Amy L.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from UCLA and has taught K–12 students at the highly regarded Sidwell Friends, Maret, and St. Catherine’s schools, as well as many private students. She specializes in English, reading and writing, history, social studies, study skills, homework support, and general K–8 academics. She can also tutor math and science through the upper school level. Amy has completed the first year of graduate-level coursework in social work at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Amy understands that families seek tutoring for many different reasons. Some students need help catching up, completing assignments, or feeling less overwhelmed, while others are ready to strengthen their skills and reach a higher level. She begins by identifying each student’s strengths, challenges, learning style, and academic goals. Amy then creates individualized lessons that break difficult material into clear, manageable steps. She helps students improve reading comprehension, organize and express their ideas in writing, think critically, prepare for assignments and assessments, and develop stronger study and organizational habits.
Amy is patient, encouraging, and attentive while also providing the structure and accountability students need to progress. She believes that children learn best when they feel understood and comfortable asking questions. By recognizing improvement and helping students work through mistakes without embarrassment, Amy builds both academic skills and genuine confidence. She values consistent communication with parents and works collaboratively with families to understand their concerns, monitor progress, and support each child’s individual needs.
Amy’s background also includes coaching youth soccer and supporting young people with diverse learning needs. Outside of tutoring, she enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring Richmond, following soccer, and spending time with her French
bulldog.

Vanessa D.

Vanessa graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Mathematics and is continuing her education at UofT OISE in the Master of Teaching program. Vanessa’s experience includes working in various schools as a mathematics intern, supporting grades 7 through 12. Through these experiences, she has developed the ability to explain mathematical concepts in an approachable way while adapting her teaching to meet the individual needs and learning styles of each student. Vanessa is passionate about helping students build their knowledge and confidence. She strives to create a supportive and encouraging learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and develop a deeper understanding of the subject.

In her free time, Vanessa enjoys running, swimming and playing with her pet bunny. She also loves to travel and hopes to visit Greece one day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intermediate Math (7-8), Primary Junior (1-6) – All Subjects, Senior Math (9-12)

Chitra R.

Chitra R is a seasoned Middle and High School Mathematics and Science educator with over twenty years of teaching and tutoring experience. Holding a Master of Science in Physics from the University of Madras, she has built a career defined by deep subject expertise, unwavering passion, and a remarkable ability to help students transform their academic performance. Chitra specializes in identifying learning gaps, designing targeted remedial programs, and guiding struggling learners back to confidence and success—an approach that has earned her the gratitude of countless parents over the years. Her professional journey includes impactful roles at Adams International School in Virginia and the Academy of Academic Excellence in Richmond, where she taught advanced math, core sciences, computing skills, and supported schoolwide technology needs. Known for her strong organizational skills, warm interpersonal style, and commitment to student growth, Chitra brings both rigor and encouragement to every learning session. When she isn’t teaching Math or Science, she performs at musical events as a classical vocalist and passionately coaches the next generation in the same artform. She enjoys traveling around the world to explore new countries and cultures.

Nancy C.

Nancy offers your child individualized attention to his or her academic needs. With over a decade of tutoring experience with kindergarten age to high school sophomores, she has collaborated with parents and teachers to deliver weekly lessons that match the family’s tutoring goals. Nancy’s commitment to her students prompted two families to request that she continue her services after they moved from away from Pasadena. The switch to online tutoring was seamless.

Nancy has a particular fondness for tutoring children in reading and language arts. Her tutoring career began when Common Core demanded that kindergarteners master what was once the reading expectations of first graders. One child, who entered first grade lagging in reading began to work with Nancy at his teacher’s referral, and with mom’s unwavering support, the child’s impressive determination, and Nancy’s skill in teaching phonics-based reading, he moved from ‘low’ test scores in first grade to meeting grade-level expectations in second grade.

Beyond primary school reading, Nancy has worked with intermediate and middle school students to improve their English Language Arts skills as well as helping high school students master their Honors English classes.

