Vanessa W.

Vanessa has been a guidance counsellor and administrator at independent schools in the GTA for the past 20 years.  She has a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Toronto.  Her focus is working with clients on course and career counselling, post-secondary research, and executive functioning skills support like organization, test-taking strategies, time management and metacognition.

 

TAMARA M.

Tamara has been an Ontario Certified Teacher (O.C.T.) since 2005, teaching grades K-12 across most subject areas. Tamara held a variety of classroom teaching positions with the York Region District School Board for 11 years before transferring to private education, then more recently, tutoring. Tamara is certified and trained in specialized reading programs such as Direct Instruction (D.I) and Wilson Reading Systems (WRS). She has Teachables in the following subjects: Reading, Primary/Junior Mathematics, Special Education, Visual Arts, Instrumental/Vocal Music, and Guidance/Career Studies. Tamara also holds a Master’s of Psychology from Chicago School of Professional Psychology, specializing in Child/Adolescent development and behavior. (M.A. Psych) She is certified in Mental Health First Aid/Crisis Intervention (M.H.F.A., 2018), and has co-facilitated a therapy group for counseling children ages 7-9 years who present with A.D.D./A.D.H.D. at Kinark Family Services. As well, at Prep Academy Tutors, Tamara teaches and coaches students at all grade levels, and differentiates instruction for a variety of learning needs and diagnosed learning challenges,  supporting them through many academic, and social-emotional  challenges. Tamara believes in a holistic approach to teaching, and designs lessons that adhere to most recent evidence-based teaching practice (such as learning for/as/of understanding), develop social-emotional learning (SEL), which promotes students’ overall intellectual, social/emotional and mental needs. Outside of teaching, Tamara enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, as well as reading, exercise, painting, and photography.

SUSAN B.

Susan is an Ontario Certified Teacher with a Specialist in Guidance. She has over 25 years experience as a University Counsellor in public and private schools – most recently at Branksome Hall and Ridley College. Susan has extensive knowledge of the International Baccalaureate Program and the Ontario Secondary School Program and can counsel students in the following areas:
-University research and admission requirements
-Building a list of university programs
-Preparing for supplementary applications
-Preparing for scholarship applications
-Building a non-academic profile
Susan has a 16-year-old daughter and loves spending time with family, as well as traveling and playing golf.