Ashley H.

Ashley is a seasoned industrial engineer with almost 20 years of experience in optimizing processes, driving efficiency, performing data analytics, and managing budgets across various industries. Passionate about problem-solving, she has successfully led numerous projects that enhanced productivity and reduced costs. As a dedicated mother of one, Ashley balances her professional life with family, instilling the values of hard work and compassion in her daughter. Committed to giving back, she mentored young engineers and led community initiatives to provide for those in need while pursuing her career. Now, Ashley runs her own business to spread literacy & learning as well as organizes fundraisers and sponsorships to help others achieve their potential and foster a spirit of collaboration.

Sheirra G.

Sheirra, best known by her students & parents as Dr. Marci, is a certified and passionate educator committed to helping students reach their full potential by providing high-quality tutoring services. Dr. Marci was born & raised in Atlanta, Georgia where she still resides. In 2013, Dr. Marci completed her Associate of Arts Degree in English from Atlanta Metropolitan State College. Passionate about helping students of all ages learn, she created Dr. Marci Nspiration Group LLC.

Within her first year in business, she positively impacted the lives of 10 students and witnessed substantial improvements in their schoolwork. In 2014, Dr. Marci received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Kennesaw State University. In September 2017, Dr. Marci received her Master of Education Degree in Training & Development. Determined to obtain thorough knowledge in educating students, Dr. Marci concluded her educational journey in June 2020 by obtaining her Doctor of Education Degree in Adult Education.

Dr. Marci has worked with students of all ages starting at age 4 to 33. She finds the greatest joy in helping her students enhance their strengths and improve their opportunities on a high level that supports confidence-building. Dr. Marci uses a customized, effective, and efficient approach that supports learning and self-encouragement. She supports students by improving their writing, reading, vocabulary, math skills, and test preparation for standardized testing. Dr. Marci believes that by developing a strong relationship with her students, she can adequately meet their needs and help them reach their full potential academically. As a mentor & role model, Dr. Marci consistently implements creative strategies for working with students. These experiences are extremely rewarding.

Erika V.

Erika recently retired after 33 years in elementary education, during which time she held various roles. For 17 years, Erika was a second-grade bilingual teacher and taught primarily in Spanish with a special focus on developing English literacy. She then went on to be a Language Arts Specialist, overseeing all targeted interventions and closely monitoring progress in order to provide tailored support to the students who need it most. After three years, Erika returned to the classroom as a fourth grade teacher and held the position for eleven years. Prior to retiring, she spent the final year of her teaching career in an administrator position (Multi-tiered Systems of Support Coordinator). In addition to providing support to principals and teachers at two different schools, Erika oversaw the collection, analysis, and synthesis of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional data for the purpose of designing and coordinating targeted interventions for individual students.

Erika truly enjoyed her teaching career and took great pleasure in watching students grow and gain confidence in their learning. She believes it’s crucial that a student feel at ease and that they view reading as an enjoyable experience, not a chore. She recognizes that at the early stages, reading needs to be interactive to build confidence and comprehension. She attempts to make learning fun and look for ways to connect with the student’s interests. Since retiring, Erika has missed the kids and looks forward to having the opportunity to work with them again. Erika would love to have the opportunity to work with your family and support your child’s success in school.

Jessica H.

Jessica has been working in education for nearly 15 years in various settings. She received her B.A. in Theatre Education from Emerson College and her M.Ed. in Special Education (mild/moderate disabilities) from Lesley University. Jessica has experience teaching charter and private schools, tutoring, and supporting homeschool families. Throughout her years in education, she has supported upper elementary, middle, and high school students in all core content areas. In the past few years, Jessica has specialized in supporting reading and language development in middle school students and has received countless hours of training in Orton-Gillingham.
As a part of her educational philosophy, Jessica believes that all students can grow and succeed with the right support and encouragement. Jessica is a passionate life-long learner and works to share that passion for learning with all her students.
In her free time, Jessica enjoys being a mother, reading, math, and taking walks around San Diego. Jessica also enjoys challenging the students with puzzles, riddles, and brain teasers regularly to help encourage out-of-the-box thinking. She also welcomes being challenged by her students in kind.

Lisa H.

