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.
Sarah M.
Sarah MacDonald is a Certified Elementary and Core French Teacher. She is borrowed by the mountains, but belongs to the ocean, as she grew up on the East Coast in Nova Scotia. Sarah graduated high school with French Immersion and her DELF French Proficiency Certificate. She went on to complete both her Bachelor of Kinesiology (‘18) and Bachelor of Education (‘20) at Acadia University.
Sarah has 3 full-time years of classroom teaching under her belt, with a wide range of grade levels and subjects taught. Most of her time has been spent teaching grade 6 (all subjects), and grades 4-9 core French. She has also taught junior high social studies, art, and health, as well as K-3 English Language Arts.
Sarah’s teaching experience goes beyond the four classroom walls. She is also a certified swim instructor, and spent the summer working for WETS Kelowna, and she teaches highland dance.
With this range of ages and abilities, Sarah recognizes that building relationships and ensuring students feel they play an active role in their learning is a major key to success. She understands each child learns differently and makes it a priority to engage learners in ways that make sense for them.
Sarah’s goal when tutoring is to foster personalized, one-on-one interactive and engaging lessons. She believes in developing a deep understanding rather than memorization, and often incorporates the student’s curiosity and interests to make learning more meaningful (and fun!).
In her spare time, Sarah loves to play and watch sports, explore the outdoors, and spend time with friends and family. She loves a good punchline, her cat, Rhubarb, and will never turn down a snack!
CASEY S.
Hey there!
My name is Casey, I graduated from the University of Winnipeg in 2016 and I am currently in my 7th year teaching professionally. I started my career in Northern Manitoba, eventually settling down in the Southwest, teaching Literacy and English Language Arts. I am positive and energetic, and have taught students from Elementary to Senior High School. I am very passionate about education and always seek meaningful connections and creative ways to engage my students.
A little about me: I grew up in a small town, and I love the outdoors; including fishing, boating and camping. I also love animals, reading, and listening to podcasts.
I look forward to meeting you!
MADISON F.
Madison has a Bachelor of Arts in literature and a Bachelor of Education specializing in secondary English. She currently is teaching Secondary Humanities at a private school, as well as outdoor education for grades 1-9. In her free time she is usually outside with her dog, Lucy, or working away at her Masters in Counselling Psychology.
Darien K.
Darien has been teaching for 5 years. He also has a Psychology degree and is certified by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. He developed a Mindfulness Committee throughout his school’s community to better support mental health initiatives.
Darien has the experience to understand and tailor instruction to the many different learning styles, abilities and backgrounds. He has taught people with various and complex disabilities for 10+ years, is comfortable teaching various levels of English Language Learners and can teach foundational knowledge through Indigenous perspective.
As a teacher his focus is on an well rounded educational plan that consists of physical and mental wellness, cultivating self-worth, morals, values and supporting students’ expressions of identity. He received multiple scholarships based on athletic merit as a member of the University’s Cross Country Running team. He loves to take his dog paddle boarding and hiking. When they are not in the sunniest spots, he’ll likely be found playing Arceus or Zelda on his Nintendo Switch.
OZ S.
Oz Salam is a teacher with the Peel District School Board. He graduated from York University in 2014 with a Bachelor Degree with Honours in History. He then went to York University for Teachers College and graduated from the Urban Diversity Program in 2015 with his Bachelor’s of Education. He joined the PDSB in 2017 and in the 5 years since has supplied in every grade from K-8, as well as completed 7 separate LTO (Long Term Occasional) contracts in Grades 6, 7, and 8 with the longest being a full year. He has continued to improve his skills by taking Additional Qualifications courses, taking his Primary AQ in 2018 and is looking to take more. He is currently working towards a permanent position with the board and has tutored previously prior to the pandemic. His interests outside of teaching include reading, keeping healthy, as well as watching and playing sports.
MADELEINE G.
Madeleine earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dalhousie University with a focus on History, Indigenous Studies, and Sociology in 2020. Following her call into education, Madeleine went on to complete her Bachelor of Education as an ITEP Candidate from Queen’s University in 2022. Her passion for equitable education acts as a guide to how she supports, engages, and assists her students with their learning experience.
