Richards’ Academy emerges in the midst of a pandemic

Tiffany Richards is the founder of TR Learning Academy which was established as a result of her love for children and an interest in their learning. The academy is located at Reid Gap, The Garden, St James.

The former Coleridge & Parry student said that she realized at the tender age of ten that she wanted to be a teacher.

“I realised I wanted to be a teacher from the age of ten. I always loved to pretend my dolls were my students and conduct sessions at home with them.

During my university life, I tutored many peers as well in various courses and they achieved success. It made me extremely excited to see other people succeed,” she said.

Richards whose life motto is to Pray, Dream, Plan and Do, started her business five months ago despite Barbados being in the throes of a global pandemic.

“TR Learning Academy was established on the love I have for children and learning. I enjoy viewing students progressing and excelling to the best of their abilities. Also, I wanted to create a student-centred learning environment for students.

As an educator, I believe assisting students is very important. I want to have a positive, inspiring impact on students’ lives. I could never imagine myself being in any other profession than teaching.

My inspiration to be a teacher stems from my love of teaching today’s youth to be productive, well-respected citizens,” she said.

The young entrepreneur who holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and a diploma in education said that one of the highlights since starting her business five months ago was just how diverse it has become in a short period.

“It offers many different services to cater to students’ needs. These services include tutoring, project and homework assistance, research assistance, workbooks and more,” she said. The school caters to students from pre-school up to university level.

Richards noted that one of her shortcomings thus far has been the restrictions with COVID-19 which have limited the number of students with which she can have face to face interaction.

“Due to the impact of COVID 19, it has limited the number of students I can interact with face to face. I prefer face to face interaction instead of online classes.

When you interact with students face to face, they can understand the material better.With online classes some of the technology malfunctions,” she said.

The owner of TR Learning Academy said that being a teacher has taught her that life is unpredictable, therefore one has to plan efficiently and effectively.

Despite this, her words of advice for young entrepreneurs is for them to work towards their dreams and goals. “Never give up. . . I would encourage students to work hard, practise reading and writing daily outside of school time,” she said.  (Write Right PR Services)