ZOYA C.
Zoya received an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science degree from the University of Toronto with a double major in English Literature and Geography and a Minor in Political Science. Zoya is currently pursuing her Master of Teaching degree at University of Toronto, where she is focusing on becoming an Intermediate/Senor teacher in English and Geography. Zoya’s passion for teaching and education shows through her teaching practices where she approaches every student as individuals who have unlimited potential for growth and success.
Zoya has over nine years of tutoring experience, with two years of teaching experience through summer camps, and teaching in the TDSB and HDSB. Zoya’s strengths lies in her belief in ensuring every student has an individualised lesson plan where they can flourish in their learning and improve their own confidence. Throughout Zoya’s life she grew up in China, Indonesia, Switzerland, and Singapore before deciding to continue her education in Toronto. Thus, Zoya truly believes that fostering an inclusive and open environment that is grounded in trust is of the upmost importance for all students. One of Zoya’s strengths is her experience with academic coaching and learning strategies, where she as a teacher focuses not only on subject related content but also on teaching students what different test/assignment tools and strategies they can use to excel in and outside of the classroom.
When Zoya is not teaching or learning herself, you can find her enjoying whichever book she is currently emersed in, travelling to visit her family, or listening to music. Zoya love for music started when she was three years old, and since then you cannot find her in any relaxing moment where she is not humming a random tune to a random song that is stuck in her head that day.
ANNABELLE K.
Annabelle is an Ontario Certified Teacher with a Transitional Certificate as she works towards completing her final year of the Master of Teaching program at OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education). In her studies at OISE, Annabelle has been exploring accessibility through gamification and how to best ensure students are engaged and ready to learn in the classroom. Through her placements, Annabelle has had amazing opportunities to work closely with students to meet their various learning needs, including providing students with one on one support. Annabelle has always been passionate about education both inside and out of the classroom as seen through her work in museums. Before entering the classroom, Annabelle received her Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Information. Annabelle’s museum work centred around making history accessible and engaging to students through creating interactive and informative exhibits, and school programming for students from Grades 3 through 12. Its her passion for history and the humanities that have led her to teaching and she is excited to share this passion with her students. Annabelle has been working with kids for as long as she remembers, growing up as a camp councilor and teaching karate, always looking for ways to make learning fun. In her spare time, Annabelle practices her karate as much as she can and is always looking for a new video game to play!
EMILY F.
Emily has a Ph.D. in the Humanities and Social Sciences graduating from the Program in Social and Political Thought at York University. She has been teaching at the university level for over 30 years working closely with students to help them realize their academic potential through interactive and engaging methods of delivery. She has taught at the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University and Laurentian University.
Emily enjoys in-person tutoring and has experience with online support where necessary. She can work with students on homework assignments, test preparation, and exam review while providing frequent monitoring and feedback to both students and parents. With a B.A. in the performing arts as well as a professional background in film writing and production Emily is able to use creative and experiential teaching strategies in conjunction with technology.
Emily believes and takes pleasure in tailoring her teaching approach to the unique needs and learning styles of each student. She is able to work with visual, auditory or other approaches according to the student’s strengths. She assesses student challenges precisely and comprehensively and, in keeping with student goals, is able to develop personalized lesson plans that promote a deep understanding of the subject matter.
Critical thinking and problem solving are crucial to professional and personal success. These forms of thinking are the foundation of academic work and are the backbone of Emily’s approach to facilitating student success while enjoying the process of learning!
STEPHEN C.
Stephen Carter has a BA, MA and PhD (ABD) in English literature. He was a University Teaching Assistant for five years at two Canadian universities, and he has taught and tutored elementary, high school, and college/university students for over ten years. As a teacher, Stephen helps students cultivate a love for learning, achieve academic success, and develop advanced skills in reading, writing, analysis, critical thinking and speaking.
Christina G.
While completing her undergraduate studies at McGill, Christina tutored on behalf of the Sociology department, preparing students for upcoming exams and assignments. As well, Christina volunteered at the essay writing center, where she edited and assisted students with papers.
Christina is passionate about literacy and believes that skills in reading and writing are fundamental to success in any subject. She has worked extensively with students with developmental and processing problems, working to help the students overcome difficulties and obstacles. She is trained and very experienced in SAT and SSAT preparation as well as assisting students with writing personal statements of excellence. She teaches students studying skills, test-taking strategies, and how to overcome test-related anxiety. As well, Christina specializes in preparing students to transition from public to private schools. Her preparation is exhaustive, including test-taking prep, interview prep for the student, and interview prep for the parents.
