Kristyn V.

Kristyn grew up in Destin, Florida, and attended the University of Florida, where she earned a degree in Health Science Education with a concentration in Biology. She later pursued an MBA in Healthcare Management from American Sentinel University. Kristyn began her professional journey in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries as an Account Manager. However, in 2011, she made a pivotal career shift, leaving the healthcare field in search of a more meaningful and rewarding path in education. She started substitute teaching and soon enrolled in the Teacher Ready Program at the University of West Florida, where she obtained her teaching certification. Over the past 11 years, Kristyn has taught various grade levels such as 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th in Florida, Wyoming, and Idaho. Her dedication and effectiveness as an educator have earned her prestigious accolades, including the Performance for Pay Award for highest classroom performance with at-risk students and the Best and Brightest Among Bay County Educators. Kristyn has received extensive professional development, specializing in Marzano, Write Tools, Hattie, Literacy Tools, Kagan Win-Win, and Interactive Instructional Tools. She is currently pursuing a Master of Education degree in Educational Technology and Instructional Design to further enhance her impact in the classroom. Kristyn believes her greatest strength lies in her ability to build strong, meaningful relationships with her students. She is passionate about inspiring curiosity, fostering confidence, and equipping students with lifelong skills that extend beyond the classroom.

Steve D.

Steve is a highly experienced and certified teacher who resides in Vancouver, British Columbia. Originally from Saskatchewan, he completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Double-Honours) in Political Science and Religious Studies from the University of Saskatchewan in 2008. Steve then decided to move abroad to Korea to try his hand at teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). Despite only planning to teach abroad for a year or two to travel and pay off his student loans, it was during his time in Korea that he obtained his TESOL certification, got married, became a father, and decided to pursue teaching as a long-term profession.

After nine years of teaching experience in Korea, Steve decided to move back to Canada in the summer of 2017 with his wife and daughter. He completed his Bachelor of Education Degree in Elementary Education (with a specialization in teaching English language learners) at the University of British Columbia in 2018. Shortly after, Steve was hired by the Burnaby School District where he currently works as a Grade 6/7 teacher.

In his spare time, Steve enjoys watching his favourite English Premier League soccer team, Arsenal, playing badminton, reading, playing guitar, singing, songwriting, and spending time with his family and friends. Steve also moonlights as the lead singer and guitarist of his rock band, Pen Pal Aloha! Steve’s guiding philosophy as an educator can be summed up by Aristotle’s quote: “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Steve always makes it a point to infuse “heart” and “head” knowledge in the minds of his students, believing that both are equally important in the development of fully educated citizens.

Beverly Y.

Beverly graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Harvey Mudd College and an 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.)

Amrit T.

Amrit is a behavior therapist and tutor who graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Arts, major in Criminology and minor in Counselling. She grew up in Surrey British Columbia and is fluent in 3 languages. Back in BC, Amrit had been tutoring kids for over 12 years in all subjects for grades K-12. Over the past two and a half years, she has also acquired experience working with kids ages 2-10 with ASD as well as ADHD. It was through her work as a behavior therapist in both centers and homes that Amrit discovered her passion for teaching and working with children. As the lead behavior therapist on all her teams, she got the opportunity to not only implement behavior plans but because she often worked the most one-on-one with the child, she was also often given the opportunity to come up with her own programs to implement to help the child to farther succeed as well as work alongside a BCBA to come up with entirely new plans. Upon graduation, Amrit moved to Toronto to be with her family and further pursue her passion for working with young children and guiding them to reach their full potential. Amrit truly believes that the best way to engage a child is to use the child’s curiosity and interests to help them succeed. Her ability to form strong relationships with her students is what has helped her identify and meet her their needs and develop their learning and success. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, baking, going to the gym, and spending time with her loved ones.

Kirsten E.

Kirsten has been a teacher with the York Region District School Board since 2014. She is qualified in the primary, junior, and intermediate divisions and has a specialist in Mathematics and Health and Physical Education. Kirsten has always had a passion for the arts, specifically dance, starting from a young age then eventually being accepted into the Arts York Dance Program at Unionville High School, then the Varsity Dance Pack at The University of Western Ontario. Teaching has always been a part of Kirsten’s life growing up in a family of educators and administrators, and she too has future goals of becoming a leader in today’s education system. Kirsten currently teaches grade 7/8 in Aurora, she is the lead teacher of the Intermediate Student Council at her school, and continues to enjoy finding new ways of delivering the Ontario Curriculum to her students.