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.

SHANIA M.

Shania (she/her) is a University of Ottawa graduate with a Bachelors in Political Science with a focus on International Relations and Imperialism. In addition to her background in the Social Sciences, Shania has a wealth of experience in teaching Mathematics, English, and French at different levels.

She started as a volunteer tutor at ELI Africa — a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational programs to underprivileged children in Africa — before joining the Tutor Doctor team in Ottawa. Throughout her 7 years of experience, Shania has found a passion for helping students, fuelling their creativity, and boosting their self-confidence. Specialising in teaching French and being natively trilingual, she understands how hard it can be to navigate learning a new language and hence, she looks forward to making learning fun for students by integrating their hobbies, literature, and different types of media into lesson plans.

When she’s not going on whirlwind adventures in Downtown Toronto, she’s crocheting, reading, or café-hopping. Her favourite coffee shops (for now) are Rustle & Still and Dark Horse. Her favourite books are Nicola Yoon’s The Sun is Also A Star and Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus.

SASHA P.

Sasha is a student at St Mary’s University, pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree. She finds her purpose in educating others and helping others succeed. She wants to eventually teach mathematics at a Junior High or Senior High School Level. She wants to bring joy and purpose into education and finds it very rewarding to see big improvements in her students achievements. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, running, playing piano, cooking and learning.

DANIELA H-D.

Daniela is completing her two-year after degree in Education with a specialization in French at the University of Calgary. Prior to starting her second degree, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Commerce with a minor in French. During her fall semester at the University, she had the opportunity to travel abroad to volunteer as an English teacher in Goiania, Brazil. Upon returning, she completed her third practicum in a French Immersion junior high, teaching Social Studies and French.
In addition, she has years of previous tutoring experience, including small group and individual tutoring to meet students’ unique needs. She is determined to get to know each student’s areas of growth and opportunities for learning and to tailor her approach when learning on a one-on-one basis.

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!

Audrey L.

Audrey is an experienced tutor with a strong motivation for academia. She has studied in France, England, and Canada, earning a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a master’s degree in Public Health. She currently works in clinical research where she manages complex tasks in a detail-oriented environment. Her background in science has taught her the importance of delivering high-quality work allowing her to tackle tasks with rigour and efficiency.

As the older sister of two school-aged children, Audrey has plenty of hands-on experience helping with homework and encouraging their learning. She uses fun and effective teaching techniques that work well with younger children, like using colorful visuals, educational games, and breaking down concepts into simple steps. Audrey prioritizes patience and adaptability to connect with students and meet their individual needs. She focuses on clear communication, actively listens to her students, and uses positive reinforcement to build their confidence and motivation.

Audrey is passionate about helping kids feel confident in what they learn and sparking their curiosity about new ideas. She believes that developing these skills early not only helps children do well now but also sets them up for success in the future. Audrey is dedicated to helping children grow academically and personally.

Geneviève N-R.

Geneviève is a recent graduate in Biochemical Engineering from Queen’s University. Throughout her undergrad, she was a chemistry tutor teaching students one-on-one, in small groups, and in lecture halls of over 150 students for pre-exam workshops. She also worked as a Chemistry TA, teaching in-person and online tutorial sessions to classrooms of students to review the professor’s weekly lecture material with lessons, assignments, and quizzes she prepared. As an instructor for the University of Toronto’s Jr DEEP Program, she gained experience teaching elementary and middle school-aged students, having developed and taught a weeklong curriculum of biomedical engineering-related lessons to groups throughout the summer. Finally, she has ski instructed students aged 6 to 21 for the past eight winters with Snowhawks Ski & Snowboard School in Ontario. In her spare time, Geneviève is a rock climber, backcountry skier, dabbles in alpinism, and volunteers at the Squamish Foodbank.

Geneviève has always enjoyed the teaching process of breaking down tricky concepts in fun, easy to remember ways, and strives for that “aha” moment in a student’s eyes when you can tell they’ve developed an understanding for a new concept. Also, she is informed in teaching students with different learning styles and/or neurodivergence. So, whether it be in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Math, English, or French, Geneviève looks forward to working with your family to offer extra support or enrichment in your student’s learning!

Maryam B.

Maryam is a third-year honors undergraduate student majoring in biochemistry at York University. She possesses both a strong foundation in STEM subjects and an eye for the arts. Maryam specializes in subjects including Mathematics, Science, Biology, Chemistry, French, English, History and Social Studies. Before she transferred to York University, Maryam earned first place among her peers in Calculus at the American University of Sharjah, UAE. Having lived in 14 international cities, and 6 countries, and traveled to 20+ countries, Maryam has become a vibrant mosaic of so many mesmerizing cultures. Moreover, she is fluent in 3 languages: English, French, and Arabic. Working as both a swim instructor and tutor for over 11 years now, Maryam excels at conveying knowledge in an engaging and digestible way. She is an approachable and patient educator, prioritizing the student’s engagement and understanding. Learning is an uncomfortable experience, and Maryam recognizes that students may feel afraid or intimidated. So she makes sure to accommodate students as best as possible while still challenging them and improving their abilities. Overall, Maryam is both a life-long learner and educator who is eager to push students to achieve their full academic potential and grow a newfound passion for knowledge.