Christina believes in developing and fostering relationships with each student to create a comfortable environment that allows the students to flourish and learn. She is a firm advocate for different learning styles and tries to incorporate a variety of techniques that deviate from standardized education, as she considers each student’s learning style to be unique and accommodable.
MARIE CELESTE F.
Celeste graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston with a Bachelor of Honours in Arts and Science. She majored in Global Development Studies, a cross-disciplinary department teaching courses exploring politics, philosophy, economics, environmental justice, public relations, global governance, religion, history, geography, and social justice. Celeste was also a concurrent education student working to complete her teaching certification alongside her undergraduate degree. She is entering her final year of teacher’s college, completing three classroom placements and fulfilling her teachable subjects, history and geography. Celeste has been engaged in teaching since she began coaching volleyball at fourteen. This sparked her love for teaching and encouraged her to seek further opportunities. She has worked at Olympia Sports Camp as a counsellor and a summer schoolteacher for their outdoor ed high school leadership credit. She has taught grade nine English, science, and geography, as well as grade twelve English, grade ten world religions, grade ten civics and careers, and grade eleven world history while on placement. Celeste has experience working with elementary school students through her responsibility of caring for students from junior kindergarten to grade five at Pickering Colleges After Care Program. She has worked with the Helen Tufts Society in Kingston, where she was paired with a grade four student whom she met with once a week for tutoring. In her free time, Celeste enjoys being outside with nature, whether walking her dog Aussie, going for a bike ride, or playing pickleball. Celeste is honoured to be a part of a student’s success and learning in the same way her tutors were for her.
Nazia M.
Nazia Mahmood holds a Master’s of Teaching degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, where she also completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree. Over the last five years, she has worked alongside students from both primary and secondary schools in both English and Social Science subjects. Her extensive experience encompasses work in community centers, private tutoring, and online synchronous tutoring, where she has meticulously developed individualized lesson plans to address the unique academic goals of each student.
Nazia’s pedagogical approach is rooted in Culturally Responsive and Relevant teaching methods, as well as the principles of Universal Design for Learning. These frameworks ensure that her instruction is inclusive and adaptable, catering to the diverse needs of her students. Throughout her practicum experiences in her Master’s program, Nazia taught both Social Science and English subjects, working in both group settings as well as one-on-one work sessions.
Nazia is deeply passionate about her students’ well-being and academic growth. Her commitment to fostering academic success is driven by her genuine care for each student’s individual journey. Nazia’s dedication extends beyond academics; she is dedicated to creating a supportive and nurturing learning environment where students feel valued and empowered to reach their full potential.
CLAIRE R.
Claire has a BA with a French literature major from U of Calgary and is in her last year of the BEd program at St Mary’s University. She is a New Brunswick native who moved to Calgary when she was 3 and learned English at school. She has taught numerous adults in Continuing Education at Mount Royal College and in the Corporate sector and is returning to her first love, teaching children. She has a passion for reading and writing as well as studying, in her spare time, history, governments, and citizenship. By her bedside you’ll currently find books by Charles Dickens, Thomas Sowell, a random book on the American revolution (it’s better than it sounds) and her favorite dog Tessa. Her husband and 2 boys are into hockey, so obviously, the TV is always on during Stanley Cup finals.
GRIFFIN H.
Griffin graduated from Humber College in 2022, receiving a Bachelor’s of Music with honours. Griffin is currently enrolled at the University of Toronto completing his Master’s of Teaching, where he is set to graduate in April 2025. Griffin is 24 years old and has been teaching music and mentoring students for over 5 years and has experience working with students of all ages.
Griffin graduated from Kelowna Secondary School in 2018 receiving a diploma with honours, as well as the Holland-Rusk Award, the BC Achievement Scholarship, and the BC District Scholarship for Fine Arts. During his time at Humber College, Griffin was awarded the Bernie Piltch Memorial Scholarship and the Yamaha Canada Music Award.
Griffin has recently completed two placements in TDSB schools and has extensive knowledge of the Ontario curriculum, with a focus on the Junior/Intermediate division.
JAMES S.
James Schultz found his passion for writing as the editor of his high-school newspaper. Under his direction, it fell prey to censorship battles and published only one issue. At university, he spent his time writing bad dystopian novels, and paid a heavy academic price for it. Returning to Toronto to pursue a career in screenwriting, he co-wrote Disappearance at Clifton Hill with director Albert Shin for Rhombus Media, starring Tuppence Middleton and David Cronenberg. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019, it was picked up for North American distribution by IFC Midnight and reached #1 on US Netflix. Between his screenwriting and story editing duties, he still finds time to work on his next bad dystopian novel.