ELECTRA W.

Electra is currently pursuing a Master’s of Child Study and Education at the University of Toronto. She has completed a Bachelor’s of Early Childhood Studies with a minor in English accredited by Toronto Metropolitan University. Through her Master’s studies, Electra has completed a teaching practicum in a kindergarten classroom and is currently completing her second practicum in a grade four classroom. In her undergraduate studies, Electra completed placement experiences in a grade 1/2 classroom, a kindergarten classroom, and an EarlyON Child and Family Centre. Electra has a plethora of diverse employment experiences with respect to teaching and learning. Electra has hired, trained, and managed instructors for Engineering Outreach programs (STEM-based additional programming). Through this employment, Electra reviewed curriculum outlines, activity sheets, and material requests for grades 3 to 8. Electra has experience as a Senior Program Instructor for Engineering Outreach programs, where she created, developed, and delivered STEM programming to students from grades 1 to 12. Moreover, Electra has experience as an Emergency Supply Teacher, where she covered the duties and responsibilities of absent teachers ranging from kindergarten to grade 12. Electra has extended knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy, and best practices. She is culturally responsive and always incorporates an equity lens into her practice. Electra is highly experienced with children with exceptionalities and always implements strength-based approaches that consider the whole child.

SARAH R.

Sarah is currently a student at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in the Masters of Teaching program. She has a particular interest in mathematics education and a consciousness of math anxiety and shame within the math classroom, as she is currently working on research on math anxiety in BIPOC students. Sarah truly believes that every student is capable of learning any subject and believes in the importance of building students’ confidence. So, she focuses on connecting with who students are to teach them in a way that works for them.

Before coming to OISE, Sarah taught dance and gymnastics to kids aged 4-12 in a summer camp setting. In practicum experiences, Sarah taught in a grade 5-6 gifted classroom, a grade 7-8 literacy, history, and art classroom and a grade 8 science classroom, with a concentrated focus on math skills within science. With these different age groups and experiences, Sarah has learned the needs of different age groups and is well-equipped at adapting to these different needs. In the future, she hopes to use what she has learned to teach in a junior or intermediate level classroom setting (grades 4-10).

In her personal life, she enjoys baking, watching movies, and seeing live music. She also is active in the UofT community as a Varsity Blues cheerleader.

Aisling O.

Aisling is a primary school teacher who is originally from Ireland, where she completed a Bachelor of Education at Mary Immaculate College. Aisling was given the opportunity to teach grades 1 and 2 following her graduation. Aisling grew up with a deep love of travel and took the opportunity to explore the world after completing two full years of teaching after graduating. Aisling spent three weeks working with teachers and children in Uganda. It was here Aisling discovered her passion for teaching and working with children on a 1:1 basis. During the summer in Ireland, Aisling ran a Summer camp for children with additional needs. The camp gave these children an opportunity to practice social skills and engage in experiences in a safe environment. While living in Canada Aisling is taking the opportunity to continue her professional development, especially in the area of Behaviour Intervention which she feels aids her greatly in her one-to-one work. In her spare time, Aisling works one-on-one with children ranging from 4 years through middle school. She has supported the improvement of their reading, writing, vocabulary, and math skills. Aisling believes that by building a strong relationship with her students she is better able to meet their needs and grow their learning. As a mentor, Aisling continues to develop strategies for working with children. She finds these experiences enjoyable and extremely rewarding.
Aisling has a great love for the outdoors and enjoys participating in team sports. Aisling brings teachings from these experiences into her teaching to allow a holistic approach to every lesson.

Nazia M.

Nazia is an ECE and she grew up in Pakistan and then moved to Bahrain.  She travelled around the world and finished her postgraduate education at the University of Nottingham. Later, she moved to Canada and pursued her career as an Early childhood Educator.  She has worked with all age groups, from kindergarten to high school. Currently she is working in the Peel District School board and works with children with autism, learning difficulties and developmental disabilities at the high school level.  She has several years of tutoring experience.  She believes all children are gifted in their style and need support to reach their full potential. She provides interactive lesson plans, videos, games and worksheets. In her free time, she spends time with her children and friends. She loves to travel and enjoys cooking.

Emily K.

