Alya S.

Alya is a dedicated and compassionate elementary school teacher with over four years of teaching experience. She has her master’s degree in Childhood Education and is licensed to teach students in grades 1-6. She has experience teaching students in a variety of settings, including public, charter, and accelerated curriculum schools.
Alya has extensive experience implementing targeted instructional approaches that meet various students’ academic learning styles and needs, including students with IEPs.

While in graduate school, Alya tutored elementary and middle school students in Reading, Writing, and Math. She also created supplemental curriculum material that aligned with state standards in order to provide differentiated instruction for these students.

In her free time, Alya enjoys practicing yoga, going for walks on the beach, and hiking. Alya believes that in order to best meet the learning styles and academic needs of each student, frequent and open communication with parents/guardians, and differentiated instruction is imperative. She looks forward to the opportunity to work with you!

Micaela M.

Micaela is an experienced educator specializing in reading, math, and ESL. She earned her Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and her Bachelor’s in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Micaela is passionate about teaching and has dedicated her career to helping students excel in English language learning, literacy, and math.

She has worked with students across various grade levels (EC-6), creating engaging and inclusive environments where they can thrive. Micaela develops customized lesson plans that support diverse learners using differentiated instruction and scaffolding. She is also trained in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) methods, which she integrates into her teaching to foster supportive relationships with her students. Additionally, Micaela has received her Texas Teachers License in EC-6, with an additional certification in ESL. She has 4 years of experience as an educator in both traditional classroom settings and non-traditional exploratory and project-based learning programs.

Outside of teaching, Micaela enjoys camping, hiking, drawing, and spending time with her cats, Beaux and Pasha, and her dog, Apple.

Diego C.

Diego is a dedicated educator with extensive experience working with children and youth with diverse needs. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care from Toronto Metropolitan University, Diego is now currently in his second year of his Master of Teaching program at the University of Toronto OISE, where he continues to learn and develop his skills in teaching students in the Primary and Junior Stream. Professionally, Diego has worked as a Long Term Occasional Educational Assistant at Bloorview School Authority for the past 5 years and continues to be an active community member within the school. Here he collaborates with multidisciplinary teams such as teachers, physiotherapists, occupational therapist, and speech pathologists that support students’ academic and medical needs and provides Diego with many perspectives to learn from. His experience extends to roles such as Life Skills Assistant at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, where he created life skills programs for youth with disabilities. Diego has also worked as an online ESL teacher where he has mastered virtual classroom management skills while also supporting students with their reading and pronunciation. When Diego is not working, you can find him playing tennis or keeping up with the latest trends. His diverse experience in education makes him a well-rounded educator who cares about the students he works with.

Joanne F.

With decades of experience, Joanne has a diverse teaching background. Teaching throughout the Sea to Sky corridor using the BC Curriculum, she can support what students are asked to know, understand, and be able to do in their schoolwork.
Joanne’s specialty is teaching and tutoring middle school students in all subject areas: Math, Science, English, Social Studies, Humanities, STEM and Physical Education. She has a wide range of skills; she’s a generalist.
Beyond the middle grades, Joanne can help elementary and high school students with their academic strengths and stretches, study skills, organization, test preparation and confidence.
With a passion for creativity, calm temperament and a caring approach, Joanne helps students to learn at their own pace, from where they are at, and in their own personal style.

Karina R.

Karina is a retired teacher and administrator with over 38 years of experience teaching and leading communities of learners. She has a love for education and connecting with her students and families.

Karina believes that the key to successful learning is making it fun, engaging and appropriate for each child’s instructional needs. Her specialty is differentiating and individualizing according to each child’s interests, strengths and academic goals. She is also a lifelong learner and enjoys traveling, reading, surfing, birding and hiking. Karina is thrilled to be a Prep Academy Tutor, which allows her to help children develop confidence in their abilities and achieve their full potential.

JACQUELINE D.

Jacqueline has a Graduate Diploma in Education and has 11 years of experience in education. She is an Ontario and UK certified teacher with expertise and success in Toronto’s model schools. Jacqueline has worked in Special Education with knowledge of direct instruction programs like Reading Mastery and Visualizing and Verbalizing, as well as phonics instruction programs such as UFLI. Jacqueline has taught Kindergarten to Grade 6 and is currently working as a Kindergarten teacher. Jacqueline is driven and committed to cultivating an equitable, inclusive and safe learning environment that supports all learners.

Dr. Lynda M.

Dr. Lynda’s professional journey, from a long-term substitute in a public school to earning a doctoral degree in Education, is a testament to her dedication and persistence. She has worked with a comprehensive array of demographics regarding students, ranging from early intervention with the youngest students to working with adults striving to earn a GED. She has tutored undergraduate students and non-traditional learners. Each new experience builds a knowledge base and broadens understanding of students’ diverse academic encounters.

