JERRICA H.

Jerrica is an Ontario certified teacher. She obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto where she studied English Dramatic Arts and Cinema Studies. She then attended Trent University in order to obtain her Bachelor of Education. Her teaching qualifications include English and Drama at the intermediate/senior level. She also completed an additional qualification course at York University in order to teach dance at the high school level.
She has many years of teaching experience both in the traditional classroom setting as well as in dance and yoga studios. She has completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training certification and also teaches meditation. Her professional background in wellness and yoga equip her with the knowledge and skills to help students achieve a healthy work/life balance and understands the importance of practicing self-care and mindfulness. She feels these practices are also vitally important life learnings for students alongside their academic education/achievements. She is a warm and caring teacher. Jerrica has a passion for the performative arts and storytelling. She is an animal lover (and a vegan) with a passion for environmentalism. She is a highly creative person who is actively involved in the Toronto creative arts and film community. In her spare time Jerrica enjoys walking the beach with music, drinking tea, creating art, writing, reading, as well as watching/analyzing films. Most of all, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, her husband, closest friends and loved ones (including her dachshund dog, Raven, and Himalayan cat, Emelio).

JAMIE Z.

Jamie is currently a grade 2/3 teacher with the Toronto District School Board. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Teaching in Elementary Education, and is currently completing his Master of Arts in Social Justice Education. He also holds additional qualifications in Special Education, Primary/Junior Literacy, Mathematics, Reading, ESL, and Kindergarten.
During the summer months, Jamie fulfills the role of Program Director with Westcoast Connection. Over the past 10 summers he has directed programs all over Canada, USA, Europe and Australia.

DASHA T.

Dasha graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science of Language. She successfully completed a post-graduate certificate program in Speech and Language Sciences at Brock University. She is currently completing her Master’s of Clinical Science in Speech-Language Pathology with a minor in Audiology. Dasha has a strong passion for working with individuals with communication challenges to improve their quality of life. As she completes her Master’s program, Dasha is accustomed to creating interactive and individualized lesson plans that fit the needs for each of her clients in therapy sessions. Many of Dasha’s work experiences involve working with children with various disabilities in the academic and respite capacity which she thoroughly enjoys and finds extremely rewarding. In her spare time, Dasha enjoys a tasty fish taco, eating at new restaurants, going to the gym, hiking, and spending time with her friends and family!

KAREN C.

Karen is an Ontario Certified Teacher since 2014 and is currently teaching a Grade 2/3 class. She grew up in Toronto and speaks English anad Cantonese. After graduating from Queens University with a focus on Arts-Based Education, Karen pursued her two passions; teaching children and travelling. She started her teaching career overseas in Vietnam and Cambodia. In 2017 she moved back home to Toronto and has since been teaching at various schools across the Toronto District School Board from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Her favourite subject is Mathematics and in her spare time she enjoys tutoring children to discover a love for mathematics. Karen has tutored 1-on-1 for the past 6 years both online and in-person. She builds a strong and positive relationship with children that ensure engagement in learning and developing strategies for problem-solving, reading, writing, etc.. For more information on Karen’s additional qualifications, her OCT number is 652670.

LES T.

 

Lesley, or Les as she likes to be called, is a certified teacher of 22 years.  Les came from Montreal to complete M.A. courses at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and then completed her teacher certification as well as specialist courses in Special Education. She later acquired a  Masters in Social Work at U of T with a focus on children and families.
Les loves kids and likes people. She is a kind, energetic and creative person who would like to share her love of teaching with younger learners in the earlier grades.  Les has a profound love of books and reading and art. Even before she had her own child, Les began to collect children’s books and is happy to have a little library of her own.
Les is experienced working with students with diverse learning styles and challenges (including learning differences / disabilities, attention issues and anxiousness).  She is well-equipped to build an effective plan to support young learners on their journey to tackling reading, language and numeracy skills. Les has excellent people skills and will communicate clearly with parents about their child’s progress. She employs creative strategies and engaging resources for learners. Les has a patient, friendly and playful approach to teaching.

ALEXANDRA P.