Emily is dedicated to working with diverse populations and is currently working as an Educational Assistant at Choice School for Gifted Children, where she aims to help students reach their full potential. With two years of experience as an Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) therapist and six years of working with diverse populations in Ontario, she has worked with children aged 2 to 20, addressing various behavioral and developmental challenges, and teaching academic skills. Emily holds a degree in Applied Science with a specialization in Human Development from the University of Guelph, and believes every child has unique gifts that can achieve great things with the right support. In her free time, she enjoys concerts, spending time with friends, traveling, exercising, and exploring her new surroundings in Vancouver.

Keith W.

Keith earned his Bachelor of Education from Brock University and spent three years teaching before shifting his focus to Jake’s House Charity, where he now supports individuals with autism. He is qualified to teach across primary, junior, and intermediate divisions and is adept in all subjects. Keith originally completed his undergraduate studies at McMaster University, majoring in kinesiology. With a deep passion for fostering student learning, Keith is dedicated to making education both engaging and enjoyable, aiming to inspire life-long learning in his students. Beyond the classroom, he is an avid sports enthusiast with a particular love for baseball.

ANNABELLE K.

Annabelle is an Ontario Certified Teacher with a Transitional Certificate as she works towards completing her final year of the Master of Teaching program at OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education). In her studies at OISE, Annabelle has been exploring accessibility through gamification and how to best ensure students are engaged and ready to learn in the classroom. Through her placements, Annabelle has had amazing opportunities to work closely with students to meet their various learning needs, including providing students with one on one support. Annabelle has always been passionate about education both inside and out of the classroom as seen through her work in museums. Before entering the classroom, Annabelle received her Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Information. Annabelle’s museum work centred around making history accessible and engaging to students through creating interactive and informative exhibits, and school programming for students from Grades 3 through 12. Its her passion for history and the humanities that have led her to teaching and she is excited to share this passion with her students. Annabelle has been working with kids for as long as she remembers, growing up as a camp councilor and teaching karate, always looking for ways to make learning fun. In her spare time, Annabelle practices her karate as much as she can and is always looking for a new video game to play!

ANTHONY M.

Anthony Mayadunne is a multi-disciplinary educator up to the university level in Mathematics (ALM, Harvard), English (MA, UBC), and Business (MBA, U of T). He is passionate about delivering a focused and exciting learning experience to his students—whether they are in Grade 6 … or pursuing their PhD. He is also a SAT trainer (integrating both English and Mathematics sections), and University Admissions Coach for undergraduate and graduate programs, having placed many students in leading universities around the world. When invited to teach Calculus in Engineering Outreach programs (Gr 9 – 12) at U of T Engineering, he developed an engaging approach to teach a famously challenging subject: Calculus. Later, completing his Masters in Mathematics for Teaching, he specialized in teaching Calculus to meet rigorous standards: AP/IB Calculus, Engineering Mathematics, and Mathematics in Arts & Science. His warm and engaging manner has led him to mentor many students in their academic and professional careers. He hopes to persuade the world that all people (including parents) are innate mathematicians, and that Calculus can bring as profound joy as Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony, or Maurice Sendak’s Night Kitchen. So far, he has succeeded with about 50 people, and optimistically looks forward to the still 8 billion more people to go.
He has traveled extensively, living for many years in Japan, Australia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, and uses these experiences to write short stories, essays and poems. He describes himself in four verbs: I teach, I travel, I read, and sometimes, I write.

MAYA B.

Maya has completed a degree in English Education and a Master’s in Teaching Primary Specialization. Being a full-time teacher for six years, Maya has enriched students’ lives both in Malaysia and Australia. Clearly, her teaching experience has been as diverse as her travel itinerary! She is a firm believer in the idea that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to education. She focuses on creating effective learning experiences tailored to each student’s strengths and areas for growth. Her skills in patience, creativity, and adaptability ensure that every lesson is as engaging as a page-turning novel or a catchy tune. In her spare time, Maya enjoys reading novels, listening to music and traveling with family and friends.

Noelle S.

My name is Noelle and I love teaching literacy! I have worked in education for 22 years. My experience includes teaching literacy in grades K-5. I am a certified Reading Specialist. As a Reading Specialist, I analyze student data such as MAP, Aimsweb and Frastbridge. I have experience with several successful curriculums and interventions. After seeing your child’s level and where to start instruction, we will develop a plan. I can also support programs or interventions your child is using in school. I can add additional resources where there are deficits and challenge students in their strengths. It all depends on your goals and what your child needs.