Currently, Dr. Lynda provides learning support to young students with developmental disabilities, notably those with intellectual challenges, autism, sensory challenges, and behavioral issues, as well as typical learners. She connects well with people across age cohorts and with students’ families. Her down-to-earth nature is immediately apparent. Her commitment has led her to delve into delivering early learning opportunities, such as language development, phonemes, literacy, phonics, numeracy, and social-emotional development. She uses fun, interactive, collaborative brain breaks, sensitivity, and the learners’ strengths to help them meet their needs.

Dr. Lynda is eager to participate in problem resolution with her students, using her calming therapist skills as needed. She encourages open discussion about academic difficulties in a compassionate, nonjudgmental manner, always remaining a steadfast safety net.

LEAH S.

Leah is an Early Intervention Specialist. She has 20 years of experience teaching children with special needs (autism, ADD/ADHD, developmental delays, and other learning differences/disabilities). Leah is able to assess needs, create individualized program plans, skill building and acquisition, school readiness, parent coaching and capacity building, tutoring, and provide case coordination and service navigation for children and youth 3 to 21 years of age.

Leah completed her diploma in Early Childhood Education and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. After graduating, Leah discovered her passion for teaching children 4-6 years of age with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI). Leah has worked in residential settings and day treatment school based programs with children and youth ages 12-19 (with various diagnoses) assisting/teaching academic, behavioural, social, and life skills.

Leah approaches teaching that is child-centered and holistic. She believes that all children have the capacity to learn. Leah uses various strategies to facilitate individualized learning such as preference assessments, task analysis, visual cues/supports, positive reinforcement, assistive technology support, breaks, workload manageability, etc.
She reviews school IEP’s to ensure consistency in learning objectives, strategies and accommodations specific to a child/youth’s learning profile. Leah truly finds joy in seeing the happiness and pride that a child/youth exudes when they are able to work through their learning obstacles.

AMANDA B.

Amanda is an Ontario Certified Teacher with Specialist qualifications in Accessible Education, who is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Counselling Psychology. She graduated from York University’s Concurrent Teacher Education Program in 2006 with Primary/Junior qualifications and an Urban Education certificate. After graduation, Amanda also obtained her Intermediate qualification, and has supported students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 10. In her 18+ year career with Peel District School Board she has made a point of teaching and learning in a wide variety of roles to broaden her skillset and best support her students. These positions have included Lead Special Education Teacher, Contact Teacher, Intermediate Math Lead, Equity Lead Teacher, and Intensive Support Program Teacher, among many others. She has had the opportunity to teach every elementary subject at least once – even French! Amanda has presented workshops on a variety of topics to teacher colleagues, families, administrators, and superintendents, and she has run culturally-based programming for elementary Indigenous students in PDSB. One of her major areas of professional interest is the impact of emotion regulation and sensory processing on learning readiness.
As the parent of two autistic children with very different support needs, and as someone who has been diagnosed with both ADHD and autism herself, Amanda is passionate about empowering learners of all ages to become strong self-advocates. She believes this is most effective when students understand how brains learn, when they have thorough and accurate strength-based self-knowledge, and when they’ve created personal “toolkits” of accessible strategies discovered through guided experience. Pedagogically, she values truly getting to know her learners and believes mutually positive relationships are the basis of teacher-learner success.
Outside of teaching, Amanda spends her time cycling, practicing yoga, going on outdoor adventures with her kids, and continuing her lifelong journey of reconnecting with her Indigenous culture.

LAXSHAA N.

Laxshaa N. is an accomplished professional with a diverse background in education, data analysis, digital content management, fitness, and nutrition. She holds a Master of Education specializing in Assessment & Evaluation, a Master of Management Analytics from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Psychology and Criminal Justice & Public Policy from the University of Guelph. Laxshaa is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing and Leadership at Walden University.

She is currently a Student Success Project Manager at Centennial College, where she leads and manages quality assurance initiatives, develops comprehensive surveys, conducts environmental scans, and presents data-driven insights to enhance student success. Her expertise in data visualization techniques and statistical studies has been instrumental in improving advising operations and student engagement at the college.

Moreover, as a Professor of Marketing in the School of Business, she teaches various courses related to market research and analytics, has designed curricula, implemented active learning strategies, and created experiential learning opportunities, ensuring alignment with industry standards and academic excellence.

Outside of her professional life, Laxshaa is a fitness enthusiast, certified personal trainer, and nutrition coach. She enjoys promoting a healthy lifestyle and incorporates her love for cooking into her nutrition coaching. This passion for fitness and well-being complements her dedication to her professional work and personal growth.

Laxshaa’s blend of skills and experiences, combined with her commitment to continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making, make her a versatile and dynamic individual in both her professional and personal endeavors.