STEPHANIE I.

Stephanie graduated from the University of Toronto with a Master of Arts in Child Study & Education in the primary/junior grade levels. During her time at OISE, she completed three practicum placements, which were in SK at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute Child Study, grade 3/4 in the TDSB, and her teaching internship / extended practicum was grade 1 in the TDSB. Prior to entering her master’s at University of Toronto, Stephanie was an educational assistant that supported students in KG- grade 8 with academics, social skills, vocational skills, and social emotional learning. Through the combination of her employment opportunities and the unique position of the master’s degree, Stephanie has developed an in-depth understanding on teaching children Ontario curriculum using a child-centred approach that is best suited to each child’s needs. Stephanie truly believes that all children learn best when they feel safe, welcome, and secure, and it is her teaching mission to ensure all students she interacts with feel welcomed and include by developing strong relationships and creating a fun environment. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys camping, kayaking, yoga, and other exercise activities that promote a healthy lifestyle for her well-being.

Melissa E.

Hello! My name is Melissa, and I am an extremely enthusiastic and energetic educator with 5+ years of teaching experience. I am currently a teacher candidate at York University’s Bachelor of Education program, specializing in the primary/junior division. Having worked with various age groups in both public and private school settings across the GTA, I have developed strong skills in creating developmentally appropriate and interactive learning lessons, observed and reported on students’ development and conduct, as well as established solid rapport with students and families. My goal with Prep Academy Tutors is to create a learning environment that is positive and inclusive to each students’ strengths, while still working to improve each individual’s skill level.

SHAHRAM A.

Shahram has been quite the globetrotter from an early age. He was born in Tehran, Iran; raised in Copenhagen, Denmark; socialized and educated in Toronto, Canada, which he now refers to as home. To date, Shahram has lived in 6 different countries (Denmark, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) and traveled to 62 others.  

Shahram received an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Sociology and also a Bachelor of Education from the University of Windsor. Additionally, he completed his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Management with a certificate in International Baccalaureate (IB) Administration from Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia. Prior to making the transition back to Canada, Shahram taught internationally at prestigious private schools for nearly a decade. These schools followed the Ontario, British Columbia and IB curricula and framework. 

As​ an extremely passionate educator, ​Shahram’s teaching experiences have helped him refine a personal teaching philosophy and pedagogy in education that combines the importance of inclusion within the classroom, ongoing feedback, respect, and creating meaningful student-centered lessons. Shahram’s defining characteristic as an educator revolves around the joy, pleasure and passion that ​he receives from teaching beyond the required curriculum. He branches off into various learning atmospheres by becoming actively involved in the development of the ​​whole child.​​ The ‘aha!’ moment in students and seeing everything begin to click for them provides him with an immense pleasure and continuously drives his passion and pedagogy as an educator. It is important to nurture a child’s creative abilities to develop a sense of themselves, understand others and the world around them, and navigate information so that they can confidently take risks and solve problems. ​Reflection​ and ​introspection​ are fundamental components of Shahram’s pedagogy and also his own personal growth and commitment to lifelong learning. 

ESHA P.

Esha’s teaching experience of more than three years has provided her with necessary skills in pedagogy and she is adept in a physical as well as a virtual classroom instruction setting, with various modes of teaching to reach children of all learning styles. In addition, her high-energy and creative personality make Esha ideally suited to teach grades K-3. She loves teaching because of the exploring, learning and fun.

Before becoming a full-time teacher/tutor, Esha worked as an early childhood assistant, a copywriter and a lawyer. Esha’s favourite subject is Language and she could teach it all day, literally!

DIANE H.

Diane has an Advanced Early Childhood Education Certificate and has been working with children both in early learning environments as well as child care programs for over 30 years. Diane’s experience as a manager and child care provider have given her a tremendous amount of experience. Her creativity and supportive learning environments ignite an excitement and joy of learning.

WARDA B.

Hello, my name is Warda, the friendly and passionate educator. As I have recently wrapped up my Master’s degree in Early Childhood Studies, writing a thesis around inclusive education and disability studies, I have now taken on tutoring for Prep Academy. Whilst tutoring, I am also a college instructor for an Early Childcare Assistant diploma program at the Canadian College of Business, Science & Technology. On my free time, I enjoy eating out with my friends and writing. I am currently finishing up an academic publication for the Canadian Journal of Children’s Rights.