Lisa received a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Special Education) and has dedicated 23 years to teaching in various roles, including kindergarten, second, and third grades. She has also worked in specialized areas such as Prekindergarten, Life Skills, and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE). During several of those years, she also did specific training for neurodivergent students. Lisa is deeply committed to her students’ growth and development, bringing patience, creativity, and a nurturing spirit to her classroom. Outside of teaching, she is a loving wife and mom, balancing her family life with her passion for education. Her and her family love to travel. The beach is their favorite destination. Her extensive experience and dedication make her an invaluable educator and mentor to her students.

Robin S.

Robin holds a BA in Elementary Education and an MA in Special Education, with over 10 years of experience. She is passionate about personalizing instruction to meet learners where they are, boosting confidence and academic skills in tandem. Robin incorporates multisensory techniques and her students’ unique interests to make learning engaging, impactful, and fun. With a collaborative spirit and excellent communication skills, Robin is dedicated to supporting her students’ progress both at home and at school. She is well versed in the Science of Reading, and enjoys breaking academic topics down into their simplest parts to deepen her students’ understanding and connect the dots in their learning to create lightbulb moments. In addition to her experience as a classroom teacher, Robin also has expertise in educational technology and children’s media, and has spent several years working in this space. In her free time, Robin enjoys playing guitar, practicing yoga, and spending time with her family.

Amira H.

Amira is a college junior at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She is a biology student on the pre-med track and hopes to one day become a pediatrician. Amira discovered her love of working with kids in high school, where she was a tutor for kids in special education. She has worked one-on-one with these kids to gain their trust, form connections, and make the learning experience fun. Amira is currently taking a full courseload at UIC while studying for the MCAT and specializes in STEM courses. She also enjoys reading and writing, being an avid reader in her spare time. In growing up with a music teacher single mother, Amira can also play four instruments (clarinet, guitar, ukulele, and piano). She loves to take on new challenges and continue to find ways to help her students excel. Fun fact: Amira has a Pomeranian named Socks.

Kristina C.

Kristina has been teaching in Downers Groves School District 58 for the past 8 years. Beginning her career in 2nd grade for one year, moving to 3rd grade for six years, and now enjoying her first year teaching 4th grade this school year! She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Illinois State University, and since then obtained her Master’s Degree in Special Education from Western Governors University. While at Illinois State University, Kristina studied abroad twice, once to Costa Rica and a second time England. In England, she completed half of her student teaching experience in a 4th grade classroom. Her passion is to teach students that have different interests and abilities, and be their biggest cheerleader. Students’ growth is endless, once they realize their potential!

When not teaching, Kristina enjoys cooking for her family, baking m&m cookies, and socializing with friends. She comes from a big family with many younger cousins, and often found herself in the role model position from a young age. She is looking forward to getting to know more local families and aiding in their child’s academic success!

Monica V.

Meet Mrs. Monica. Monica has 16 years of teaching experience in elementary and high school education in reading, writing, and math. She is a native of San Antonio, TX. where she still resides and completed her Undergraduate Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She is certified in elementary education, special education, and teaching English as a second language. Her spare time is spent reading and learning new things to grow professionally and in her personal life. She also loves to exercise and wind down the day reading something (mostly nonfiction) real life stuff.

Over her years of teaching she has been able to help so many struggling students tap into their own thinking abilities, learn metacognitive skills (think about their thinking), and discover their own learning style along the way. Watching them grow in this way is what she feels has been the rewarding part of teaching. She is always looking forward to the next part of her teaching journey.

Kelsea S.

Kelsea Shea is a recent graduate from San Diego State University with both her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She is currently in the Master’s program at SDSU and a 2nd grade long term substitute in Poway while she completes school. She completed her student teaching in 4th grade and has subbed in all grades! Kelsea is originally from Los Angeles County but currently lives in Pacific Beach with her 4 best friends (and two cats)! She used to be both a camp counselor and programs assistant for Mission Bay Aquatic Center where she would teach water sports and marine science to 6-14 year olds.

As an educator, she believes that she has the responsibility to support and advocate for the young minds of our future generations. She also believes that it is her job to create a motivating, safe, and positive environment in which students can grow as both learners and peers. She aims to be a role model for her students that encourages a growth mindset by growing together. Throughout her student teaching and future classroom, Kelsea’s instruction is equity-driven and unique to the student where they can learn in many engaging and educational ways. Whether this be through access to visual, kinesthetic, collaborative, or auditory supports, the learning of the student is built around them and their characteristics. Kelsea grounds her teaching on the notion that every student is a valuable contribution to their classroom and the world around them, therefore the instruction and environment in which they learn in, must be rich in value as well.