I was weary in a way that made me want to just quit. I talked to God about it and toughed it out. His answer gave me peace as I prepared to bring the instructional aspect of business to an end at the end of that school year in 2021. In addition to letting the teaching aspect go, I knew that it was now time to pivot to creating and providing reading products. I was excited about the new direction I would soon be headed in. But first, I needed to take a mental break before starting something new.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Many people don’t last the first 5 years of starting a business. I was within the first 5 years and was significantly impacted financially among other things as a result of the global pandemic. I was almost burned out, had lost some of my clientele, and was struggling to meet all of my financial obligations. I prayed and exercised my faith and explored possible funding sources. At the time, the Small Business Administration offered several different types of loans to help small businesses impacted by the fallout of the pandemic. I was approved for funding that help fill the financial gap as I fought to keep the business afloat. As I headed into preparation to pivot the business, I took some time off for self care. I sent myself on a trip and gave myself time and opportunities to refresh my mind so that I would have the capacity to focus on reading product development. I also learned a new skill–vinyl printing on garments. I followed the technology and trends for vinyl printing and began to produce mostly t-shirts for profit for individuals, groups, and events. This corner of the business also helped keep me afloat financially and gave me a new, creative outlet as I delved into reading product development.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mybookwormproject.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my_bookwormproject/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mybookwormprojecteducationalservices/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mybookwormproject4016
Image Credits
Head shot credit: Gianna Snell Photography