Phillip M.
Phillip “Flip” M. was born in Chicago and raised in Texas, earning his Bachelor of Science from Midwestern State University (Wichita Falls) and Masters of Arts in Teaching with Emphasis on Special Education from National Louis University. This is his tenth year of teaching, currently as an 8th grade Special Education ELA teacher. Phillip is passionate about special education and believes that students with intellectual or behavioral disabilities bring unique strengths that are often overlooked. In addition to ELA, he enjoys working with students on executive function and social skills, designing lessons that build academic ability alongside self-management and interpersonal strengths. Phillip is committed to continuing his education to better support students and pursue leadership roles in order to make a broader positive impact in school systems and student’s academic lives. Outside of his teaching career, he enjoys cooking, camping, flag football, beach and indoor volleyball.
Sara S.
Sara is an experienced educator with over 18 years of teaching expertise across diverse educational settings. She studied at both Rutgers University and Kean University, where she strengthened her foundation in child development and instructional practice. Sara has taught in the public school system for 13 years, spent two years in a Montessori environment, supported a family through a year of private homeschooling, and most recently founded and operated her own homeschool program for the past two years.
Sara specializes in supporting early learners from Kindergarten through Grade Five, with a particular passion for teaching children to read and developing strong foundational math skills. Her approach blends structure, patience, and warmth, allowing her to meet each child where they are and help them build confidence through personalized, engaging instruction.
Beyond her professional work, Sara is a devoted mother who loves spending time with her children, exploring nature, and caring for animals. Her long-term dream is to one day create an animal sanctuary—a reflection of her nurturing spirit both inside and outside the classroom.
Maria S.
Maria is an experienced educator who specializes in helping students build strong academic skills, confidence, and effective learning habits. She has taught across elementary and middle school and brings deep expertise in reading, writing, vocabulary development, and academic language growth.
Maria’s tutoring approach is centered on how students learn best. For example:
- Clear and achievable learning goals
- Explicit instruction with guided practice
- Reading comprehension strategies that make texts accessible
- Writing routines that strengthen structure, clarity, and organization
- Vocabulary practices that support deeper understanding
- Academic language supports such as sentence frames, thinking routines, and modeled responses
- Ongoing progress monitoring to celebrate growth and adjust instruction
Her students consistently make strong progress, and her classroom achieved the highest STAAR pass rate in her school (2023–2024). This success reflects her commitment to purposeful planning, high expectations, and meeting students exactly where they are.
Maria brings extensive experience in curriculum design to her tutoring, having created writing units, interdisciplinary lessons, and language-based supports that help students access challenging content. She uses this background to tailor every session to a child’s individual needs, strengths, and goals.
Although Maria is biliterate in English and Spanish, she uses this expertise only when helpful. Her understanding of how language functions in learning benefits all students—whether monolingual or multilingual—by strengthening their reading, writing, and communication skills.
Across all roles, Maria is recognized for her collaboration with families and communities, her strategic instructional planning, and her commitment to ensuring every student has the language, skills, and confidence to succeed.
Outside of teaching, Maria enjoys spending time with her family, relaxing with her dog, and staying active. She brings the same warmth, patience, and encouragement from her home life into every tutoring session.
Micaela F.
Micaela is an enthusiastic and student-centered educator with several years of experience in education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a focus in English and has worked in a wide range of educational environments supporting learners of all ages.
In addition to Micaela’s five years of classroom experience teaching grades 1st through 4th, she has spent several years tutoring students from 1st grade through the college level. She has also been deeply involved in youth mentorship—volunteering with local elementary school programs, working as a camp counselor, and most recently serving as a STEM camp director. Her recent work as an Activities Coordinator at an international language school further allowed her to support students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and strengthen her understanding of how to build inclusive learning communities.
Micaela’s teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that students learn best when they feel seen, valued, and safe. She is committed to creating learning spaces that honor each student’s background and learning style, and she designs lessons that are engaging, collaborative, and curiosity-driven. She encourages students to take risks, ask questions, and actively shape their own learning. Her goal is always to empower students to grow with confidence and feel supported both academically and personally.
Outside of teaching, Micaela enjoys spending time outdoors, whether at the beach or in the mountains, trying new restaurants around the city or experimenting with recipes at home, and enjoying quality time with friends and family. She looks forward to the opportunity to work with you and your student!
Kyle H.