In her formative years, Madeleine worked as a Program Coordinator for numerous Summer Camps which launched her into her educational career, through numerous forms of pedagogy that she incorporated into her summer curriculum, like differentiated learning strategies and holistic education. Madeleine has experience working with all age groups, starting as young as 18 months, but as a Teacher with the TDSB, Madeleine works with Secondary School students.
When she is not reading one of the many books in her at-home collection, Madeleine can be found either on a good hiking trail or around the city, exploring new areas of our beloved Toronto. If you look closely, you may even be able to see her on the big screen of the Rogers Centre cheering on the Jays!
TIAWNI C.
Tiawni has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Alberta and will be working on her Master’s in Special Education from Queen’s University. She has been teaching since 2003 and has worked with students in diverse settings, with a focus on primary literacy. Tiawni enjoys working one-on-one with students to support their individual style of learning and seeing them progress, especially in their own confidence and ability to see their potential being discovered. She believes that student engagement is key for an effective learning environment.
Tiawni enjoys spending time outdoors – especially hiking in the mountains and seeing waterfalls. One or more of her four dogs often accompany her on these adventures!
BIANCA I.
Bianca is an Ontario Certified Teacher since 2017. She grew up in Mississauga, moving to Hamilton, Ontario to complete an Undergraduate Degree at McMaster University and receiving a B.A in Humanities and a minor in religion. As well, she completed a Post Graduate Diploma, a Master of Science in Education in Buffalo, New York. Bianca grew up with a deep love of travel and took the opportunity to explore the world following the completion of her degrees. Since she was a young girl, Bianca discovered her passion for teaching and working with children. During the summer months, Bianca normally tutors student for the upcoming school year and continues to work with them throughout the year. In her spare time Bianca works one-on-one with children ranging from 6 years through middle school. She has taught almost all grades kindergarten through to grade 8 and while teaching, still supports students through tutoring. She has supported the improvement of their reading, writing, vocabulary and math skills. Additionally. Bianca has over 10 AQs (additional qualifications) and believes that all are life-long learners and is constantly building and adding to her career as an educator. Bianca believes that by building a strong relationship with her students she is better able to meet their needs and grow their learning.
Sacha F.
EN: Sacha has fully immersed himself in the study of English Literature since he graduated high school in 2017. He graduated with a DEC in Literature at Dawson College in 2019, received his BA Specialization in English Literature from Concordia University in Fall 2022, and is currently obtaining my MA in English Literature from Queen’s University. In the future, he hopes to become an educator and teach college-level English courses, where his passion will resonate through his classrooms and to his students.
Sacha is perfectly fluent in English and French. He is a well-rounded individual with interest and knowledge in various other subjects, such as French and Math. His experience in tutoring ranges from one-on-one personalized tutoring to being a mentor for larger groups of youths around Montreal. Sacha believes that anyone and everyone can succeed in whatever they put their mind up to. He hopes to show that to his students in the future.
Concordia University: Bachelor of Art – Specialization in English Literature
Dawson College: DEC in College Studies – Arts, Literature & Communication
FR: Sacha s’est entièrement plongé dans l’étude de la littérature anglaise depuis qu’il a terminé le secondaire en 2017. Il a obtenu un DEC en littérature au Dawson College en 2019, a reçu son baccalauréat en spécialisation en littérature anglaise de l’Université Concordia à l’automne 2022, et est actuellement en train de terminer sa maîtrise en littérature anglaise à l’Université Queen’s. Dans le futur, il espère devenir enseignant et donner des cours d’anglais au niveau collégial, où sa passion résonnera à travers ses salles de classe et auprès de ses étudiants.
Sacha est parfaitement bilingue en anglais et en français. Il est une personne polyvalente avec des intérêts et des connaissances dans divers autres sujets, tels que le français et les mathématiques. Son expérience en tutorat va de l’accompagnement personnalisé en tête-à-tête à être mentor pour des groupes plus importants de jeunes autour de Montréal. Sacha croit que chacun et chacune peut réussir dans ce qu’il ou elle entreprend. Il espère montrer cela à ses futurs étudiants.
Université Concordia : Baccalauréat ès arts – Spécialisation en littérature anglaise
Dawson College : DEC en études collégiales – Arts, littérature et communication