Local Education Specialists in Southern Maryland

Dr. Ani S. B. is a certified educator with 17 years experience teaching and tutoring. He specializes in secondary English grades 7-12 and College Essay Writing. Dr. B earned a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Maryland College Park and two masters degrees, one it teaching and the other in Instructional Technology. He has a doctorate in Educational Technology and he specializes in virtual leaning. Dr. B believes that all children can learn and he creates an individual learning plan for each student to fit their learning style. He lives in Southern Maryland with his wife and four children. They enjoy traveling and beach vacations.

Beth has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and a graduate degree in religion. She has taught and written published curriculum for all ages, from preschool to adults. She has tutored Chinese children in English as a Second Language since 2016. In her tutoring sessions, she identifies students’ mistakes and tailors her lessons to address the issues the students are having. One of the boys she has worked with for five years is now quite fluent in speaking, reading, and writing. She passed the PET exam and is now working with 6th grade English texts. Though English is her first language, she is also fluent in Portuguese. She is always learning new things, visiting museums, reading, doing puzzles, and taking piano and Spanish classes. She imparts enthusiasm for learning to her students, is supportive of them and listens well.

Denonte McKinney graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Southern Connecticut State University. Initially, he taught English Language Arts for Achievement First Public Schools as a Teacher in Residence. As a result, he was promoted to lead STEM-based learning for various charter school giants in Connecticut, New York City, and Washington, DC, including DC Prep, Democracy Prep Public Schools, and Digital Pioneers Academy. Denonte was thrilled about this opportunity since he loves traveling, learning new material and cultures, and most importantly, teaching children! Denonte is deeply passionate about guiding young children and helping them reach their full potential through these experiences in literature, mathematics, and computer programming. In addition to his years of teaching experience, Denonte also tutors students, fostering one-on-one interaction through engaging, personalized lessons. Denonte also holds an AQ (additional qualification) in marketing and has experience teaching adults and college students. For Denonte, engaging all students regardless of age or skill is crucial in helping them gain the confidence they need to succeed. Among Denonte’s hobbies are mountain hiking, traveling, and social media marketing.

Dominic E. received his BA degree from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) in Jazz Studies. He is an accomplished musician who has won multiple awards for his playing and musicianship and has performed many different genres of music in several states. Dominic is a multitalented and skilled person whose love for music is only matched by his passion for math. Dominic’s love for math began when he was very young. He has been in advanced math classes, won multiple awards for his math abilities and academic performance, and uses his free time to discover new ways to understand and approach math. He believes that math is vital to many things which we do and he loves seeing students understand and come to appreciate it, as well as see its application to everyday life. In addition, Dominic recognizes that people learn differently and he has developed many ways to help students understand math, science, and music. Dominic firmly believes that math and music are intertwined and he, therefore, combines them in his teaching and tutoring when it is appropriate. Dominic is a unique individual who does not always learn in the traditional way that some schools teach. He has a strong desire to understand things on a deeper level so that they make sense to him and he seeks to help his students understand information and not just give back what was provided. He prides himself in meeting students where they are and helping them find ways to understand that work for them. One of the things that makes Dominic enjoy his work so much is when he is able to help students understand and go from struggling to success. Dominic has tutored many students in levels of math from elementary through advanced college, worked as a substitute teacher, taught small groups of students, worked as a high school teacher in math, technology and science, and tutored students in music from beginning to very advanced levels in theory, composition, performance skills, transcription, and song writing in most genres of music. Dominic combines his keen sense of humor and deep knowledge base to challenge students to understand material while building their confidence to try things which they previously thought were difficult or impossible – often times by tapping into their creativity.

Karen J. is a Certified Teacher. She grew up in Oklahoma and completed her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education at Northeastern State University. While teaching 2nd grade, she completed her Masters Degree in College Teaching, specializing in Student Personnel Services.

