AARON R.
Aaron has a wealth of experience in teaching science at the undergraduate level, and looks forward to engaging his high-school students, getting them excited about all of his favourite subjects! Having taken all science and math courses in high school in addition to leading a successful undergraduate career, Aaron knows how challenging it can be for students to juggle many subjects. As such, he looks forward to not only teaching, but to sharing his strategies for staying organized, working independently and thinking critically.
JENNY W.
Jenny is a graduate of the Masters of Teaching program at OISE, University of Toronto. She studied Biological Sciences at the University of Windsor and is passionate about STEM outreach. She has engaged with a wide range of youth in diverse environments as a program coordinator, workshop facilitator, tutor, teaching assistant, and more. Her favourite type of teaching involves interactive, hands-on activities that spark curiosity in students, guiding them to make their own learning connections. Jenny believes in student-centered teaching and understands the unique strengths each student brings. She practices a growth mindset, supporting and encouraging her students to recognize their potential and capability. When her nose isn’t buried in a book, Jenny enjoys exploring the outdoors, hiking and biking wherever she can. She loves photographing nature and her camera has a permanent spot in her backpack during these adventures. As a result of her abundance of mountain and tree photographs, she is often the source for desktop and mobile screensavers for her family and friends. As thanks, they often let her win at board games
NICK H.
Nick is a Grade 5/6 teacher at a private school downtown Toronto and has 4 years of teaching experience. Nick has a Bachelor’s in Education from Queen’s University, specializing in Primary Junior. Nick has an undergrad degree from the University of Ottawa with a Major in Geography and a Minor in Sociology.
PEDRO T.
Pedro Tironi is a professional musician, music therapist and teacher candidate from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. He grew up in Chile, where he completed a Bachelor in Arts, minor in Classical Guitar Musical Performance at the University of Chile. He moved to Barcelona, Spain to complete a master’s in music at Catalonia College of Music. Pedro grew up surrounded by books, music and nature which lead him to develop a strong intellectual curiosity and took the opportunity to continue studying and travelling. He moved to Argentina to complete an Undergraduate Degree in Music Therapy at Buenos Aires University. It was during his stay in Argentina that he discovered his passion for teaching and working with children. Pedro has worked as a music therapist supporting the strengths and needs of children, youth, and young adults with learning disabilities, communication challenges, motor disabilities and mental health issues. When he decided to pursue teaching as a career Pedro moved to Toronto where he is currently in his second year of his Master of Teaching at OISE, University of Toronto. It is through teaching that Pedro has been able to discover the interconnection between math and music and foster his love of Math. During one of his practicums, Pedro taught Math at a TDSB school grade 6 class encouraging students to learn math through interactive and hands-on experiences that integrated arts and music. In his spare time, Pedro continues developing as a musician and works one-on-one with children ranging from 4 years through adults teaching piano, guitar, and music theory. He has supported the improvement of their math skills, concentration, socio-emotional skills and music skills and attitudes. Pedro believes that by building a strong relationship with his students he is better able to meet their needs and grow their learning. As a mentor Pedro continues to develop strategies for working with children integrating creativity into the learning process. He finds these experiences enjoyable and extremely rewarding.
OLIVIA U.
Olivia is an Ontario Certified Teacher. She grew up in Toronto and attended the University of Toronto where she completed her Undergraduate Degree as well as her Bachelor of Education. She also has a Master of Arts in Dance Performance in Traditional Irish Dance from the University of Limerick, Ireland. Olivia is a competitive Irish dancer and has been dancing since the age of 7. Through dance, Olivia discovered her love of working with children. Olivia loves to travel, and has frequently with her family. She frequently travels to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to a children’s home where Olivia works with the children in a variety of ways. Olivia has a passion for special education, this has come from her travels as well as her early teen volunteer work at the Spiral Garden summer camp (operated at Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital). She has spent many summers volunteering with children with special needs and through that experience has discovered her love of teaching. Olivia has taken several additional qualifications in special education to deepen her knowledge of teaching and how best to meet the needs of her students. Olivia is also fluent in French, having spent many years in French education. Olivia is an energetic individual who believes that creating a positive relationship with a child is the best way to engage them in learning. Olivia loves to connect with her students through common interests.
TANJA N.
My name is Tanja and I am a passionate about education and building a strong learning environment. I have been teaching for 9 years and have been a part of three independent schools. I have worked with students from JK to grade 12 and and grateful for this spectrum of experience. I have also been an active tutor during my spare time and enjoy being able to work one on one with a student and build a relationship which leads to a safe space for learning. Beyond the classroom I am an active individual. I enjoy both indoor and outdoor sports. I am a retired National Team Rugby player and have always embraced the work ethic and positive team attitude characteristics this allowed me to grow. However, I must say my favourite part of my day is walking my white lab, Kaia. Looking forward to working with your family.
VINI O.
