Josh B.
Josh Bicknell is a licensed educator for English Language Arts, which he earned shortly after completing a BA in English at the University of Missouri with a minor in creative writing. He has taught and tutored at the secondary level (7-12) throughout the Houston, Texas area where he grew up. He has also worked as a professional writing tutor for college composition and rhetoric, in addition to TOEFL prep, ISEE prep, SAT/ACT, and both GED and some GRE completion.
In 2024, Bicknell decided to continue his education with a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, while also studying a topic he had always felt passionately about: Holocaust and Genocide studies. He graduated in 2025.
His current work includes developing curriculum for his project (Ten Stages of Change) which focuses primarily on textual and source analysis, media literacy skills, and social emotional learning. His work has been published by Consider the Source New York Archives, Learner Education’s EdTech blog series, and three pieces of poetry selected for the Glendale Literary Archives.
He currently livens in downtown Glendale, California with a Boston terrier/pug named Dexter.
Beth S.
With 30 years of experience and a Master’s in Education, Beth brings an encouraging and practical approach to tutoring that helps students become confident and capable learners. Throughout her career, she has worked with students from sixth grade through college age. Beth has engaged with students across a wide range of backgrounds and subjects such as reading, writing, SAT Prep and study skills and has helped those students develop strategies that work for them. Most recently, she served as Coordinator of Writing Center Services at Bryant University, where she worked individually with students on writing, organization, and academic success. She also taught a first-year student success course and supported students who needed additional guidance to meet their goals. Beth meets students where they are, identifying skills they need to strengthen, and building from there. Her goal is to make learning feel manageable so that it builds student confidence. Outside of education, Beth enjoys reading, staying active, and spending time with her family and her cat, Otis.
Laurel A.
After years in the classroom starting with Kindergarten all the way up to high school, Laurel started her own tutoring business in the Raleigh/Cary area and enjoys working with students one-on-one as well as small groups as requested. She works with English/SAT English and sometimes French!
Laurel truly believes that engaging students using their curiosity and encouraging them to think bigger builds confidence and success. She loves working with international adult students as well, in-person or online anywhere in the world. She has visited many countries in Europe and she wants to visit other countries where her students live someday.
Stephanie J.
Stephanie has been a dedicated and passionate National Board Certified English teacher for over 30 years. She believes that with engaging instruction and the right encouragement every single student can attain both skills AND confidence —and thus opportunities for unlimited growth—as readers, thinkers, and writers. She fosters curiosity and helps students connect on a personal level with what they are learning.
Stephanie is a proud graduate of Meredith College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and her teaching license for grades 9-12. Teaching had always been her life’s plan, and once she started, she never looked back. Stephanie has extensive experience teaching grades 9-12 and in coaching students to read closely both fiction and nonfiction, write effective college application essays, prepare for the verbal sections of the ACT and SAT, and create polished, compelling compositions in various modes. She enjoys teaching the finer points of grammar, in particular how they elevate student writing and authenticate student voice.
Outside of teaching, Stephanie enjoys laughing and spinning tales, reading both realistic and historical fiction, cooking for her family and friends, singing in her church choir, taking long brisk walks daily, and hiking as often as possible in the North Carolina mountains. She loves bright colors, the Oxford comma, organized closets (well, organized everything, to be honest), and all things autumn.
Rachel M.
Amy M.
Amy is an experienced STEM educator specializing in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and science tutoring for middle school, high school, and college students. Originally from Germany, she holds a B.S. in Biology from Florida Gulf Coast University, graduating with high honors, and brings several years of experience helping students navigate challenging STEM concepts. She also provides test preparation for ACT, SAT and PSAT.
Early in her college career, Amy served as a Supplemental Instruction Leader at Houston Community College, where she developed review materials, facilitated collaborative study sessions and adapted instruction to meet students’ needs. More recently, she has led year-long AP Biology study programs designed to strengthen student’s understanding, build confidence, and prepare them for the AP exam. She has also provided individualized tutoring in biology, genetics, and chemistry, supporting students with coursework, test preparation, and effective study strategies.
Amy’s approach combines strong subject knowledge, personalized instruction, and executive-function coaching. She helps students understand the why behind biological concepts, apply their knowledge to AP-style questions and data analysis, and develop the organization, problem-solving skills, and confidence needed to succeed. She has also recently applied for her Florida teaching license as she continues to expand her impact in the classroom.
Outside of teaching, Amy enjoys exploring fantasy worlds and collaborative storytelling, particularly through Dungeons & Dragons, where she channels creativity and problem‑solving – skills she brings into her work with students.
Chris H.
Chris is an experienced mathematics and science educator with more than 18 years of private tutoring experience and several years of classroom teaching experience. A graduate of the University of Southern California (USC) with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering/Building Science, Chris combines a strong technical background with extensive teaching experience to help students master challenging concepts, improve academic performance, and become more confident problem-solvers.
Chris currently teaches middle school mathematics, working with students in grades 6–8 and developing instruction that makes difficult concepts understandable and engaging. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, he coordinates an after-school Math Club designed to challenge students beyond the standard curriculum. These experiences have strengthened his ability to work with students across a wide range of skill levels—from those who need help rebuilding foundational skills to advanced learners ready for greater academic challenges.
One-on-one instruction has been an important part of Chris’s career for nearly two decades. As a private tutor, he begins by identifying each student’s individual strengths, learning gaps, and academic goals and then adapts instruction accordingly. He believes that every student is capable of succeeding when given the right combination of explanation, encouragement, structure, and practice.