Katy S. has been sharing her love of science and nature for 30 years with students of all ages. She recently moved to Calvert County from Vancouver, Washington where she taught at Ridgefield High School. Mrs. S has expertise in teaching and tutoring students in all areas of science and math all across the country. She has held highly qualified teaching licenses in Iowa, Colorado, Alaska, Wyoming, Washington and now, Maryland! Mrs. S is committed to accompanying her husband on his many job moves working for the United States Department of Agriculture. Although most of her teaching positions have been at the secondary level, she has experience teaching environmental education to preschool and elementary students early in her career as a naturalist. Mrs. S wants to provide researched-based instructional techniques that help students succeed in all content areas. Mrs. S has a Bachelors of Science degree in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University and a Masters of Arts Teaching degree in Science Education from the University of Iowa. Her education and training to become a science teacher preceded the addition of children to her family. She and her husband have raised two successful and educated young women. Both Madelyn (23) and Isabelle (18) are pursuing science careers. Madelyn is a graduate of Western Washington University and a pathology assistant at a lab in Bellingham, Washington. Isabelle is in her first year at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis planning to major in Physics. Upon reflection of the most effective parenting skills to help her daughters be high achievers; Mrs. S identified top recommendations: reading books together EVERYDAY from infancy through middle school years, and always asking what her daughters learned from mistakes.

Kevin W. is a certified teacher and I have 15 years of teaching experience in the field of elementary through middle school education. I specialize in Reading and English, with a passion for helping kids of all ages succeed in school. With my years working in the classroom, I understand the student’s needs and strive to find the best approach to boosting their grades and confidence. I’m an interactive and supportive tutor, using visual aids and modern technology to ensure the student’s needs are met and that their learning experience is both fun and informative.
Kevin graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with a Bachelor and American University with a graduate degree. Kevin takes his time to carefully explain and break down content in a way that is palatable because he feels that many students are intimidated by the daunting quantity and quality of academia that is aligned with standardized testing; part of his job is alleviating that intimidation by breaking down the test and dissecting it piece by piece with the students. Kevin is very skilled at refining college essays and guiding students through the application process. He sees himself as a facilitator of precise writing and critical reading. Kevin immerses himself along with his students in the art of writing by modeling the edits and revisions. His students have shown growth in their test-taking abilities, and they enjoy his energetic enthusiasm; making questions/content relevant to students which helps tremendously in their retention of information. Kevin values independent practice work to maintain consistency and promote diligent work habits. Kevin caters to the cognitive needs of all students.

Kyle G. has a dual degree in Math and Physics, but his love and passion for the STEM fields started long before college. During elementary school, he developed a deep curiosity for math – not just for successfully solving problems, but for learning the intricacies of how and why math works. In his spare time, Kyle pursued his other main passions: community and teaching. He was a leader within his Boy Scout troop, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in 2005. In college, Kyle focused his studies on Math and Physics with some added Education courses. Since graduating, Kyle has worked in the field of lasers and optics for more than 15 years although he never gave up on teaching. Even while occupied with his professional career Kyle still managed to serve as an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and as an instructor for LiDARs.
These days, Kyle is fulfilling his passion for teaching by bringing his excitement for STEM to students who need a little (or a lot of) extra help to feel confident or to guide students who are ready to ramp up their learning trajectory. Kyle’s philosophy is that no two students are the same, so he focuses on adapting to how each student learns. He also loves fractals and doing proofs.

Leanne R. works as an Early Literacy Interventionist. She has years of professional experience working one on one with young students, using science backed methods like phonics, to help them not only learn to read, but excel in reading. She has a degree in History, which is mostly useful when she plays trivia. Besides being a trivia nerd, she spends her free time hitting the gym with her daughter. She loves to go hiking, but only if it’s between 56-65°F with a low relative humidity.

Maria is a very energetic and happy certified teacher that loves to motivate students of all ages to find a way to learn in different ways. She has taught different subjects for 25+ years in Costa Rica and the US. She speaks Spanish and English and loves to read and take pictures in her free time. She loves to travel as well, with her family and friends. She is married and has 3 boys. She doesn’t have any pets, but she loves animals.

Michelle is a seasoned educator with a passion for fostering intellectual curiosity, is delighted to be your child’s guide on his/her educational journey. With a rich tapestry of experience, Michelle has cultivated a global perspective through living in Budapest, Hungary for over ten years and working as a former UN staff member. As an accomplished educator, Michelle has taught courses for high school and undergraduate students in music and math. With a background in the social sciences, she is passionate about shaping young minds and inspiring a love for learning.

