Maggie O.
Maggie is an Ontario Certified teacher. Her family emigrated from Ireland to Canada when she was nine years old. Now Maggie lives in Toronto with her eleven year old daughter Aisling and Sammy, their Nova Scotia Duck Toller puppy. Maggie is known for her kind and patient humour and her compelling confidence in children. With strengths across the curriculum, she describes her teaching practice as evidence-based, guided-inquiry as influenced by her lived experiences as a student, parent and academic. For example, her primary school language learning in Irish Gaelic and high school exchange in France, where she completed the Baccalauréat de langue et litterature francaises, planted seeds for her later interest in ethnomathematics and culturally responsive teaching. In 2003 Maggie graduated with a BA in Fine Art History from the University of Toronto, and went on to teach yoga and mindfulness in newcomer, youth and justice-adjacent facilities. Twenty years later she completed an Honours BA in Political Science and Indigenous Studies also at U of T, where she became a learner of a local Ojibwe language (Anishinaabemowin). This June 2025, she will receive an MA in Child Study and Education from the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, OISE, U of T. During this degree, Maggie’s studies focused on themes of student equity, motivation and peer-based learning and she further developed her knowledge of play and arts integration. Additional defining characteristics include her unreasonable enthusiasm for diving into icy cold water, and her favourite sock colour being tie-dye-rainbow. This summer, Maggie and Aisling are competing in their first triathlon events.
CHLOE B.
Chloe is a third-year Biological Science student at the University of Guelph with over four years of tutoring experience. Since 2020, she has worked one-on-one with students aged 3 to 12, providing academic support in a variety of subjects, mainly French and English. She’s worked at Oxford Learning Centre in Guelph, where she continues to assist students with homework, foundational skills, and personalized learning activities. Her approach blends patience, structure, and creativity to meet each student’s individual needs. With a strong academic background and a passion for education, Chloe is committed to helping students build confidence and achieve academic success!
Justin B.
Justin is a certified teacher originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who relocated to British Columbia to pursue his teaching career. Before heading West, he earned a Bachelor of Science (Honours in Biology Research) and a Master of Science (Research-Based Thesis in Pathology) at Dalhousie University.
As a lifelong athlete, Justin grew up playing competitive hockey. Through years of coaching, he discovered his passion for teaching young people, which ultimately led him to a career in education. He went on to complete his Bachelor of Education at Acadia University in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.
During his academic career, Justin was awarded over $100,000 in research and academic scholarships and contributed to eight research publications, including three as a first author.
In his spare time, he enjoys snowboarding, playing hockey, golf, and volleyball, and road-tripping across the country with his family. As an intermediate French immersion teacher, Justin is passionate about building strong relationships and creating a supportive learning environment where all students can thrive.
Victoria W.
Victoria is a dynamic and creative teacher with years experience working with Prep Academy. She has experience in the classroom with every grade from Kindergarten to Grade 9 including French Immersion, Extended French, and Core French. Her specialities include working with French learners, teaching students to read, strengthening reading, writing, and math skills while making learning fun. Victoria’s interests include sustainability, community growth, global initiatives, volunteering, well-being, and empowering others. Victoria’s teaching pedagogy is that each child is unique and thus must have an interesting educational environment that fosters physical, mental, emotional, and social growth and such an environment allows students to achieve their goals. She desires to create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. She is also creative with a high interest in sports and games which she uses in creating a fun and encouraging learning environment.
Johanna D. F.
Johanna is thrilled to be joining the Prep Academy Tutors team. With over 20 years of teaching experience, she brings a strong background in French language and literature education. She began teaching French at the elementary level before starting to teach courses at the University of Toronto (where she completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in French literature), at Mount Allison University, and at York University.
Johanna’s passion for teaching extends beyond the classroom, as she is also an active researcher in the field of teaching and learning. She has presented at national and international conferences on topics such as language acquisition, experiential and task-based learning, technology-enhanced learning, and digital gaming in language learning. She also led workshops focused on using technology to motivate and engage students, particularly in language learning.
In the classroom, Johanna emphasizes active learning through communicative tasks and projects, while also reinforcing the importance of grammar and language structure for mastery. As a tutor, she tailors instruction to students’ individual needs through targeted exercises and a variety of proven teaching methodologies. Whether through traditional grammar drills, reading exercises, or informal conversation, her goal is to help students build confidence and successfully advance on their learning journey.
Johanna looks forward to working with you and your child to foster their interest in French and support their academic success.
MADELEINE B.