Chris offers an exceptionally broad range of mathematics instruction, including middle school math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus I–III, Statistics, Finite Math, Business Math, and AP-level mathematics, including AP Calculus, AP Pre-Calculus, and AP Statistics. His engineering background allows him to connect mathematical concepts to practical applications, helping students understand not only how to solve a problem, but why the mathematics works.
His expertise also extends into the sciences, including Physics, AP Physics, calculus-based Physics C, Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Biology, AP Biology, and Physical Science. This combination of advanced mathematics and science makes Chris particularly well suited for high school and college-bound students taking rigorous STEM coursework.
Chris also provides extensive standardized test preparation, including the PSAT/SAT, ACT, GED, and STAAR, with particular strength in the mathematics sections of the SAT and ACT. His approach goes beyond practicing individual questions; he helps students identify recurring problem types, strengthen underlying content knowledge, improve test-taking strategies, and develop the confidence and efficiency necessary to perform under timed conditions.
Students and families appreciate Chris’s ability to explain difficult material in multiple ways until a concept finally clicks. His years of private tutoring have taught him that students rarely struggle for exactly the same reason, so he avoids a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, he develops an individualized plan that addresses each student’s specific needs while helping them improve study habits and become increasingly independent learners.
Whether Chris is helping a middle school student rebuild confidence in math, guiding a high school student through AP Calculus or Physics, preparing a college-bound student for the SAT or ACT, or supporting a college student in advanced mathematics, his goal remains the same: help students understand the material, recognize their own capabilities, and develop the skills necessary for lasting academic success.
Sana T.
Sana grew up in Illinois and received her Bachelors Degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a major in biological sciences and a double minor in mathematics and psychology. Her zeal for learning is what drove her to study mathematics and psychology alongside biology. She has a fervor to learn about science and math, stay up to date with advancements in the fields, and teach that knowledge to others.
She started off her journey as a tutor while she was just in middle school! She was a private academic tutor for 15+ years and tutored on a variety of subjects, including math, science, English, and reading at the elementary, middle, high school, and undergraduate levels. She started off her teaching experience as a mathematics instructor for K-12 math subjects and moved on to the role of a test prep instructor specializing in helping adolescents prepare for all subjects covered by the SAT and ACT. She gained most of her specialized teaching skills while being a STEM teacher and mentor at Fusion Academy, a school that specializes in giving personalized instruction to students that caters to their individual learning styles and patterns. While here, she was really able to hone in on identifying students’ individual needs and preferences and allow for them to reach their maximum learning potential. Sana values the student-teacher relationship and believes that true learning can only happen in an environment of acceptance, trust, and comfort. She puts importance on developing rhetoric, engaging with her students, and allowing them to feel at ease and ask any questions that facilitate and spark their learning. Teaching and connecting with students is truly a passion for Sana!
In her free time, Sana loves spending time playing with her toddler and nieces and nephews, engaging them in wonderful discoveries of the magnificent world around them! She admires nature and enjoys taking walks outdoors and sightseeing. She also has a passion for the arts, whether that’s in the form of movies, books, painting, drawing, and more!
Sana can’t wait to meet you and help you on your journey of growth and development to reach your full potential! 🙂
Trupti P.
Trupti’s background is unique, and it reflects in her teaching approach. She completed the math program at Kumon Learning Center by the 8th grade, after which she immediately began working as an Assistant Grader. Since then, Trupti has been teaching a diverse range of students, from elementary level to higher education. Her teaching philosophy is understanding students and creating a safe space to meet each other halfway. She finds joy in motivating students and being a stepping stone in their academic journey.
Trupti holds an M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Illinois Chicago and in Biology from the University of West Florida. She received her B.S. in Environmental Science with a minor in Spanish at Benedictine University. She has studied abroad in Spain and the Bahamas.
Currently, Trupti is a new adjunct instructor teaching Introduction to Biology at Harold Washington College. Outside the classroom, Trupti is an artist at heart. She loves dancing, yoga, music, and venturing to museums and plays. In her free time, she volunteers at the Blind Services Association, reading to the visually impaired.
In all, Trupti is a dedicated, empathetic, and passionate educator. She applauds students who show up, even when it seems impossible. Everyone is welcome in this classroom!
Ellis S.
Dr. Ellis S. brings a unique combination of advanced mathematical training, engineering expertise, university teaching, and more than 25 years of experience teaching and tutoring mathematics.
Ellis began his professional career as an engineer and ultimately served as a Senior Principal Engineer at Raytheon Systems Company, where he specialized in the design and analysis of airborne radar systems. During his engineering career, he also developed and conducted technical training programs for engineers at Raytheon, various University Extension courses, and at Air Force and Navy bases throughout the continental United States, including training for a group from the Israeli Air Force. He holds a PhD in Engineering from UCLA.
Following his retirement from engineering, Ellis pursued his longstanding passion for mathematics education. He earned an MS in Applied Mathematics from California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and went on to teach and tutor mathematics extensively. His teaching experience encompasses mathematics through Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and Statistics. His most recent university teaching position was at California State University, Northridge.
Ellis particularly enjoys helping students who initially find mathematics challenging. His engineering and teaching backgrounds have taught him to approach difficult mathematical ideas from multiple perspectives and to explain them in clear, understandable terms. He emphasizes genuine understanding and problem-solving skills rather than simply memorizing formulas and procedures.
Now retired from full-time teaching, Ellis finds tutoring especially rewarding. He takes great satisfaction in seeing students gain confidence, overcome obstacles, and discover that mathematical concepts they once found intimidating can become understandable and manageable.
His combination of extensive mathematical knowledge, real-world engineering experience, university-level teaching, and a genuine passion for helping students makes Ellis a dedicated and an effective Mathematics tutor.