Pamela J. is a former Technical Director for the federal government where she reviewed mathematical analyses in support of cost analyses. Prior to reviewing analyses, she was performing them and managing analysts conducting them. For more than ten years, she was an adjunct online mathematics professor at Strayer University and ITT Tech. Pamela earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering in 1991 and a Master of Science in Operations Research degree in 1997 from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (A&T) and George Washington University, respectively. Pamela is active in multiple organizations, two of them are Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and Washington, DC Alumni Chapter of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She loves helping young people find their connection with mathematics. She remains busy keeping her pride and joy, Paige, active as well.

Dr. Shanaka R. has 19 plus years of research and supervision experience and over 10 years of teaching experience of students and other professionals with diverse backgrounds and ages. He has a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, a Master’s degree in human pathology, Ph.D. in human pathology and post-doctoral training in molecular virology and cell biology/microbiology. He believes in students and their future, and to encourage less enthusiastic students more enthusiastic and make them hard-working, to prepare them for nothing but to “ace” in examinations. He does not believe in cramming but learning by heart. He has a broad understanding of scientific principles and techniques that is required to prepare the students in facing their examinations and for them to be eligible for various career paths. His main objective would be to instill their “enthusiasm and passion” through his life-long passion, love, discoveries and commitment toward science and medicine. During the teaching process, he would also enlighten interest of his students with the cutting-edge discoveries of science mainly to elevate their interest and increase the retention power of their subject matter. He will incorporate these concepts in a fun, more interesting and in a concise manner and teach them the proper strategies of studying hard to understand concepts, visualize better, be more practical and aid in study-note preparation. He will also teach new studying methods. He can educate students in the following subject areas and/or any related: biology, zoology, plant science, earth science, cell biology, molecular biology, chemistry, biological chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, virology, infectious diseases, immunology, laboratory science methods, thesis writing, scientific seminar preparation, basics of pharmacology and drug science, pathology and human disease, physiology. Also, specialized sub-areas such as, basic forensics, computer software (MS office, Photoshop, basic bioinformatics relating to science) recombinant DNA/RNA/protein technology, biotechnology, plant/animal/microbial taxonomy. He can also teach arts, painting and craft work. In his spare time, he enjoys painting, other art and crafts, cooking, US and world travel, going on cruises, music, concerts, pets, gardening, hiking, nature, family time and engage in outreach activities.

Sharon has been working in the field of education for 20+ years. She holds a BA in Literature, an MA in Reading, and a PhD in Education. Her content areas are English / Language Arts at all levels; Math at K-6; Critical Thinking; Study Skills; and Digital Literacy Skills. Sharon has also taught with First Tee that combines golf and character building skills to children!

Sharon uses a student-centered approach that helps studentsidentify their learning strengths and to connect school materials to “real life.” Her qualities of patience and humor allow her to respond to learners of all ages and backgrounds. For Sharon, being in the role of educational guide is one of her favorite places to be.

Meet Virgil, an exceptional tutor with a passion for empowering students and unlocking their full academic potential. With a drive that exudes confidence and expertise, Virgil is ready to make a lasting impact on the minds he encounters.

Virgil has dedicated his career to the field of education, armed with a wealth of knowledge and a natural talent for teaching. As a determined tutor, he has honed his skills in various subjects, ranging from mathematics to literature, and has an impressive track record of helping students achieve remarkable results.

Beyond his academic achievements, Virgil’s unique approach to teaching set him apart creates a welcoming and engaging learning environment that fosters growth and ignites curiosity. His ability to connect with students on a personal level cultivates a strong foundation for effective communication and understanding. He is the current HIV Special Coordinator at the Charles County Department of health.

Willy graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelors in mathematics. He recently graduated from the University of Maryland with a PhD in math education, where he prepared undergraduate elementary and middle grades preservice teachers. Prior to his PhD program, Willy taught Algebra 2 and Probability and Statistics at a secondary school in Virginia and was the distance coach for the school’s track team. He is certified in secondary math in Maryland and can tutor students up through precalculus. Willy has spent a great deal of time exploring digital math resources and exploration tools and is well-versed in Common Core math standards. His approach to teaching and tutoring is to help students engage with the math, build confidence, and develop personal relevance to the topic.