Estelle S.

Estelle Saroukian is currently pursuing dual majors in Sociology and Law and Society at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. With a strong academic foundation, Estelle has been consistently recognized for her dedication and performance, achieving Honour Roll status during her high school years at both Virtual High School and St. Georges School of Montreal.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Estelle has an impressive background in athletics, having competed as a swimmer for over eight years. Her competitive swimming career has instilled in her the values of punctuality, efficiency, and a strong work ethic, which she applies to all aspects of her life. Beyond sports, Estelle has honed her skills through various internships, including her role as a Leasing Administrator for SHL Management, where she developed her organizational, administrative, and communication skills.

Estelle is also committed to giving back to the community, having volunteered at senior care homes, the SPCA, and Moisson Montréal. Her diverse experiences have shaped her into a dependable, tech-savvy, and creative individual who is eager to use her expertise in both academia and future professional endeavors.

Emily K.

Emily is dedicated to working with diverse populations and is currently working as an Educational Assistant at Choice School for Gifted Children, where she aims to help students reach their full potential. With two years of experience as an Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) therapist and six years of working with diverse populations in Ontario, she has worked with children aged 2 to 20, addressing various behavioral and developmental challenges, and teaching academic skills. Emily holds a degree in Applied Science with a specialization in Human Development from the University of Guelph, and believes every child has unique gifts that can achieve great things with the right support. In her free time, she enjoys concerts, spending time with friends, traveling, exercising, and exploring her new surroundings in Vancouver.

Samran M.

Samran is a passionate and dedicated Ontario Certified Teacher with seven years of rich teaching experience, both locally and internationally. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in English Literature and Creative Writing from York University, followed by a Bachelor of Education, where he specialized in English. His ongoing commitment to professional development led him to further specialize in ESL, Special Education, and Reading, culminating in a Master of Arts in English Literature and a Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing from York University. Driven by his deep love for learning and teaching, Samran’s journey naturally steered him toward Special Education and literacy remediation. His focus lies in supporting students who face unique challenges within public schools. At his previous school, Samran taught in an intensive literacy intervention class, where his expertise helped bridge achievement gaps ranging from one to five years. He firmly believes that every child has the potential for success, regardless of their circumstances, and that building meaningful rapport is key to making students feel valued and capable.

Samran strives to create engaging, student-centered learning environments where each lesson is infused with student interests and strengths. His teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of providing timely, meaningful feedback that fosters academic, social-emotional, and behavioral growth. Over the years, Samran has worked with students across a spectrum of exceptionalities, including ASD, ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, OCD, Tourette Syndrome, and more. He has also earned eight additional qualifications in Special Education, ESL, Reading, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Outside the classroom, Samran’s passion for creativity and learning continues. He is an avid reader, a creative writer, and runs a small Etsy shop where he sells prints of his original artwork. He also stays active by going to the gym and playing badminton.

AMANDA B.

Amanda is an Ontario Certified Teacher with Specialist qualifications in Accessible Education, who is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Counselling Psychology. She graduated from York University’s Concurrent Teacher Education Program in 2006 with Primary/Junior qualifications and an Urban Education certificate. After graduation, Amanda also obtained her Intermediate qualification, and has supported students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 10. In her 18+ year career with Peel District School Board she has made a point of teaching and learning in a wide variety of roles to broaden her skillset and best support her students. These positions have included Lead Special Education Teacher, Contact Teacher, Intermediate Math Lead, Equity Lead Teacher, and Intensive Support Program Teacher, among many others. She has had the opportunity to teach every elementary subject at least once – even French! Amanda has presented workshops on a variety of topics to teacher colleagues, families, administrators, and superintendents, and she has run culturally-based programming for elementary Indigenous students in PDSB. One of her major areas of professional interest is the impact of emotion regulation and sensory processing on learning readiness.
As the parent of two autistic children with very different support needs, and as someone who has been diagnosed with both ADHD and autism herself, Amanda is passionate about empowering learners of all ages to become strong self-advocates. She believes this is most effective when students understand how brains learn, when they have thorough and accurate strength-based self-knowledge, and when they’ve created personal “toolkits” of accessible strategies discovered through guided experience. Pedagogically, she values truly getting to know her learners and believes mutually positive relationships are the basis of teacher-learner success.
Outside of teaching, Amanda spends her time cycling, practicing yoga, going on outdoor adventures with her kids, and continuing her lifelong journey of reconnecting with her Indigenous culture.

Jiyeon I.

EN: Ms. Jiyeon is pursuing her Bachelor of Education in French Immersion Kindergarten and Elementary Education at McGill University.
Ms. Jiyeon will be entering her 4th year into the program and embark on her third student teacher placement this fall 2024.

Ms. Jiyeon has taught French as a second language for students aged 5 through 12 with diverse cultural and linguistical backgrounds, along with various elementary subject matters at the French Immersion schools in Montréal during the past two years. Ms. Jiyeon believes in connection before curriculum, meaning that a relation must be built between the student and the teacher, in order for learning to occur.

When Ms. Jiyeon is not teaching, she likes to write, meditate, hike, and venture through the many bookstores and the beautiful landscapes of Montréal!

FR: Mme Jiyeon poursuit son baccalauréat en éducation en immersion française pour la maternelle et l’enseignement élémentaire à l’Université McGill. Mme Jiyeon entamera sa quatrième année dans le programme et débutera son troisième stage d’enseignement à l’automne 2024.

Mme Jiyeon a enseigné le français langue seconde à des élèves âgés de 5 à 12 ans, issus de divers horizons culturels et linguistiques, ainsi que diverses matières au niveau élémentaire dans les écoles d’immersion française de Montréal au cours des deux dernières années. Mme Jiyeon croit en l’importance de la connexion avant le programme, c’est-à-dire qu’une relation doit être établie entre l’élève et l’enseignant pour que l’apprentissage ait lieu.

Lorsque Mme Jiyeon n’enseigne pas, elle aime écrire, méditer, faire de la randonnée et explorer les nombreuses librairies et les magnifiques paysages de Montréal !

Andrea T.

EN: Andrea has a Bachelor’s Degree in High School English Education from McGill University. She has also completed her Master’s in Teaching and Learning from the University of Ottawa. She has four years of teaching and tutoring experience including ESL and loves being able to connect with students. Andrea completed her education in French and is bilingual in French and English.

FR: Andrea est titulaire d’un baccalauréat en éducation en anglais au secondaire de l’Université McGill. Elle a également complété sa maîtrise en enseignement et apprentissage à l’Université d’Ottawa. Elle a quatre ans d’expérience en enseignement et en tutorat et adore pouvoir se connecter avec les élèves. Andrea a complété ses études en français et est bilingue en français et en anglais.

Marie H.

Marie attended Temple University on scholarship for her postbaccalaureate teacher certification in Elementary Education, K-6.  Prior to graduate studies, Marie earned a BFA in Dance and has enjoyed a long career in fitness working with children, teens, professionals, and older adults in Philadelphia.  With such a vast background in arts, education, and fitness, it’s easy to imagine that Marie brings energy, creativity, and engagement when working with her students.  She has worked in classrooms at both public and charter elementary schools and was a lead fitness teacher at a local charter high school.  Marie is an experienced tutor, having led an afterschool program where she brought underperforming students up to grade level, and instructed after-school enrichment programs. Marie is a music lover, smiles a lot, reads a lot of books, loves cooking, and most importantly, she loves sharing her passion for education with her students.

Mashiat A.

KRITIKA K.

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.)