Giani C.

Giani is a highly experienced literacy specialist, Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT), Educational Diagnostician, and educator with more than 20 years of teaching, coaching, and tutoring experience. Throughout her career, Giani has been guided by one fundamental belief: every student learns differently, and effective instruction begins with understanding how an individual child thinks, processes information, and connects with learning.

Giani earned her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Austin and her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington. She continued her advanced training through Midwestern State University to become an Educational Diagnostician, developing specialized expertise in evaluating how students learn and understanding how learning differences can affect academic performance.

Her credentials in literacy instruction are particularly extensive. Giani is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and holds Texas certifications as a Reading Specialist, Master Reading Teacher, Educational Diagnostician, and Elementary Generalist, along with additional endorsements in English as a Second Language and Gifted and Talented education. She has also received specialized training in structured literacy programs including Reading by Design, Basic Language Skills, and JET, as well as Orton-Gillingham-based instruction.

This combination of classroom experience, diagnostic expertise, and specialized literacy training makes Giani particularly effective with students who struggle with dyslexia, decoding, phonics, spelling, fluency, reading comprehension, and written language. Rather than simply helping students compensate for areas of difficulty, Giani works systematically to strengthen the underlying skills necessary to become more capable and confident readers and writers.

At the same time, Giani’s expertise extends far beyond reading intervention. She works with students across the academic spectrum, from elementary learners developing foundational literacy skills to middle and high school students tackling sophisticated reading and writing assignments. Her tutoring areas include elementary academics, middle school Language Arts, AP English, writing, spelling, college essay writing, and English preparation for the SAT and ACT, as well as comprehensive STAAR preparation.

One of Giani’s greatest strengths is her ability to understand why a student may be struggling. Her background as an Educational Diagnostician gives her a valuable perspective when working with students who have learning differences or complicated academic histories. She can identify patterns in how students approach reading and writing and then adapt instruction to address individual needs while building on existing strengths.

For advanced students, Giani applies that same analytical approach to higher-level literacy skills. Whether a student is learning to evaluate an author’s argument, develop a thesis, analyze rhetoric, organize an essay, or refine a college application essay, she helps students break complex language tasks into understandable components and then put those pieces together effectively.

Families appreciate Giani’s ability to combine deep professional expertise with patient, individualized instruction. She understands that students who have struggled academically may arrive at tutoring already believing they are “bad at reading” or “not good at English.” Giani works to change that experience by providing instruction at the appropriate level, recognizing progress, and giving students concrete strategies that allow them to experience success for themselves.

Above all, Giani is passionate about helping students discover the power—and ideally even the enjoyment—of reading. Whether she is teaching phonics to a beginning reader, providing structured literacy intervention for a student with dyslexia, strengthening a middle schooler’s writing, or helping an advanced high school student master rhetorical analysis, her goal is to build a strong and lasting foundation for how students read, write, communicate, and think.

Outside of education, Giani is an enthusiastic reader herself, with a particular fondness for urban fantasy novels. She enjoys sharing her love of books with students—while fully recognizing that convincing every student to share her enthusiasm for urban fantasy may be one teaching challenge even she can’t solve.

Lena H.

Lena is a certified Texas educator with a creative, student-centered approach to helping learners build confidence, strengthen academic skills, and discover how they learn best. She holds a Texas EC–12 teaching certification and brings several years of classroom experience working with students from early elementary through middle school, along with experience supporting learners with a wide variety of academic abilities, learning styles, and individual needs.

Lena graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor of Arts in Art, earning a 3.81 GPA. Her university studies also reflected her broad interest in the humanities and social sciences, with coursework exploring literature, culture, history, and the ways art and storytelling reflect society. This interdisciplinary background has helped shape her ability to make subjects such as English, writing, history, geography, and social studies more engaging and relatable for students.

