Alice I.

Alice has been a teacher for 26 years. She loves helping children reach their full potential! She has experience as an English as a second language teacher, kindergarten, first, third, and fourth grade teacher. Her favorite subject to teach is math and she is also a certified reading specialist. In her free time, she likes to read, garden, spend time with her 3 children, and hike outside with her 2 dogs.

Diana F.

Diana grew up in San Antonio, Texas and attended UTSA for her BA in English, then UIW for her Masters in Management. She worked for several years in the training department at a large insurance company writing policies and procedures, and conducting training classes. The idea to switching careers from teaching adults to teaching children came about when she had her own children, one of which has Down syndrome. Working with her son really opened her eyes to how all children learn differently. Diana enjoyed the challenge of discovering how to best help her son learn.

Diana strongly believes in the power of relationship building. “It’s important that my students trust me and understand that I want to help them be successful.” Throughout her 12 years as a classroom teacher, Diana has spent time on the social emotional skills necessary to build relationships and boost student confidence. She believes that once trust is built, students are ready to learn.

In her free time, Diana enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, and keeping her home and classroom clutter-free, and organized.

Mary R.

Mary has been teaching for the past 15 years, including working 9 years as a special education teacher for grades TK-12, 4 years as a general education high school English teacher, and 2 years as a Creative Writing adjunct professor at the University of California Riverside Extension. She has also worked as a writing tutor for the University of California, Santa Cruz for two years, and as an in-home tutor for students grade K-8 for 3 years (tutoring reading, writing, and math), and as a college admissions essay tutor. She currently works as a special education teacher for a local charter school, teaching reading, writing, and math, as well as supporting students in Social Studies and Science, for students grades TK-8 both virtually and in person at a local learning center.

Mary has a BA in Literature from UC Santa Cruz, where she received College Honors and Honors in the Major. She has also received an MA in English and MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University, and California credentials in Single Subject English and Mild/Moderate Special Education from Brandman University, and is certified to teach Wilson Reading. She has experience teaching and tutoring both online and in person, and worked as a freelance writer, and an editor of books and magazines before she became a teacher and tutor.

Mary has a great love of learning, which she brings to her students when teaching reading and writing. As an avid reader, and experienced writer of fiction, poetry, plays, and articles, she imparts her enthusiasm of reading and writing on her students. She especially loves to help her students improve their writing, and uses tools such as the Wilson Reading program to help struggling readers and spellers learn how to read and spell. As a teacher of students with a variety of ability levels, including students with disabilities, gifted and Honors students, and twice exceptional students, she knows how to tailor instruction to meet each student’s individual needs.

Bella R.

Isabella, or Bella, is a 5th grade teacher at St. Pius x School. She is currently completing her Masters in English Language Learning and her Credential in Elementary Education. She is a San Diego Mesa College and SDSU grad and will soon be a National University grad.

Bella has a passion for being in the classroom and particularly loves teaching math. She believes that math instills confidence, resilience, and a passion for problem solving. She is dedicated, open-minded, patient, and creative. With all of her experience, she has gained many teaching strategies that she keeps in her toolbox. She is great at adapting her teaching style at any moment and can recognize when modifications need to be made.

In her free time, Bella enjoys walks with her dog Nala, watching movies, and going to Disneyland.

Vannessa H.

Born and raised in the vibrant state of Florida, Vannessa is a driven educator who has dedicated her life to shaping the minds of young learners. With a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, she embarked on her journey into the realm of teaching with a passion for nurturing young minds. Armed with a plethora of certifications including preschool education and pre-K/primary education and reading, ESOL, and pre-k disability endorsements, she stands as a beacon of excellence in the field of education. Vannessa’s passion for working with children traces back to her high school years, where she first discovered her calling through early childhood classes. Since then, she has dedicated herself wholeheartedly to the field of education, continuously seeking out opportunities for professional growth and development.

Lisa M.

Lisa is an experienced educator with over 15 years of teaching experience. Her favorite ages to teach are students in early elementary, as they have such a desire to learn. Lisa has a Masters Degree in Special Education and has years of experience working with students that have OT and sensory needs, attention disorders and other special education factors. Her favorite part of teaching is making those special bonds with students. She loves to see how much students grow and gain confidence in their early childhood years. She enjoys travel, cooking, spending time with her husband and three kids and diving into a good novel!

Ashley C.

Ashley is a certified teacher and currently works as a substitute at an elementary school in Wheaton. This school year she has had the opportunity to sub in all classes at her school grades K-5. She also gained experience subbing for the special education, PE, and Music teachers. Before taking her current job, she taught 4th grade for two years. She graduated from North Central College with her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education in 2020. Ashley completed her student teaching in a 3rd grade classroom in Carol Stream. Since starting college Ashley has worked at a summer camp leading the preschool aged camp. Ashley has always loved school and decided she wanted to be a teacher when she was in second grade. She is so glad that she is able to pursue that dream. One way she helps her students learn and grow is by being another positive adult in their life who is there to cheer them on during their successes and help them through their struggles. In her free time she likes to spend time outside walking and kayaking. She enjoys all things arts and crafts and she loves to read.

Rachel B.

Rachel is a former teacher and nanny with a passion for helping students succeed. With a master’s degree from DePaul University, and a 4.0 GPA, Rachel loves to learn and share her knowledge. She gets to know her students’ background and interests before starting her lessons, as to make the information at hand pertinent to each child. With kindness and enthusiasm, Rachel strives to make learning a fun and comfortable experience for both the student and their families. Communication is her strong suit, as she enjoys sharing milestones and challenges with parents to ensure student success. In her spare time, Rachel travels the world with her husband, Cole. The pair resides in the Northwest suburbs with their two cats, and in her spare time, Rachel runs a successful photography studio out of her home office. Get in touch with Rachel today – she cannot wait to get to know you!

Beverly Y.

Beverly graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Harvey Mudd College and a Master’s of Education from Boston University. She is a Certified Teacher who has worked with elementary and middle school students in Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. Beverly’s diverse teaching experience has shown her that building relationships with students is the most important step in meeting their educational needs. She believes every student is a “math person” and prioritizes developing number sense and critical thinking during her sessions. Beverly is excited to help students find learning strategies that work for them and encourage their curiosity about math.

In her spare time, Beverly enjoys hiking through autumn landscapes, solving jigsaw puzzles, and pondering why students have contentious arguments over whether a hotdog is a sandwich. (She’s inclined to say, “Yes,” per the Merriam-Webster definition.)

Emmanuel P.

Emmanuel has been teaching since 2007 in a diverse range of places, from Los Angeles to Japan, Miami, and San Diego. He has taught students from 2nd to 12th grade, and has a special enthusiasm for phonics at the early grade levels and US history at the upper grades, although he is similarly enthusiastic for mathematics from lower elementary all the way through high school . He also has a keen interest in languages, and is bilingual in French and English, as well as having studied Spanish, Hebrew, and Japanese. Emmanuel believes that every subject is inherently fascinating and that every student is capable of excelling, even in a subject that they never imagined themselves to be experts in. He loves helping students to embrace struggle and feel the satisfaction that comes with pushing themselves to more than they thought possible.