Lilah G.
Hi! I’m Lilah, and I’ve been a secondary school teacher with the TDSB for the past six years. I mainly teach English, Social Sciences and Family Studies. During the school year I work at an alternative secondary school, which I really love.
English is definitely one of my main areas of experience. For about five years, I’ve taught English through TDSB summer school and night school, particularly ENG4U (Grade 12 University English), so I’m very familiar with the course and what students need to be successful. I’ve worked with students on everything from essay writing and thesis development to reading comprehension, literary analysis, grammar, and just becoming more confident writers overall.
Before becoming a teacher, I also had a background in Child and Youth Care, so building relationships with students and making them feel comfortable has always been really important to me. I’m patient, approachable, and I try to explain things in a way that actually makes sense rather than making schoolwork feel more complicated than it needs to be. I also know that every student learns differently, so I’m happy to slow things down, break things into smaller steps, or approach something in a different way when needed.
Outside of teaching, I love animals, being outdoors and in nature, reading, and musical theatre.
Melissa G.
Melissa is a Psychology graduate from York University with a strong passion for education and supporting children in reaching their academic and personal potential. She brings experience working with children with autism and developmental disabilities in educational and developmental settings, along with knowledge and hands-on experience in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Through this experience, she has supported children in developing communication, social skills, emotional regulation, independence, and academic learning using individualized and evidence-informed strategies.
As an academic tutor, Melissa provides support in French Immersion, Spanish, English reading and writing, and elementary-level mathematics. She understands that every student has a unique learning style and works to adapt her approach to meet each child’s individual strengths, needs, and goals. Her background in psychology and ABA allows her to incorporate structured learning strategies, positive reinforcement, encouragement, and individualized behavioural supports to promote engagement, focus, and confidence.
Melissa strives to create a positive, patient, and supportive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, and developing new skills at their own pace. She believes that academic success goes hand in hand with confidence, motivation, and independence, and she takes the time to recognize and celebrate each student’s progress, no matter how big or small.
With a student-centered approach grounded in empathy, patience, and encouragement, Melissa is dedicated to helping learners strengthen their academic foundations while developing a genuine enjoyment of learning. She is committed to providing individualized support that helps students overcome challenges, build confidence, and develop the skills necessary to become more independent learners. Through her academic tutoring and ABA-informed experience, Melissa strives to empower every student to recognize their strengths, reach their goals, and feel confident in their ability to succeed both academically and personally.
Molly R.
Molly is a Florida-certified educator with experience working with students from early childhood through high school. A lifelong Floridian born and raised in Naples, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and has developed a diverse background working in public schools, private academies, religious settings, and project-based learning environments.
Molly has taught in elementary through high school and is comfortable supporting a broad range of subjects and grade levels, including ELA, mathematics, biology, social studies, and entrepreneurship. She also has extensive experience working with children with unique learning needs and within the ESE population, with a particular specialization in reading instruction for students with dyslexia. Molly currently serves as a Kindergarten Teacher with Collier County Public Schools and an Infant-Toddler Development Specialist with Early Steps of Southwest Florida.
Molly believes that every child is unique and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. She understands that students develop at different paces and may need additional patience, encouragement, structure, or individualized support to reach their potential. Her approach focuses not only on academic growth but also on building trust, confidence, and positive relationships with her students.
Molly finds great fulfillment in helping students recognize their strengths, overcome challenges, and become more confident learners. She is passionate about creating a supportive environment where every child feels understood, valued, and capable of success.
Kyra W.
Kyra is a Kinesiology student at the University of Victoria with a passion for working with children and helping students build confidence in their abilities. She tutors a range of subjects including English, essay writing, psychology, middle school science, high school biology and pre-calculus, as well as university-level EPHE 141 and EPHE 143.
Kyra has experience tutoring students as well as working with children through childcare, mentoring, summer camp, and community programs. These experiences have strengthened her ability to connect with young people and create positive, encouraging learning environments.
Kyra recognizes that every student learns differently and takes the time to understand each learner’s strengths, challenges, and individual learning style. Her goal is to pursue a career as a pediatric occupational therapist, combining her interest in education with her love of working with children.
Outside of school, Kyra enjoys running, hiking, travelling, and music. She played clarinet for six years and loves finding ways to connect with students through their own interests.
John M.
John is a dedicated certified science educator with over a decade of experience inspiring upper elementary and middle school students. After beginning his career in 2009 supporting students with diverse learning needs, John went on to earn dual Master’s degrees in education. Currently a fifth and sixth-grade science teacher, he excels at taking complex concepts and making them accessible, engaging, and hands-on through interactive models and digital tools. John believes that building a strong, supportive rapport with each student is the key to unlocking their confidence and natural curiosity across all subjects. Outside of the classroom, John is an avid chess enthusiast, a self-proclaimed home-kitchen chef, and an undeterred golfer who still insists his high school caddying days give him special insight on the green.
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.
Andrew V.
Andrew has a master’s in English, having capped off his courses with a creative thesis, a book of formal poems entitled “Sierra.”
In college, he won two awards for his poetry; received a fellowship; and published—and presented—three academic articles (Milton, Kafka, Dante).
Since graduation, he has written a graphic novel, and has taken up piano, frame drum, and Grecian lyre.
As a warm-hearted, seasoned academic, Andrew knows how to move through projects with humor and determination.
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.
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.