OLIVIA C.

Olivia is a fourth year teacher. Prior to beginning her teaching career she completed her Early Childhood Education diploma and degree, and then continued her teaching journey in teacher’s college. Olivia teaches in both the York Catholic District School Board and the Simcoe Muskoka District Schools Board where she is a primary teacher as well as working with the special education department.

For as long as she can remember, Olivia has a passion for teaching and working with children to achieve their learning goals and help in supporting their learning needs. she is a lifelong learner, always exploring new techniques on how best to support her students with their various learning needs!

HONEY B.

Honey is a BC and IB Certified Teacher. She grew up in Vancouver and completed her Undergraduate Degree in Media and Communications at Trinity Western University. Honey then went on to get her Bachelors of Education at UBC with a focus on elementary and middle years education, and the Primary Years International Baccalaureate Program (PYP). 

Honey’s initial interest in teaching came at a young age when she began to volunteer in a Sunday Church children’s program. As she got older, Honey started volunteering for summer day camps, eventually working for and co-running the camp. This allowed Honey to experience all different age groups from pre-kindergarten to grade 7. During the school year at university, Honey volunteered for a youth program. It was there that she was able to experience working with the high school ages. 

After Honey graduated from Trinity Western, she decided to learn a new skill and become a hairdresser but ultimately decided to dive into her passion for education and working with children. Prior to going to UBC to complete her degree, Honey volunteered in both a grade 5 and grade 1 classroom as an educational assistant. Once she began her degree, Honey was placed in an inner-city school in North Vancouver with a grade 6 class. She was able to teach all courses at the grade 6 level, including French. Honey has also had the opportunity to work one-on-one with students who have learning challenges in English and Math during her practicum. She was especially able to connect with these students as she also has a learning challenge that she had to navigate as a young learner (dyslexia). 

Post UBC graduation, Honey has been teaching at a local private school in Vancouver. She has spent the year teaching English, Social Studies, and Bible Studies to three separate grade 8 classes. In her current role, Honey gets a chance to work with various types of learners, including students with down syndrome, ADHD, dyslexia, written output challenges, English as a second language, and more. Honey is passionate about meeting learners where they are, setting goals, inquiring into personal interests, and trying new strategies to see growth.

MAHYA S.

Mahya Sanaei is a mother of two girls with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. She was a head of the foreign trade department for a construction company called TarazRah. When her daughter turned 5 she was introduced to a forest school. It was at that moment when she discovered her love for ‘nature and kids’ is her passion. Mahya began working as a forest educator (facilitator) in a Nature School and holds a certificate as a forest educator as well as her ECE certificate. Now where does the tutoring experience come from? Let’s flashback to Mahya’s last year of high school. That’s Mahya’s first experience as a math, chemistry and biology tutor. She was teaching students in grade 10-12 for about 2 years. When she finished university and started working full time at TarazRah, her unconscious mind led her to become a part time English tutor for kids between the ages of 5 to 12 for more than a decade. Connecting the dots, the love of teaching has always been present in her life. After home-schooling her child for a year, now she has a passion to let the world know that each child is unique and as a teacher by respecting these unique characteristics teachers can help the child thrive their best. She would like to teach kids how to be critical thinkers so they can be better problem solvers in their lives. She tries to ask questions to promote thinking that leads the child towards possible solutions all while enjoying the process and having fun in a learning environment.

Jan M.

Jan possesses master’s degree in science. He is in his second year of completing his master’s degree in teaching (in the junior and intermediate level) at the University of Toronto (U of T). Jan is currently employed by U of T Scarborough within the Department of Environmental Science as a lecturer. He teaches a masters level course titled Aquatic Ecology and Biomonitoring. For the last 20 years he has worked with students ranging from grades 4 to grade 12 and at the University level. He also works as a coach and as a mentor preparing high school and university students for interviews, helping them with resumes and cover letters, as well as task and time management strategies so that they can be more successful within their chosen career paths. He enjoys fishing, camping, playing soccer and kick boxing

HEIDI S.