Madeleine is a student at the University of Toronto pursuing a Master’s in Teaching with a specialization in French education and plans on teaching French at the primary level. Before starting her current program, Madeleine completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at U of T. Having grown up attending French language schools across the US and France, she developed a passion for francophone culture and language. Madeleine taught as a grade 1 to 3 second language teacher at a French language school in Seattle, Washington, before pivoting to tutoring adult English language learners. As a multilingual language learner herself, Madeleine understands that every child’s learning needs are unique and she prioritizes individualized teaching plans to most effectively aid each student in their learning goals.
In her free time, Madeleine has been learning Spanish and enjoys staying active outdoors. She recently discovered crochet and has been learning how to make her own winter accessories!
Katarina S.
Katarina is a Management student at the University of Toronto, currently in her final year on track to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 2025. Katarina has completed an education in French Immersion, spanning 12 years, ultimately receiving a Certificate in French Immersion Studies. Moreover, Katarina has received an Ontario Scholar certificate upon Secondary School completion, acknowledging her achievements, which were later recognized by her university in offering her a partial scholarship. Katarina has always had a love and passion for learning languages, with French being her third, beginning her learning of it at the age of 6. Furthering this passion, Katarina had begun tutoring children Grades 1-9 in Core French and French Immersion, and has been tutoring for 2 years now. Katarina’s goal is to pass on her knowledge to help students reach their full potential in french speaking, reading, and writing, all while creating a focused, engaging and supportive environment. Furthermore, Katarina enjoys working with children, showcased through multiple opportunities over the years, most notably during her several year volunteer position as an assistant kids dance instructor. In her free time, Katarina enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to concerts, and doing puzzles.
EMILY M.
Emily is a graduate from the University of Toronto, with a honours bachelor’s degree in earth sciences and environmental geography, and an M.Sc. in Earth sciences! She also completed a minor in Spanish and is fluent in French – she adores languages and wants to learn 8 in total! Emily taught earth sciences at U of T as a teacher’s assistant for 2 years, and also has experience helping younger ones in learning elementary-level material in all subjects.
Aside from her passion for learning and academics, she is a varsity volleyball player at Seneca Polytechnic, and she coaches the sport to youth and adults when she isn’t training and playing herself! Emily is an artsy person at heart though, and is self-employed as an independent recording artist, while also working as an actor and a model part-time (she really like to keep busy if you can’t tell!) Emily can’t wait to meet you, and work with you on stimulating topics and any academic difficulties. Let’s learn together!
SAWSAN R.
Sawsan R. is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Education (BEd) at York University Glendon as part of the Concurrent Education program. She successfully completed her four-year Honours Bachelor in French Studies, gaining a deeper understanding of the French language and culture. Now in her first year of her BEd program, Sawsan is enhancing the skills and knowledge required to become a successful and engaging educator.
Sawsan has extensive tutoring and teaching experiences, having taught K-12 students at the University of Toronto youth educational programs. With 7 years of experience as an educator, she has developed a strong ability to connect with students and create a positive learning environment.
Her studies have provided her with a strong foundation in both subject expertise and effective teaching approaches. Sawsan is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment where her students are motivated to improve their language skills and succeed academically.
As Sawsan is fluent in both English and French, she can connect with students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. With her profound experience working with students at various proficiency levels and her strong academic background, she ensures that every student receives high-quality instruction meeting each student’s needs. Sawsan is eager to make a positive impact on her students and help them become proficient in French.
Felix C-M
EN: Félix earned a cégep diploma (DEC) in Pure and Applied Sciences at Dawson College. He then went on to study environmental and social science at Université de Montreal. His speciality subjects include Math and Physics covering Calculus 1, 2, 3, and Linear Algebra. Felix has over 5 years of tutoring experience and has obtained multiple academic awards in his area of speciality. Furthermore, in 2021 Felix completed a pedagogical tutoring course to master his tutoring technique. He also has experience tutoring students in Elementary-Cégep level French. Felix is deeply interested in the environmental and social transition and he is involved in several associations. He loves to exercise as he regularly runs and cross country skis during winter.
FR: Félix a obtenu un diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) en sciences pures et appliquées au Collège Dawson. Il poursuit ensuite des études en sciences environnementales et sociales à l’Université de Montréal. Une de ses matières de spécialité comprend les mathématiques du niveau primaire à cégep. Félix a plus de 5 ans d’expérience en tutorat et a obtenu de nombreux prix académiques durant son parcours scolaire. De plus, en 2021, Félix a suivi un cours de tutorat pédagogique de français pour maîtriser des compétences en tutorat. Il a également de l’expérience de tutorat avec des étudiants de niveau primaire à cégep en français. Félix s’intéresse beaucoup à la transition environnementale et sociale et il est impliqué dans plusieurs organismes. Il aime faire de l’exercice; il court régulièrement et fait du ski de fond en hiver.