Ann S.

Ann Stec grew up teaching.  As the oldest of four children, and the only girl, she would often create a “classroom” for her younger brother, taking them through practice with letters and numbers.  Her mom would buy used workbooks at thrift stores for her to use with her “pupils” each week. Ann loved it–her brothers were decidedly on the fence! 

When it was time to officially choose a career, Ann went to Illinois State and graduated with a B.S. in Education with concentrations in Language Arts and Reading.  Her plan was to teach junior high school students to love reading and learning.  But a few years into teaching, Ann was recruited to teach teachers at the elementary level how to teach reading in their classrooms.  It was a leap–big kids to little–but it turned out to be a game changer!

While working at the elementary level, Ann found that some students continued to struggle to acquire literacy skills, despite receiving intervention.  She realized she needed to learn more about how to help these students and decided to pursue her Wilson Level 1 certification.  She credits that decision as the single best decision of her professional career and she has spent the last nineteen years of her career helping kids who learn differently master how to read.

Ann believes that the best instruction–at any level–empowers students to be reflective learners and goal setters.  She believes that teacher, parent and student comprise the learning team and is an advocate of working with parents and students together in order to help all kids reach their academic potential.

Ann is in her 29th year of teaching and  currently works as a Reading Specialist/Literacy Coach in Naperville 203.  She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching, is ELL certified and is a certified Wilson Level 1 Instructor. In her free time, she volunteers with animal welfare agencies (she has nine pets!), READS, thrifts, travels, and hangs out with her favorite people as much as possible.

EMMA C.

Emma is a passionate educator with a degree from the University of Calgary, specializing in teaching K-9 students with extensive and specialized experience in both literacy and math instruction. She has worked as a Literacy & Math Instructor at a school for students with learning disabilities, where she customized educational plans to meet the unique needs of each learner. Trained in specialized instructional methods such as Wilson Reading System, Orton-Gillingham, Woodin Math, Jump Math, Chisanbop and Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing, Emma is dedicated to helping students build confidence and succeed academically.

Emma’s approach to teaching emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive, engaging environment where students feel empowered to grow. Her expertise in both literacy and math, combined with her background in early childhood and outdoor education, science and social studies enables her to connect with students in a variety of ways.

In her personal life, Emma is fun-loving, and enjoys painting, hiking, skiing, travelling, playing sports, and spending time with her dogs and cat. Her diverse passions make it easy for her to relate to students from all walks of life, fostering strong, positive connections with the students she works with.

LILY A.

Lily is a NYS-certified Special Education Teacher and Literacy Specialist with 21 years of classroom experience teaching students with a variety of learning needs. In addition, she has extensive experience privately tutoring students, from elementary to high school, to address their unique learning styles. Over the years, she has developed a passion for helping students who struggle with learning how to read, particularly those with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Lily understands that reading is the foundation of success in both the academic and career world. She believes that all children can learn to read, but for some, the road will be more difficult. These are the students that she is passionate about helping to find their way to becoming skilled, fluent readers. She is a strong believer in a “structured literacy” approach to teaching reading as this is a necessary method of instruction for many students. In addition to her New York State teaching certifications, Lily is certified as a Level One Dyslexia Practitioner in the Wilson Reading System. She is also CERI certified by the International Dyslexia Association as a Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist.

Kelinda Y.

Kelinda, a master tutor, has nineteen years of experience dedicated to supporting and educating students with disabilities. Kelinda holds a Grade 6-8 Social Studies State of New Jersey Standard Teaching Certificate, acquired through successful completion of the Praxis exam and incorporating course from her Business Administration degree. Additionally, she holds the following standard instructional certificates issued by the state of New Jersey: Teacher of Students with Disabilities, Teacher of English as a Second Language, and Elementary Education Grades K-6. Kelinda is an experienced instructor of Strategic Reading and Multi-Sensory Phonics programs. With experience spanning from Pre-K to 12th grade, she currently serves as a Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant at a middle school within an Essex County School District.

Kelinda’s passion for teaching and learning drive her to tutor, seeing it as a reciprocal learning process as she guides her students towards growth. Although her current role is as a member of her school’s child study team, Kelinda provides direct instruction as in-class support for students with cognitive impairments and as a teacher during extended school year sessions. Kelinda is committed to encouraging her students to embrace challenges without fear, emphasizing that mistakes made while facing challenges promote self-growth and confidence. Her joy in her profession stems from providing a safe and nurturing environment for her students to think and strive.

