JAMIE Z.

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!

BETH C.

Beth is an Ontario Certified Teacher within the Primary/Junior division. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Anthropology and Philosophy. Beth then traveled to Asia, where she discovered her passion for teaching. She taught English in Taiwan for over eight years before returning to Canada in 2012 to become a certified teacher. Beth received a Bachelor of Education from York University in the Urban Diversity program at Regent Park in 2013. She has since volunteered as a classroom teacher in Regent Park, worked as a childcare provider for two pre-school aged children, and most recently returned to Taiwan last year to complete a one year contract teaching grade one using the Ontario curriculum.

Beth is an experienced teacher with a strong commitment to students and their learning. Having worked with children of all ages, she believes in creating an atmosphere where students participate actively in their learning. She feels students should see themselves reflected within the curriculum in order to enrich their learning experience. As a teacher, Beth also strives to provide a variety of differentiated instruction and positive reinforcement to support student achievement and learning.

In her spare time, she loves listening to music and enjoying the outdoors. She is also passionate about the arts and is an avid storyteller.

DESIREE B.

Desiree has been an elementary school teacher for over twenty years.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Hofstra University and a Master’s degree in Reading from Lehman College.  She began her career teaching in the New York City Public Schools and has spent the last 18 years working in Westchester County. She has taught first, second and third grades.  As a general education teacher she has also worked in her district’s ICT (Integrated Co-Taught Classroom) model where she taught alongside Special Education teachers.  This collaborative work has given her the unique ability to identify specific needs and offer students a variety of learning strategies and methods to help ensure student success.  She is a member of her district’s English Language Arts Committee where she works with fellow teachers, reading specialists and district leaders on curriculum.

Desiree has been tutoring students throughout her career.  She enjoys working individually with students and their families.  She brings her years of experience, multiple learning strategies and a host of resources to each child she tutors.  She enjoys nurturing relationships with her students and their parents.  Working to meet individual needs is her ultimate goal.

ALEC M.

Alec is an Ontario-certified History/Social Sciences teacher and current M.A. History student at the University of Toronto. Before moving to Toronto, he completed his Bachelor of Education at the University of Ottawa, specializing in Grade 4-10 History. Before that, he graduated from Queen’s University in 2016 with an honour’s degree in History and World Religion. He began teaching ESL to students of all ages in 2016 while living in Europe. He speaks French and a little Spanish and loves learning new languages. He has taught Grade 3-4 Core French, Grade 7/8 Language Arts, History, and Health, and Grade 6/7 English Literacy in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). He also taught various subjects – primarily English, Social Studies, and Physical Education – from kindergarten to Grade 10 in the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE). In his spare time, he loves to play music with his siblings, especially guitar and bass. He also loves to play and coach basketball and is a huge Toronto Raptors fan. He has some suggestions for how the team could be improved but does not have the influence to secure a meeting with management. Since 2010, he has been a support worker for an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their family. What he loves most about teaching is seeing students gain confidence in themselves.

Barbara A.

Barbara, B. A., M.A., and PhD candidate, is a former classroom teacher and special education teacher with experience ranging from kindergarten to high school; Associate Teacher at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education; and Adjunct Professor and Instructor for undergraduate courses as at both private and public universities in the United States. Barbara has been active in presenting workshops both locally and internationally and writing for educational journals. Barbara has taught all subjects in the primary and junior divisions, and English and Social Studies at the intermediate and secondary levels of education. With a teaching background in regular, contained, gifted and special education programs, Barbara integrates curricula to provide an enriching, inquiry-based learning program for students. She is committed to providing learning activities that addresses different student needs. As an experienced educator with more than 25 years of international teaching, Barbara is particularly focused on the nature and needs of twice-exceptional learners (those with dual exceptionalities such as learning disability + giftedness and autism + giftedness). Barbara volunteers as a Teacher Mentor for new teachers to the profession and she volunteers her expertise to special and gifted education parent advocacy organizations. Barbara lives in the GTA with her husband and children and is honored to hear from former students, their parents and mentees who keep in touch to share their accomplishments. Barbara enjoys hiking trails, gourmet cooking and family game night.

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.

CAROL ANN C.

Carol Ann is an Ontario Certified Teacher. She has focused her more than 25 year career on two distinct curriculum areas: Special Education (Grades 6,7,8, all subjects) and English as a Second Language (Grade 7 through University). She has also been a School Librarian for grades K-5. Teaching in these areas has taken Carol Ann to many parts of the world. Her classroom in the Bahamas sometimes had goats walking through. In Greece, the siesta meant she started work at 4:00 pm and finished at 10. In New Zealand, kea birds pulled the rubber windshield wipers off her car in school parking lots. Along the way, she earned a Masters of Education degree (in Toronto) lectured at several universities (Monash and University of Sydney in Australia). She earned her PhD. while traveling regularly between Rhodes and the University of Toronto. Her students were her very best teachers. Everywhere she went students, despite differences in culture and language, responded positively to to her belief in them as capable learners.

ABBI I.

Abbi has a Bachelor from the University of Toronto, majoring in Cognitive Science, with minors in English and Philosophy. She then went on to complete her Bachelors in Education at Queens University. Since graduating, Abbi has been part of the Toronto District School Board, where she has worked in a variety of K-6 classrooms for the past 4 years. Specialising in Educational Technology, Abbi’s teaching centres around special education, and cross-curricular connections. Currently, Abbi is a Grade 2/3 teacher.

GABRIELA G.

Gabriela is a graduate from the Master of Teaching program at the University of Toronto – OISE, in the primary/junior/intermediate divisions. She holds a certification as an Early Childhood Educator. Gabriela is also fluent in reading, writing and speaking Spanish. Gabriela has experience teaching all subject areas and has volunteered in elementary school classrooms. During her time at the University of Toronto, she focused her research on different types of supports that can be provided for students with ADHD, within the school system. As such, she understands that students have different needs, and as teachers, their primary job is to support students’ individual learning needs. She believes students have an extensive range of abilities and are capable of achieving anything and everything they put their minds on, with the correct guidance and support. In her spare time, Gabriela enjoys being around nature, hiking, running, training and spending time with family and friends.