Clara M.

ENG: Meet Clara, a passionate and experienced tutor with five years of expertise in helping students reach their full potential! Currently enrolled in the science program at John Abbott College, she is set to graduate soon. Her dedication to academic excellence has earned her the prestigious Lieutenant Governor’s Award, a testament to her hard work and commitment.

Clara is deeply invested in her students’ success, providing not only subject-specific support but also equipping them with valuable skills they can apply beyond the classroom. With a patient and engaging teaching style, she tailors her approach to each student’s needs, ensuring they gain confidence and a strong understanding of their coursework.

Whether it’s mastering complex scientific concepts or developing effective study strategies, Clara goes above and beyond to foster both academic achievement and a love for learning.

FR: Rencontrez Clara, une tutrice passionnée et expérimentée avec cinq ans d’expertise dans l’accompagnement des élèves vers la réussite ! Actuellement inscrite au programme de sciences au Collège John Abbott, elle est sur le point d’obtenir son diplôme. Son engagement envers l’excellence académique lui a valu le prestigieux Prix du Lieutenant-Gouverneur, une reconnaissance de son travail acharné et de sa détermination.

Clara se consacre pleinement à la réussite de ses élèves, en leur offrant non seulement un soutien ciblé dans leurs matières, mais aussi en leur transmettant des compétences précieuses qu’ils pourront appliquer bien au-delà de la salle de classe. Grâce à sa pédagogie patiente et engageante, elle adapte son approche aux besoins de chaque élève, leur permettant ainsi de gagner en confiance et de mieux assimiler leurs cours.

Que ce soit pour maîtriser des concepts scientifiques complexes ou pour développer des stratégies d’apprentissage efficaces, Clara met tout en œuvre pour encourager la réussite scolaire et éveiller un véritable plaisir d’apprendre.

Colleen S.

Colleen Simmons realized as a child she wanted to become a teacher. She loved learning how to read and do basic math from her mother, Donna, who she says was still her best teacher ever! Growing up in Illinois, she started helping her peers and younger children with reading and math homework when she was in 6th grade. Like the acting bug that some folks get, teaching became her passion. Graduating in 1981 from Millikin University with a B.S. in Biology, she pursued further training and completed a teacher certification program at the U of I Springfield soon after. She began teaching and continued to add certifications and degrees to her resume. She obtained a middle school concept endorsement on her standard certificate, a second B.S. in Special Education from EIU, and two M.S. degrees in Educational Administration from EIU and Teacher Leadership from U of I Springfield, respectively. Throughout her career, she has not only worked in the classroom, but she also has privately tutored students after school. Her reputation as a caring and supportive teacher is something she cherishes. In 2019, Colleen and her husband retired to Texas. Retirement didn’t last long, since she found herself missing the enjoyment she got from working with students. In 2021, she began working once again as support staff, tutor, and ultimately, teacher in a science classroom. This year, she is working on a new challenge. She, along with a couple of friends, began developing a home-school pod service to help families who want another option for educating their children. Along with tutoring, Colleen enjoys traveling, meeting new people, and learning something new, like painting a watercolor, playing a new strategy game, or reading a mystery novel.

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.