Leah Besuijen, B.Ed.

About Leah

For the past 10 years I have found it incredibly rewarding to work with children and help them navigate challenges. What has always mattered most to me is helping children recognize what they are capable of, experience the progress they work so hard for, and develop confidence and pride in their abilities. I want children to feel that challenges don't define what they can achieve and that, with the right support, they are capable of more than they might realize.

With this passion in mind, I pursued an Education Degree. Throughout my education and experiences working with students, I began to recognize that traditional classroom environments don't always allow for the individual attention, time, and flexibility that some learners need. I found myself wanting to do more for the students who were struggling to keep up or weren't getting the opportunity to learn in a way that made sense to them. I knew I wanted to find an opportunity where I could give students the time and attention to work through challenges at their own pace.

This led me to explore opportunities to work one-on-one with students at a learning centre focused on fluency and phonics. Here, I experienced firsthand the value of making learning fun, engaging, and meaningful. Seeing students become more excited about learning and the difference that enjoyment could make was incredibly rewarding. However, I also recognized that some students continued to struggle, even with this additional support. It made me realize just how important it is to understand that every learner is different and that one approach won't work for everyone.

During this time, I had the opportunity to work alongside a Davis Facilitator, which introduced me to an approach that truly resonated with me. I was drawn to how the Davis® Methods embrace the imaginative and visual way some students naturally think and learn. Rather than asking students to change the way they naturally think, the program builds on these strengths to help them develop understanding in a way that makes sense to them. I appreciate the use of hands-on, meaningful activities and tools that allow students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts and prepare for their next learning steps rather than simply memorizing information. Before pursuing my own facilitator training, I had the opportunity to observe the impact the program could have on students and the confidence they began to develop.

I knew this was the direction I wanted to take. The Davis® Methods offered an approach to learning that I hadn't encountered before. It gives me a way to support students who need help to work through the things they find difficult, understand how they learn, and experience success in ways they may not have thought possible. My hope is that every student I work with begins to see learning differently, not as something they need to avoid or feel discouraged by, but as something they can approach with confidence, understanding, and even enjoyment. I want them to experience what it feels like to accomplish something they once thought was out of reach and carry that confidence with them beyond our time together.