As a classroom educator, Lena has taught hundreds of students across elementary and middle school settings and has designed more than 75 standards-aligned lessons. Her experience includes developing curriculum, differentiating instruction, incorporating educational technology, assessing student progress, and finding creative ways to present information so students can better understand and retain it.

Lena is particularly passionate about working with students who benefit from a more individualized approach to learning. She has managed and implemented IEP accommodations for special education students and has completed additional professional training in dyslexia awareness, mental-health response, and Capturing Kids’ Hearts. She has developed a strong connection with neurodivergent students, including learners with ADHD and autism, and strives to create an environment where students feel understood, supported, and comfortable asking for help.

Lena specializes in English, English Language Arts, reading, writing, spelling, and middle school Language Arts, along with a broad range of humanities and social sciences, including U.S. History, World History, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy. She also supports students in AP English, AP Human Geography, AP World History, college essay writing, and introductory college-level English and Psychology.

In addition, Lena works with students on executive functioning, test-taking skills, and standardized test preparation, including English preparation for the SAT and ACT, as well as STAAR Reading and Social Studies. Her experience with organization, differentiated instruction, and individual accommodations makes her especially well suited for students who understand the material but struggle with planning, organization, task completion, or demonstrating what they know on assignments and tests.

One of Lena’s greatest strengths is her ability to approach academic material creatively. Her background in art and visual storytelling allows her to incorporate visual explanations, step-by-step modeling, and alternative ways of presenting information when traditional instruction isn’t connecting with a student. Rather than expecting every learner to process information in the same way, Lena works to discover what makes a concept “click” for each individual student.

Families appreciate Lena’s patience, creativity, and ability to build genuine connections with students. She believes students are more willing to challenge themselves when they feel safe making mistakes and know their teacher genuinely understands them. Her goal is to help students recognize their own strengths while developing the academic skills, strategies, and independence necessary for continued success.

Outside of teaching, Lena is an artist and storyteller who has had a lifelong love of comics and animation. She enjoys creating her own stories and artwork exploring underrepresented communities and themes of justice and representation. She brings that same curiosity, creativity, and appreciation for different perspectives into her work with students.

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! 🙂

Lauren P.

Kylie N.

Kylie is a passionate middle grades educator dedicated to helping students build confidence, strengthen their academic skills, and discover that learning can be both engaging and enjoyable. She began her educational journey at Mohave Community College before continuing her studies at Murray State University and later transferring to the University of St. Francis, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Middle Grade Education with a concentration in English Language Arts, graduating cum laude. Kylie completed a year-long teaching internship in an 8th grade ELA classroom and now works as a paraprofessional supporting students in grades 6–8 through classroom instruction and individualized academic support. Her strengths include reading, writing, grammar, and helping students develop confidence through engaging and interactive lessons.

Kylie believes strong relationships are the foundation of successful education and strives to incorporate students’ interests and learning styles into every lesson while supporting Illinois learning standards. She loves seeing the “light bulb moment” when students fully understand new material and begin believing in their own abilities. Outside of education, you can usually find Kylie with a book in hand, exploring hiking trails, or playing PC and Xbox games. These hobbies often help her connect with students and make learning more relatable. She also enjoys spending time with her family and young son. At home, her two dogs and two cats always keep life entertaining.

Denisse M.

Denisse is a passionate and energetic tutor with over 8 years of experience, specializing in K–5 education. She believes every child can succeed and strives to make learning fun, engaging, and confidence-building while encouraging students to do their very best.

She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in Forensics & Criminal Investigation from National University. With a background in education, social services, and law enforcement, Denisse brings patience, encouragement, and a well-rounded approach to every tutoring session. She is also fluent in Spanish and enjoys helping students develop their Spanish language skills.

Outside of tutoring, Denisse enjoys spending time with family, traveling, trying new restaurants, and spoiling her two French Bulldogs, Ivy and Bree, who are often the stars of her tutoring stories! She looks forward to partnering with families to help students grow in confidence, achieve their goals, and discover the joy of learning.