The spillover to other academic subjects can occur with these students: 2nd grade math word problems become easier when math skills match reading abilities; social studies analysis becomes clearer when one can analyze story elements; and beginning essay writing can improve when a child is proficient in answering reading prompts.

When Nancy is not spending time with her tutoring clients or in a classroom as a substitute teacher, she enjoys gardening, yoga, museums, live theater and classical music concerts. And of course, reading.

Josh B.

Josh Bicknell is a licensed educator for English Language Arts, which he earned shortly after completing a BA in English at the University of Missouri with a minor in creative writing. He has taught and tutored at the secondary level (7-12) throughout the Houston, Texas area where he grew up. He has also worked as a professional writing tutor for college composition and rhetoric, in addition to TOEFL prep, ISEE prep, SAT/ACT, and both GED and some GRE completion.

In 2024, Bicknell decided to continue his education with a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, while also studying a topic he had always felt passionately about: Holocaust and Genocide studies. He graduated in 2025.

His current work includes developing curriculum for his project (Ten Stages of Change) which focuses primarily on textual and source analysis, media literacy skills, and social emotional learning. His work has been published by Consider the Source New York Archives, Learner Education’s EdTech blog series, and three pieces of poetry selected for the Glendale Literary Archives.

He currently livens in downtown Glendale, California with a Boston terrier/pug named Dexter.

 

JEFF M.

Jeff has a PhD in philosophy and has taught as a university instructor for over a decade. He started teaching at 16, as a snowboard instructor, and quickly discovered he has passion for human connection and contributing to the development of others. All of his work experience since has been with youth and young adults in various learning contexts, like running summer camps, and teaching English in Japan. Jeff believes real learning is life-changing, and is convinced that the question “why?”–even, and sometimes especially, when it is asked in the form, “why do I have to do this?”–is a powerful route to this kind of meaningful change. Jeff hasn’t only studied a lot, he’s experienced a lot, too: at 17, he left home to study abroad; he’s lived in eight cities in four countries, and travelled to over 30; he’s studied four languages in addition to the French and English he grew up speaking; and he’s made all kinds of connection throughout. This capacity for connection makes Jeff particularly alive to the lived experience and uniqueness of his students, giving him a distinctive human touch. He is currently studying to become a psychotherapist.

Juan S.

Dr. Juan S. graduated from the Nova Southeastern University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. He completed a Masters and Doctorate in Education from the University of Florida. He completed his teaching internship in Houston, where he taught in a Grade 6 class. He has worked as a teacher, instructional coach, and as an Assistant Principal and Principal. In 2026, he jumped at the opportunity to offer tutoring to students that need additional assistance. He enjoys working with kids and expanding their horizons. In his spare time he likes to travel, play racquetball, and spend time with his family.

 

Rebecca D.

Rebecca is currently completing her Bachelor of Education in Ontario, with teachable subjects in Biology and Chemistry. She also holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology and is bilingual in English and French.

Rebecca has experience working with students across a range of grade levels, both in the classroom and through tutoring. She has taught intermediate and secondary science, including Grade 11 Chemistry, and has supported students in Biology, Chemistry, general Science, and French.

Her tutoring approach is patient, encouraging, and focused on helping students develop a genuine understanding of the material rather than relying on memorization or simply completing assignments. Rebecca enjoys breaking down challenging concepts into smaller, manageable steps and adapting her explanations to find an approach that works best for each student.

She believes students learn best when they feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes. Rebecca strives to create a relaxed, supportive learning environment where students feel confident speaking up when they are confused or need additional explanation.

Her goal is not only to help students improve their academic performance, but also to build their confidence, strengthen their skills, and help them become more independent learners.

Lena H.