Alexandra graduated from Ryerson University with a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care and a minor in sociology. While at Ryerson, she had the opportunity to complete two full year practicums that allowed her to work as a child and youth worker in schools and residential home care facilities. This opportunity allowed her to gain skills in designing and implementing developmental, preventative, and therapeutic activities to meet the needs of children and youth facing adversity. Alexandra then went on to complete her Masters of Teaching in the primary/junior levels from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. Alexandra is currently working as a supply teacher for the Toronto Districts School Board which has provided her with an abundance of knowledge and experiences. Furthermore, Alexandra has additional qualifications (AQ) in Special Education Part 1 and Reading Part 1. Alexandra believes in creating a learning environment that reflects, celebrates, and validates the diversity and complexity of all children. In her spare time, Alexandra enjoys being active and adventurous, and spending time with her family and friends. Alexandra loves to travel to experience new cultures and create memories with loved ones. One of her favorite countries she has travelled to is Croatia.

Shannon P.

Shannon Pappas is a Queen’s University Teacher Candidate who graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Global Development and from a Master’s of Education in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Originally from Ottawa, Shannon is a bilingual French-English speaker with teaching specialized for the primary/junior levels with strong abilities up to high school level Social Sciences, History, and English subjects. She is an enthusiastic and compassionate person who has spent years involved in sports, camping, and teaching swimming lessons. Her passion for working with children evolved from the many years she spent working at a summer camp. Having recently added a chocolate lab puppy to her family she is thrilled to see what opportunities lay ahead this year.

 

HANNAH R.

Hannah is a Primary/Junior teacher in the TDSB. She is a graduate of Carleton University and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education where she earned her Masters of Teaching. She is working to be a math specialist in the TDSB. This past year, Hannah worked at two different schools and landed in a grade one position, which she absolutely loved. Hannah’s approach to teaching and learning is about creating relationships where students feel safe and heard. In her spare time, Hannah enjoys running, riding her spin bike and walking her roommate’s dog

MARK G.

Mark is a Primary/Junior Ontario Certified Teacher from Toronto. He graduated from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English, and he completed his Bachelors of Education at Queen’s University. Mark has continued his professional development in teaching by taking additional qualification courses in Primary/Junior Math and Reading, as well as Intermediate English. These studies have helped Mark expand his teaching strategies to help students build on their mathematical thinking, reading, writing, and vocabulary. Mark also has experience as an ESL teacher through TDSB’s Teaching English as a Second Language program. Reading and writing has been a lifelong passion for Mark, and he is always excited to share that passion with his students.

 

Mark’s passion for teaching started with soccer coaching. This job showed Mark how satisfying teaching can be, in making lessons fun and engaging, as well as watching students progress with each session.​ ​This passion carried over to his practicum experience teaching in Toronto as well as his time as a supply Educational Assistant in Ottawa. Working as a teacher, especially as an Educational Assistant, gave Mark an insight into how impactful a 1 on 1 interaction can be. Mark firmly believes in the importance of getting to know his students on an individual basis. Mark uses students’ individual interests to attach meaning to their learning, and caters the lesson to fit the individual needs of that student. Mark finds his inspiration in teaching by helping students forge their own path as lifelong learners.

 

Outside of the classroom, Mark enjoys being active and continues his in-home workouts though he misses intramural sports very much. He is an enthusiastic supporter of all the Toronto sports teams. Mark is looking forward to working with his students at Prep Academy.

GRETCHEN J.

Gretchen holds a permanent certification from NYS in Mathematics. She attended Suffolk College and the State University College at Buffalo, where she received her B.S. in Mathematics Education with a concentration in computational math. Gretchen received a Master’s in Education from Stony Brook. Gretchen has worked for the Westhampton School district for twenty years, working with children in elementary through high school. She has worked with children with a variety of learning differences and strives to meet each child at his or her level and works to support them in all academic skills. Gretchen has worked with children in special education throughout the year. Gretchen enjoys traveling, gardening, reading, needlepoint and watching anything having to do with Sci-Fi and spending time with her eleven nieces and nephews.