Heidi Seibert is an Ontario Certified Teacher. She is from Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she completed a BA from Dalhousie University, majoring in Russian and Spanish. Between University and beginning her career as a teacher, Heidi lived and travelled in Japan where she taught English to students of various ages. After living overseas, Heidi spent some time in Central America furthering her love of languages. Heidi then returned to Canada and completed a BEd from Mount Saint Vincent University before moving to Toronto where she has been a teacher for over 20 years. Heidi has worked predominantly in grades 2-6 where she has gained a wealth of experience in both literacy and numeracy. For the last few years of her career, she has been an English as a Second Language teacher as well as a Special Education teacher. This role has been particularly rewarding and Heidi has gained a lot of knowledge in how children learn to read. In her free time, Heidi enjoys long walks, baking, photography and of course reading. Heidi contributes to her school environment by initiating new learning opportunities for her students, organizes clubs and also volunteers with the CNIB. Heidi continues to have a passion for travel and learning from others.

RACHEL M.

Rachel is an Ontario Certified Teacher at the primary and junior levels. She grew up in southern Ontario and moved to Toronto to complete an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, majoring in psychology and anthropology. After completing her undergraduate degree, Rachel received TESOL/TESL/TEFL certification in order to further pursue her passion for education and exploring the world around her. Shortly after, Rachel moved to Seoul, South Korea where she taught as a homeroom kindergarten teacher and a K-3 after school teacher for over four years. Her classes were especially aimed at language development and fluency, with opportunities for students to engage deeply with a wide variety of subjects including literacy, mathematics, science, and the arts. During her time in Seoul, Rachel also tutored several individual students, with a focus on reading, writing, comprehension, and speaking. Rachel returned home to Canada in order to pursue a Master of Teaching degree at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto and spend more time with her family. In her free time, Rachel loves to read, spend time in nature, and engage in creative hobbies such as drawing and painting. As a teacher, Rachel is especially passionate about building relationships, fostering positive and welcoming environments, and ensuring the personal and academic growth of her students.

Abhi S.

Abhishek Shetty (uh-bhee-shake shehtea) currently works as a grade 5 homeroom teacher at a private IB school in Mississauga, Ontario. He has a Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in English Literature, Political Science and Psychology; a Master’s Degree of Arts in Education Management and a Bachelor of Education Degree from Western University in Ontario. Abhishek has been an Ontario Certified teacher since December 2021.

SEHAR J.

Sehar is a single mother to a three year old daughter. She has a background in Early Childhood Education. Sehar has been in the field for over 12 years. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Education focusing on inclusive practice for students with exceptionalities. Sehar is a registered teacher in New York State and Ontario. She is proficient in the Ontario School Curriculum.

EMILY V.

Emily is a graduate of the Master of Teaching program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She is currently a supply teacher in the Durham District School Board and the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. Emily is from Ajax, Ontario and was an elite level competitive swimmer throughout her elementary, high school and undergraduate career. She competed at Olympic Trials and won MVP at her conference championships in the NCAA for the University of Denver. Originally wanting to be a med student, it wasn’t until she took a science communication course that she realized she wanted to change the course of science education. Emily aspires to dismantle systemic barriers, make learning accessible for all and make education personally meaningful. When she is not working, she can be found nose deep in a book with her cat on her lap or watching a Leafs game with family and friends. Emily works to involve student’s personal interests in their learning as that is what helped her excel in her own academics.

SITA S.

Sita is an IB-trained teacher with a Bachelor and Masters in Education. She has 9 years of experience in various curricula including International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, Ontario, IGCSE and CBSE.

On the side, Sita enjoys travelling, reading and spending time with her 8-year-old daughter. Her pleasing and patient personality makes her approachable among students. Besides being a full-time teacher, she also conducts one-on-one enrichment lessons for students. Her inquiry-based and differentiated approach to teaching has helped students excel in Language, Mathematics and Science.