Lena is a certified Texas educator with a creative, student-centered approach to helping learners build confidence, strengthen academic skills, and discover how they learn best. She holds a Texas EC–12 teaching certification and brings several years of classroom experience working with students from early elementary through middle school, along with experience supporting learners with a wide variety of academic abilities, learning styles, and individual needs.

Lena graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor of Arts in Art, earning a 3.81 GPA. Her university studies also reflected her broad interest in the humanities and social sciences, with coursework exploring literature, culture, history, and the ways art and storytelling reflect society. This interdisciplinary background has helped shape her ability to make subjects such as English, writing, history, geography, and social studies more engaging and relatable for students.

As a classroom educator, Lena has taught hundreds of students across elementary and middle school settings and has designed more than 75 standards-aligned lessons. Her experience includes developing curriculum, differentiating instruction, incorporating educational technology, assessing student progress, and finding creative ways to present information so students can better understand and retain it.

Lena is particularly passionate about working with students who benefit from a more individualized approach to learning. She has managed and implemented IEP accommodations for special education students and has completed additional professional training in dyslexia awareness, mental-health response, and Capturing Kids’ Hearts. She has developed a strong connection with neurodivergent students, including learners with ADHD and autism, and strives to create an environment where students feel understood, supported, and comfortable asking for help.

Lena specializes in English, English Language Arts, reading, writing, spelling, and middle school Language Arts, along with a broad range of humanities and social sciences, including U.S. History, World History, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy. She also supports students in AP English, AP Human Geography, AP World History, college essay writing, and introductory college-level English and Psychology.

In addition, Lena works with students on executive functioning, test-taking skills, and standardized test preparation, including English preparation for the SAT and ACT, as well as STAAR Reading and Social Studies. Her experience with organization, differentiated instruction, and individual accommodations makes her especially well suited for students who understand the material but struggle with planning, organization, task completion, or demonstrating what they know on assignments and tests.

One of Lena’s greatest strengths is her ability to approach academic material creatively. Her background in art and visual storytelling allows her to incorporate visual explanations, step-by-step modeling, and alternative ways of presenting information when traditional instruction isn’t connecting with a student. Rather than expecting every learner to process information in the same way, Lena works to discover what makes a concept “click” for each individual student.

Families appreciate Lena’s patience, creativity, and ability to build genuine connections with students. She believes students are more willing to challenge themselves when they feel safe making mistakes and know their teacher genuinely understands them. Her goal is to help students recognize their own strengths while developing the academic skills, strategies, and independence necessary for continued success.

Outside of teaching, Lena is an artist and storyteller who has had a lifelong love of comics and animation. She enjoys creating her own stories and artwork exploring underrepresented communities and themes of justice and representation. She brings that same curiosity, creativity, and appreciation for different perspectives into her work with students.

 

Lauren S.

Lauren is a Florida-certified educator with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Childhood Education from the State University of New York. With a particular passion for Mathematics, she earned a concentration in the subject during her undergraduate studies.

For the past five years, Lauren has taught in a classical education environment, giving her a strong appreciation for the structure, academic rigor, and well-rounded approach of the classical curriculum. Her teaching experience includes Mathematics, Literacy, Grammar, Reading Comprehension, and Composition. She especially enjoys helping students become confident readers and writers. She has guided them through the entire writing process and led writing workshops that resulted in the publication of three classroom books through Student Treasures Publishing.

Lauren’s experience also includes working as a Mathnasium instructor, where she worked with students from kindergarten through high school, covering mathematics from foundational skills through advanced high school math. She is also well versed in Singapore Math, a conceptual approach that emphasizes number sense, mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and understanding why math works rather than simply memorizing formulas or procedures.

Lauren currently serves as an adjunct Algebra instructor at a local college, allowing her to continue sharing her love of Mathematics with students at the collegiate level. She has also tutored students from K-12 across a wide range of subjects. Lauren particularly enjoys working one-on-one with students and finding different ways to explain challenging concepts until they click.

Outside of teaching, Lauren loves to bake and considers herself a total movie buff!