Kelinda enjoys maintaining an active by going to the gym, particularly favoring Zumba and Aqua classes. She is also an avid traveler who relishes exploring new places and dining at exceptional restaurants.

Chantelle Z.

Chantelle graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Elementary Education in 2020. She is a certified teacher and has over 12 years of experience working with children in various capacities. She has taught Kindergarten to Grade 6 both as a classroom teacher and a teacher on call. Prior to this, she had experience in child care, camp counselling, daycare and tutoring. Chantelle has always enjoyed working with children and has a passion for learning that she wants to pass onto her students to help foster within them a lifelong love for learning. She enjoys finding new and creative ways to engage her students in learning whether it’s phonics and reading or science and math. She also recognizes that each individual learns differently and wants to help set her students up for success by meeting them where they are at. Chantelle personally loves teaching literacy as it was an area of interest and strength for her growing up. She believes that building positive relationships with her students is crucial to creating a safe and fun learning environment for everyone involved. In her free time, Chantelle loves spending time with friends and family or in nature, experimenting with art, listening to music and podcasts, playing soccer, and tending to her tropical plant collection. It also couldn’t go without mentioning that she is always excited to participate in any activity involving animals, especially dogs!

Ella H.

Ella Handley is currently a Teaching Candidate in the Okanagan School of Education at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She has completed her undergraduate studies specializing in chemistry at UBC Okanagan. Ella has always loved working with children and helping them succeed in what they are working towards. She has spent the last 4 years as a supervisor at a summer camp and tutoring children in elementary math. She grew up in Castlegar, British Columbia where she fell in love with camping and being on the lake. In her spare time she participates in competitive 5 pin bowling. Ella believes that every child can excel if they are given the chance and meeting the child where they are at is critical in helping them move forward in their academic endeavours.

Zeke T.

Zeke is a credentialed social science and special education teacher with over eight years of classroom experience. He holds a BA from UCLA and an MA from UCSD. Zeke is a patient, personable, and adaptable teacher who loves creating the spark that fosters lifelong curiosity and exploration.

In his free time, Zeke enjoys traveling, playing guitar, hiking, cycling, reading, and watching sports. His favorite teams include the San Diego Padres, UCLA Bruins, and anything Team USA.

Stephen V.

Stephen is a professional historian with over five years of experience as a college instructor. Outside the classroom, Stephen’s historical research took him to libraries and archives in Scotland, England, and India. He has a PhD in History from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Stephen’s zeal for all things history has shaped his approach to teaching, which brings past events and characters to life through impassioned storytelling, rather than giving tedious lists of names and dates. Stephen believes that if he can convince his students that history and the humanities are as cool as he thinks they are, a spark will arise that drives them to excellence in reading comprehension, essay writing and beyond.

Apart from the subject matter, Stephen is a personable instructor who strives to get to know his students as best he can. In doing so, Stephen aims to create a safe space which allows for open dialogue and, consequently, top-level schoolwork.

Mary R.

Mary has been teaching for the past 15 years, including working 9 years as a special education teacher for grades TK-12, 4 years as a general education high school English teacher, and 2 years as a Creative Writing adjunct professor at the University of California Riverside Extension. She has also worked as a writing tutor for the University of California, Santa Cruz for two years, and as an in-home tutor for students grade K-8 for 3 years (tutoring reading, writing, and math), and as a college admissions essay tutor. She currently works as a special education teacher for a local charter school, teaching reading, writing, and math, as well as supporting students in Social Studies and Science, for students grades TK-8 both virtually and in person at a local learning center.

Mary has a BA in Literature from UC Santa Cruz, where she received College Honors and Honors in the Major. She has also received an MA in English and MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University, and California credentials in Single Subject English and Mild/Moderate Special Education from Brandman University, and is certified to teach Wilson Reading. She has experience teaching and tutoring both online and in person, and worked as a freelance writer, and an editor of books and magazines before she became a teacher and tutor.

Mary has a great love of learning, which she brings to her students when teaching reading and writing. As an avid reader, and experienced writer of fiction, poetry, plays, and articles, she imparts her enthusiasm of reading and writing on her students. She especially loves to help her students improve their writing, and uses tools such as the Wilson Reading program to help struggling readers and spellers learn how to read and spell. As a teacher of students with a variety of ability levels, including students with disabilities, gifted and Honors students, and twice exceptional students, she knows how to tailor instruction to meet each student’s individual needs.

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.