Kyle is a primary English educator and aspiring film professor with more than six years of teaching and tutoring experience across multiple classrooms, workshops, online platforms, and subjects. While he has been pursuing his masters degree in education at National Louis University, he has also been supporting grades 9–12 as a permanent substitute teacher at Hinsdale South High School. Kyle also has led screenwriting, creative writing, and public speaking sessions for Cardinal Filmworks, a student owned and ran film collective at Ball State University (his alma mater). Finally, after his undergrad, he also tutored poetry, Spanish, photography, and videography for learners of all ages with Varsity Tutors as one of their Creative Writing Experts. His style tends to center on building up confidence and problem solving skills through lessons that connect his students’ work to their interests. Creativity is a core tenet of his and because of that he loves to design personalized, engaging sessions that balance creative freedom with structured feedback so that each student grows as both thinker and creator. Because of this more creativity-focused approach, crafting relationships with my students is paramount to me. Learning about their lives and helping them succeed is just as important to me as their academics. Kyle is a lifelong reader, film buff, devoted sci‑fi and fantasy fan, bass guitar player, and avid Chicago & New York sports fan (Cubs/Sox Mets/Jets).
A. Garza
Howdy! My name is Ms. Garza and I have been working in education for close to 6 years now. This is my 5th year teaching and I have experience in working with all grade levels, from pre-k to 11th grade. I am currently an AP English Language/English 1 teacher and taught middle school Social Studies for 4 years. One of my favorite things about teaching is helping students achieve that “a-ha!” moment and getting them to reach that next level in their learning. I enjoy building connections and learning more about my students, as I firmly believe that kids want to learn from people they enjoy being with. I’m looking forward to this next chapter of helping students one-on-one and to possibly working with yours!
Muskaan T.
Hi, I’m Muskaan, a graduate student in Bioengineering at Rice University with a strong interdisciplinary foundation in bioinformatics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics. With over five years of tutoring experience, I’ve had the opportunity to guide high school, undergraduate, and graduate students through subjects such as organic chemistry, biology, genetics, calculus, biostatistics etc. My teaching philosophy centers on turning complex topics into clear, engaging lessons that connect theory to real-world applications. Beyond tutoring, my professional experience spans both academic research and clinical practice from analyzing genetic risk factors for cardiovascular disease as a Graduate Researcher at UTHealth Houston, to assisting with pain management and pediatric clinics. These experiences have strengthened my ability to bridge scientific knowledge with practical understanding, which I strive to bring into every session. I’m passionate about helping students not only master challenging material but also build lasting confidence, curiosity, and a genuine appreciation for learning.
Diana A.
Diana A. is a passionate English and Spanish educator with over 17 years of experience helping students develop their academic writing, reading comprehension, and communication skills. She holds a Master’s in TESOL, Literacy, and Culture from the University of San Diego and has taught across both high school and college settings. Diana empowers students to become confident, independent writers through engaging, student-centered lessons that make complex ideas accessible. Her approach combines structured skill-building with creativity—whether she’s guiding students through persuasive essays, college application writing, or literary analysis. Beyond academics, Diana fosters a supportive environment where learners build confidence in expressing their own voices. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys discovering new authors and designing lessons that connect language learning to real-world experiences.
Cheryl O.
With over 20 years of classroom experience in English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction and educational administration, Cheryl brings a strong blend of classroom teaching, online instruction, and individualized tutoring to help learners achieve their academic goals. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education, TESOL certification, and a prior Special Education credential.
Over the past decade, Cheryl has supported students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds through online ESL instruction and one-on-one tutoring. She specializes in creating engaging, personalized lessons that meet each student’s unique needs. Cheryl is deeply dedicated to fostering language and academic growth, promoting cultural understanding, and building confidence in communication across academic, professional, and personal settings. She looks forward to continuing her work with students and helping them succeed in today’s world.
Samantha S.
Samantha is a bilingual educator with more than 20 years of experience helping students of all ages discover their strengths and enjoy learning. She has taught everything from core subjects in Elementary to Social Studies and English in Middle School to English as a Second Language (ESL) to adults and is known for turning challenges into confidence-building wins through social-emotional learning (SEL). With a Master’s in Positive Education and certifications in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), English as a Second Language (ESL), Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and Family Coaching, Samantha combines expertise with a warm, encouraging approach that brings out the best in every learner. Samantha combines strong academic expertise with a supportive, student-focused approach. She partners with families to ensure students not only improve their grades but also grow in confidence, motivation, and prevailing learning skills. A lifelong student herself, she’s always taking new courses to keep life (and learning) exciting. When she’s not teaching, you’ll probably find her traveling with her family to eco-destinations where she can connect with nature, reading a thrilling novel, or singing her heart out—sometimes all at once!