Vini has a degree in Electrical Engineering. During university, he specialized in programming and logic. He worked with software consultancy for a while and now he is pursuing a degree in Game Development. For the past 18 months, Vini has been using his industry experience and his knowledge of math and programming to instruct kids and teenagers in robotics. During his work with robotics, he developed a great way to communicate with young minds and started tutoring not only so he could help kids boost their grades, but also so he can improve their creative thinking and get them to achieve their full potential. Always in a good mood and with good energy, Vini is constantly trying to improve in order to share his knowledge with his students in an efficient way. In his spare time, Vini likes to play video games and watch sports, which means he can have a fun ice-breaking conversation after every tutoring session with both student and parents about the latest video game released or the latest football game.
TANYA P.
Tanya P. is an Ontario Certified Teacher. She graduated from Trent University with a Bachelor of Arts in History with Emphasis in Education in 2015. While at Trent University, Tanya tutored two students for the student-run-organization, Trent Students for Literacy. In addition, she was also the coordinator of the Reading Circle for Trent Students for Literacy, where she supervised university students, who promoted literacy to children between the ages of two and five. In 2017, she graduated from Western University with a Bachelor of Education with Emphasis in Urban Education in the Intermediate/Senior grade levels. Having been a teacher candidate in Ontario, Tanya has volunteer experience within the Toronto District School Board and the Thames Valley District School Board.
Shortly after graduating in 2017, Tanya was given the opportunity to teach in a grade eight classroom on a fly-in reserve in Pikangikum, Ontario. Tanya accepted the position due to her passion for Aboriginal education and her strong desire to understand and support students by promoting a positive self-representation of themselves and their culture. While in Pikangikum, Tanya led a school group called, Girls Club, where she supervised and led weekly activities for girls in grade seven and eight to overcome barriers, build confidence, and develop positive relationships. Tanya invited guest speakers from within the reserve to share resources with the students. Through these experiences, Tanya recognizes the importance of incorporating students’ perspectives and knowledge into lessons and school community in order to make learning meaningful and relatable. Tanya currently teaches high school for a private school in the North York area. She teacher history, geography, civics, careers, drama, and a few social science courses.
CRYSTAL D.
Crystal is an Ontario Certified Teacher. She completed her Undergraduate Degree in History and her Teacher Education at Lakehead University. Born and raised in Thunder Bay, she now lives and works in Toronto. Crystal grew up in a family of educators and took every opportunity to follow in their footsteps. From babysitter, to drama camp assistant, to youth programming facilitator, Crystal has had her fair share of teaching and working with children. However, it was through the role of Community Outreach Coordinator that she discovered her passion of teaching children in one-on-one settings. It is through these unique teaching opportunities that Crystal is able to make learning as experiential, self-directed, and meaningful as possible! In her spare time, Crystal volunteers with an organization called Future Possibilities for Kids where she works one-to-one with children ages 9-12 on leadership building activities and the completion of a community based Goal of Contribution. She empowers students to be the best they can be by building their confidence, understanding their needs, and supporting their growth. Finally, she believes that each student, given the proper support and resources, can achieve their own version of success.
Crystal’s work as a teacher and mentor have included classroom settings as well as individual tutoring. She is currently working with the Durham Regional District School Board. Additionally, Crystal is a trained EQAO and OSSLT teacher. She worked with Grade 3 and 9 students in preparation for the benchmark assessments. Crystal developed and implemented balanced literacy activities and assessed student learning. Her work with the OSSLT preparation test focussed on preparing boys with the tools and experiences to help them read and write more effectively.
Crystal continues to pursue ongoing professional learning opportunities. She has completed mentorship programs that shared strategies for guiding student choices and planning for post-secondary learning. She has completed her Junior Division ABQ as well as her Junior Math Additional Qualifications.
ILANA K.
Ilana is an Ontario Certified Teacher who is currently the French teacher for students in grades 4-8 at Danforth Gardens Public School in Scarborough. Before becoming a teacher, she began her love for learning when she attended Ottawa’s Carleton University in the Journalism Program. From there, she moved to Montreal and fell in love with the vibrant culture and the immersion in a language other than English.
When she finished her studies, she decided to explore more of the world and other languages, and backpacked through South America for 7 months with her then-boyfriend, now-husband. When they returned to Canada, they kept up their explorations and moved across the country to Victoria, British Columbia where she completed a diploma in Environmental Restoration. For the final piece of the diploma program, she wrote a children’s novel. She connected with teachers so that she could read excerpts from her book and teach young people about the importance of the environment. This is when she realized that she wanted to become a teacher!
As we know, Victoria is far from Ottawa and Montreal which is where Ilana’s family is from. So, she applied to OISE’s (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) Master of Teaching program so that she could be closer to home and become a teacher. Two short years later, she was hired as a permanent teacher, and she could not be happier!
As the French teacher, co-lead of the Green Team and Student Council, and coach of various sports, everyday is a busy one. However, her initiative, strong communication skills and ability to prioritize and effectively manage multiple tasks, make it a very enjoyable workplace. Her co-workers tell her that her outgoing personality and sense of humour make it a pleasure to work with her. She is a positive, solution-oriented person with excellent writing and communications skills, in both English and French.
Outside of work, she volunteers with environmental organizations, such as Rain Gardens United. In this role, she attends community farmers’ markets to do outreach work. When she is not working and volunteering, she is either hitting her peers with foam balls in her dodgeball league, or exploring Ontario’s rivers and hiking trails with her husband.