Keira M.

Keira relocated to Whistler from Alberta in 2016 to experience the endless outdoor recreation opportunities that the Sea to Sky has to offer. As an outdoor educator with a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education, Whistler turned out to be the perfect place for her and it became her long-term home. As a current Teacher Candidate in the Bachelor of Education – Early and Middle Years program at the University of British Columbia, Keira comes with a diverse range of experiences having worked in both classroom settings and outdoor education environments. Believing that learning should be fun, Keira adopts a strength-based approach that empowers students to build confidence and discover their own inspiration. Utilizing multi-modal teaching methods, she tailors each session to meet the unique needs and learning styles of her students, ensuring that every learner feels valued and engaged.

Ashley N.

Ashley is an engaging and dedicated elementary educator with six years of experience teaching in San Diego schools. She has a Master’s Degree from San Diego State University in Curriculum and Instruction, and has enjoyed working with children and families in a number of capacities in and out of the classroom for the past 15 years. She has been a classroom teacher for Kindergarten through 2nd grade, run an independent childcare business, and worked as a homeschool advisor and guest teacher. Ashley knows how a strong foundation in early literacy can pave the way for future academic success. She understands that taking the time to get to know the whole child is essential to providing engaging and strategic interventions to help them thrive, whether in a classroom or homeschool setting. As a tutor, Ashley’s goal is to help your child build both academic competence and self-confidence.

In addition to her passion for teaching, Ashley is an avid adventurer, and an expert snack-packer. She is kept on her toes by her four rambunctious children ages 8 to 13 who love rock scrambling, ocean sports, and backyard engineering. Most weekends you will find her camping, beaching, or tromping around in nature with her family.

Karina R.

Karina is a retired teacher and administrator with over 38 years of experience teaching and leading communities of learners. She has a love for education and connecting with her students and families.

Karina believes that the key to successful learning is making it fun, engaging and appropriate for each child’s instructional needs. Her specialty is differentiating and individualizing according to each child’s interests, strengths and academic goals. She is also a lifelong learner and enjoys traveling, reading, surfing, birding and hiking. Karina is thrilled to be a Prep Academy Tutor, which allows her to help children develop confidence in their abilities and achieve their full potential.

Zeke T.

Zeke is a credentialed social science and special education teacher with over eight years of classroom experience. He holds a BA from UCLA and an MA from UCSD. Zeke is a patient, personable, and adaptable teacher who loves creating the spark that fosters lifelong curiosity and exploration.

In his free time, Zeke enjoys traveling, playing guitar, hiking, cycling, reading, and watching sports. His favorite teams include the San Diego Padres, UCLA Bruins, and anything Team USA.

Dr. Lynda M.

Dr. Lynda’s professional journey, from a long-term substitute in a public school to earning a doctoral degree in Education, is a testament to her dedication and persistence. She has worked with a comprehensive array of demographics regarding students, ranging from early intervention with the youngest students to working with adults striving to earn a GED. She has tutored undergraduate students and non-traditional learners. Each new experience builds a knowledge base and broadens understanding of students’ diverse academic encounters.

Currently, Dr. Lynda provides learning support to young students with developmental disabilities, notably those with intellectual challenges, autism, sensory challenges, and behavioral issues, as well as typical learners. She connects well with people across age cohorts and with students’ families. Her down-to-earth nature is immediately apparent. Her commitment has led her to delve into delivering early learning opportunities, such as language development, phonemes, literacy, phonics, numeracy, and social-emotional development. She uses fun, interactive, collaborative brain breaks, sensitivity, and the learners’ strengths to help them meet their needs.

Dr. Lynda is eager to participate in problem resolution with her students, using her calming therapist skills as needed. She encourages open discussion about academic difficulties in a compassionate, nonjudgmental manner, always remaining a steadfast safety net.

Meg H.

Meg Hardick is a certified middle grades science teacher. She holds a BS in Environmental Science, and a Masters in Elementary Education. She specializes in all areas of science, as well as elementary education, middle school French, and standardized test prep. She greatly enjoys helping students build the emotional and executive functioning skills necessary to excel in all subject areas. As a lover of literature and writing, she is especially excited to help students engage with the written word and expand their creative and expressive abilities. She has had great success supporting students through the stress and pressure of standardized testing season, taking a wholistic approach to test preparation and demystifying test structures.

When not supporting students, she enjoys spending time with her son, Hazel, wandering the Bella Vista streets, and hiking in the Poconos. She is a recent transplant from Austin, Texas, and is very appreciative of her new community.

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.