My career has largely involved working in childcare and teaching settings, as I began working at Bayview Glen School for their afterschool program and proceeded to work as a casual supply teacher for their preschool while completing my Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Studies. I have worked there for over 8 years now. I have also worked as a literacy interventionist with grade 1 students through TDSB’s We Will Read Program. This program is targeted for children needing extra guidance in reading and comprehension. I look forward to the tutoring journey with every child I work with because I believe in the learning success for every child and I advocate for learning to be prioritized according to children’s needs.

ASHLEY R.

Ashley is a recent graduate of Nipissing University’s concurrent education program. She spent six years completing both her bachelors degrees in Physical Health Education as well as her Primary/Junior Education degree. In the summer of 2019 she got her bilingualism certificate as well as completed additional qualification training in french as a second language (FSL).
Ashley has been working towards becoming a teacher since she was very young. Her passion for helping children has led her to obtain a variety of certifications including but not limited to: High Five training for Healthy Childhood Development, Mental Health First Aid for Adults who Interact with Youth as well as many certificates from the National Coaching Certification Program including nutrition, concussion training, fundamental movements as well as multi-sport instruction.
Ashley’s love of teaching and children has driven her towards many different jobs. These jobs include nannying, working pre-school and school-aged programs for various organizations as well as three years of summer camp coordination for children aged 3-14. Most recently, Ashley has worked in classrooms as an EQAO preparation tutor as well as a facilitator of outdoor experiential education. Upon graduating this spring, Ashley will be working for the Trillium Lakelands District School Board as a Grade 1 French Immersion Teacher until the end of the school year.
Ashley is excited to assist future students in discovering their passions, achieving their goals, and inspiring curiosity and desire for life-long learning. Her goal is to create a safe, caring and welcoming environment that is inclusive, responsive and adaptive to student’s needs and wellbeing.

SAMANTHA I.

Samantha is an award-winning Canadian and international educator, who has presented her teaching strategies at the University of Toronto, the Solutions Tree Conference in Singapore, and contributed her lesson plans to the First Nations Caring Society. She received her undergraduate degree in English and Philosophy from the University of Western Ontario in 2009, and her Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto in 2012, where she was awarded the prestigious Kathy Bickmore Peacemaking Award in Education. She has experience teaching in Toronto, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. She has attended intensive professional training in Italy, and facilitated workshops for teachers in Cambodia. Samantha approaches her students with kindness, a sense of humour, and encouragement. Her teaching philosophy is to view herself as a learner, responsible for learning about, and adapting to, her student’s needs. She has experience with the following curriculums and pedagogies: Ontario, AERO curriculum standards, International Baccalaureate (PYP), and Reggio Emilia. She has experience in tutoring a wide range of subjects, with a passion for literacy coaching, organizational learning, and supporting English language learners. She is working toward her Guidance Counsellor qualification. In her spare time, Samantha has traveled to over 35 countries, and practices martial arts and yoga.

STEPHANIE L.

Stephanie graduated from the University of Toronto, where she received her (Honours) Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Psychology and completed her Bachelor of Education with York University. Stephanie is an Ontario Certified Teacher, who is qualified to teach all divisions (Primary/Junior/Intermediate and Senior). She has taken Additional Qualification courses in Special Education, English, Social Sciences, and Physical Education, to strengthen her skill set. Stephanie has many years of experience tutoring, both in group settings and one on one. Her experience in the classroom includes students ranging from kindergarten to high school, including a year of teaching Core French. In addition, Stephanie has a background in teaching students with various exceptionalities such as autism, dyslexia, and ADHD. From her time working at Holland Bloorview she has gathered a variety of strategies and resources to help with meeting the learning needs of many diverse learners. Stephanie is also creative with a high interest in arts and sports which she uses to create a fun and interactive learning environment. She is an energetic teacher who aims to make learning engaging and meaningful to all her students.

VICTORIA W.

Victoria completed her Bachelor of Education with Wilfrid Laurier University in collaboration with Nipissing University; Schulich School of Education. She is certified to teach Junior/Intermediate grades and she graduated with a French teachable. Victoria has experience in the classroom with every grade from Kindergarten to Grade 9 including a year of teaching Grade 1 French Immersion and she is currently teaching a grade 5/6 Extended French class. Her specialities include working with French learners, teaching students to read, strengthening reading and writing skills and math all while making learning fun. Victoria’s interests include sustainability, community growth, global initiatives, volunteering, health and well-being and empowering others to do good. Victoria’s teaching pedagogy is that each child is unique and thus must have an interesting educational environment that fosters physical, mental, emotional, and social growth and such an environment allows students to achieve their goals. It is her desire to create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. She is also creative with a high interest in sports and games which she uses in creating a fun and encouraging learning environment.