ANGELO K.

Angelo Kontos is enjoying a long and rewarding career in education. Angelo has worked in a variety of roles for over twenty years, including being a Global Studies and English teacher, and curricular head. After gaining several years of experience teaching and developing courses, Angelo realized how important it was to a school to have passionate and caring vice-principals and principals, so he made a rewarding transition into administration and works as a secondary school principal with the Peel District School Board. He thrives on the daily challenges of leading a busy high school and the energy of his students. Angelo is a passionate learner, and often says the best school leaders always think of themselves as teachers first. Before completing his teaching certification, Angelo earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Degree with York University. Over the years Angelo has added several qualifications to his professional practice, including specialists in Writing and Contemporary Studies. Angelo loves writing and he recently self-published a novel called The Tournament. In his spare time, when he is not writing, Angelo is reading, exercising, or taking his adorable but highly sensitive dog for walks.

ABDULLAH S.

Abdullah is a student at the Schulich School of Business at York University where he is working towards a Bachelors in Business Administration. Having been raised in multiple countries, he is interested in learning about different cultures and languages. Besides English, he speaks Urdu and Arabic and is learning French. With past experience as a tutor, he not only offers personalized lessons, but also develops a close bond with his students. He leads sessions following custom plans and explains difficult concepts in a clear and effective way using diagrams, step-by-step methods, and other educational techniques. In his free time, Abdullah enjoys running and cycling.

VIVIAN Z.

Vivian (she/her) is an Ontario Certified teacher and a recent graduate of Queen’s University’s Concurrent Education program. Born and raised in Saint Kitts and Nevis and having completed her secondary education in China, she has navigated multiple curricula, including Kittian, American, Chinese, and Canadian systems. This global journey has given her a unique lens on diverse teaching and learning practices, which now shapes her inclusive and adaptable teaching style.

With a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History and Mathematics, Vivian has taught across various classroom settings, including pre-IB and IB Mathematics as well as destreamed math and history during her teaching placements. She focuses on fostering conceptual understanding, mathematical reasoning, critical thinking, and confidence-building in every learner. Drawing on strategies from her teaching placements as well as over four years of tutoring experience, Vivian is confident in her ability to meet learners where they are at and keep them to high expectations. Vivian offers tutoring a range of subjects including intermediate/senior math, essay writing, and history. She is particularly passionate about helping at-risk students overcome academic barriers but enjoys guiding any learner toward success.

Outside of teaching, Vivian enjoys exploring with experiential educational practices, spending time with her cat Spoon, and travelling!

MAGDALENA F.

Magdalena has a master´s degree in Children’s Literature. She works as a Spanish tutor and as an academic writing teacher in Spanish language. She in an enthusiastic bird watcher!

HEIDI S.

Heidi Seibert is an Ontario Certified Teacher. She is from Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she completed a BA from Dalhousie University, majoring in Russian and Spanish. Between University and beginning her career as a teacher, Heidi lived and travelled in Japan where she taught English to students of various ages. After living overseas, Heidi spent some time in Central America furthering her love of languages. Heidi then returned to Canada and completed a BEd from Mount Saint Vincent University before moving to Toronto where she has been a teacher for over 20 years. Heidi has worked predominantly in grades 2-6 where she has gained a wealth of experience in both literacy and numeracy. For the last few years of her career, she has been an English as a Second Language teacher as well as a Special Education teacher. This role has been particularly rewarding and Heidi has gained a lot of knowledge in how children learn to read. In her free time, Heidi enjoys long walks, baking, photography and of course reading. Heidi contributes to her school environment by initiating new learning opportunities for her students, organizes clubs and also volunteers with the CNIB. Heidi continues to have a passion for travel and learning from others.

EMILY V.

Emily is a graduate of the Master of Teaching program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She is currently a supply teacher in the Durham District School Board and the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. Emily is from Ajax, Ontario and was an elite level competitive swimmer throughout her elementary, high school and undergraduate career. She competed at Olympic Trials and won MVP at her conference championships in the NCAA for the University of Denver. Originally wanting to be a med student, it wasn’t until she took a science communication course that she realized she wanted to change the course of science education. Emily aspires to dismantle systemic barriers, make learning accessible for all and make education personally meaningful. When she is not working, she can be found nose deep in a book with her cat on her lap or watching a Leafs game with family and friends. Emily works to involve student’s personal interests in their learning as that is what helped her excel in her own academics.

ELISE D.

Elise Desbordes is a Master’s student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, who has traveled far and wide to pursue her passion for sciences. Growing up in a quaint French village and surviving the demanding engineering studies in Paris, she brings a unique perspective to her tutoring efforts. With three years of experience helping high school and undergraduate students in sciences, she is driven by her love for teaching and the art of turning confusion into clarity and stress into success. Elise’s infectious enthusiasm and caring personality create a positive learning environment and inspire her students to build confidence in their unique abilities. She is committed to making learning fun and fulfilling to help her students achieve their full potential and succeed both academically and personally. In her spare time, Elise likes to engage with new people and enjoys playing rugby or any other outdoor sports with her friends.

KAMEISHA E.

Kameisha Edwards is an Ontario certified teacher with three years of experience working with the Toronto District School Board. She has previously worked as a Behaviour Therapist with 5 years of hands on experience in Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI). Kameisha is proficient in working with children diagnosed with developmental and intellectual disabilities. She possesses additional qualifications in teaching English language learners and special education. She have effectively been implementing culturally responsive pedagogy, inquiry based learning and individualized learning plans to meet children’s needs throughout the years. Kameisha is compassionate, well organized and patient with excellent communication, interpersonal and social skills along with strong determination of providing the highest quality of services to all students in order for them to discover their unique potential. Kameisha has completed her studies in Primary/Junior Education at Cardiff Metropolitan University and looking forward to becoming your child’s tutor.

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.

ANDREW L.

Andrew is an immigrant from China who has immersed himself in Canadian society and culture. In Canada, Andrew lived in Ottawa where he pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science and a minor in Mathematics. He has been working as a tutor for about 2 years now. He has tutored for over 200 hours ranging from primary to undergraduate level, main subjects including Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics. Through his tutoring experiences, he has developed a deep passion for working with young children and decided to pursue teaching as a career. Now, he is pursuing a Master of Teaching in the Intermediate/Senior levels degree from OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) at the University of Toronto.
Through his tutoring experience, Andrew found out that students’ interest and curiosity along with positive reinforcement from the educator are required for them to succeed.
In his spare time, he enjoys long-distance walking, cycling, hiking, outdoor activities, and spending time with his friends and family. Oh! He also likes to watch animations such as Detective Conan and Food Wars!