Michelle B.
Michelle is currently a teacher candidate studying at York University. She will be OCT certified as a junior/intermediate teacher in the Spring of 2023. She graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Journalism, with a minor in English, and a high honours in 2012. Michelle has over a decade of experience working with children ages 4 to 19 in a variety of settings.
One of Michelle’s core tenets as a teacher is that all students are capable of learning. When working with students, she is focused on nurturing each student’s unique gift and using students’ personal interests to assist in their learning. Michelle loves working one-on-one with students to develop personal relationships, understand what makes them special, and build their confidence in their own abilities as learners.
Michelle is passionate about reading, writing, and media literacy. With her journalism background, she is a specialist in clear and effective communication through writing. She is a strong believer in developing student voice and confidence through frequent, low-pressure, creative writing exercises, which help students build toward stronger academic writing. She is experienced in proofreading and eager to help secondary students polish their essays and personal statements.
Chris L.
Chris graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science, majoring in Psychology and Philosophy. Chris is pursuing further education at OISE, completing a Masters of Teaching (P/J) degree. Chris is currently in his first year of the program, and in his first practicum placement. Chris has many years of experience working with children as a camp counsellor and as a community event planner for children. More recently, he worked as a physiotherapy assistant, providing care and teaching exercises to patients. He is currently working as an after-school tutor for the TDSB. Chris has always enjoyed working with children. He is passionate about teaching and creating a positive learning environment for children. In his free time, Chris likes to try new restaurants, watch movies and stay active. One of his favourite things to do outside during the summer is hiking. His favourite trail he has gone to is in Vancouver, BC.
Carissa M.
Carissa is a teacher candidate, completing her Bachelor of Education (BEd) Primary-Junior program at the end of December 2022. She is a caring and hardworking individual who is passionate about helping and seeing all students succeed while fostering a supportive environment. Carissa promotes differentiated learning for each student while fostering growth mindsets for her students. She has had the opportunity to work with various ages during her practicum experiences and working as a camp counsellor. She has led campers through Minecraft, Lego Robotics, and STEAM camps and fostered rapport with various families. She has worked with parents and children during family camp sessions, demonstrating the students’ achievements and handwork during parent showcases. Carissa has her undergraduate degree, an honours bachelor’s degree in Forensic Science and Psychology. In Carissa’s spare time, she loves singing and playing her guitar. She also does Jiu-Jitsu and enjoys hiking and nature walks. Additionally, she has a 6-year-old cat named Chloe, who is very chatty.
Kathir B.
Kathir Brabaharan has a PhD in Chemistry and has been an educator for more than thirty years. He retired as a Curriculum Leader for Mathematics from Sir John A. Macdonald C.I. and went to China for few years as a Mathematics/Physics teacher. Kathir won the Descartes Medal in 2009 for promoting Mathematics across Ontario. He is truly passionate about teaching and learning mathematics and problem solving.
Mirza B.
Mirza completed his Master of Arts degree in Political Science (with a focus in political theory and international relations) at McGill University. Prior to that, he graduated from the University of Toronto with a double major in Political Science and International Development Studies. He is currently working as a legal assistant at an immigration and refugee law firm. He has previous experience as a Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant at McGill University.
Mirza is an attentive, patient, and passionate educator. He seeks to demonstrate to students the value in what they are learning and its transformative potential in their lives, meaning he works to make learning content relatable to his students. He also understands the value of individual learning and therefore approaches a student’s education according to their specific needs. His prior educational and professional experiences have equipped him to support students studying history, law, politics, philosophy, and English.
Mike Z.
Mike is an aspiring teacher completing his second year of his Master of Teaching program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Mike completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, obtaining a Bachelors in Kinesiology. During his post-secondary career, he worked at a summer camp (Camp UofT) for 6 years, leading and planning activities for kids anywhere between the ages of 6-14. It was his experience at camp and his interactions with teachers growing up that ultimately made him decide to go into the field of education.
Mike believes learning should always be a fun and exciting experience. Too often in school, students can become bored of the same teaching style and material which may decrease their motivation to learn. Mike understands that everyone learns differently, so he makes sure he puts in the time and effort so that every student can learn to the best of their ability. There is nothing more fulfilling for Mike than when a student understands a concept because it will be something they carry for the rest of their lives.
Mike loves being physically active and playing sports. You can often find him playing or watching basketball, hockey, or rugby. He also enjoys listening to music and singing.
Hannah F.
Hannah is an Ontario Certified Teacher specializing in Primary/Junior Instruction.
Hannah grew up on Georgian Bay and moved to Toronto to complete her Bachelor of Arts in History and French at York University, Glendon.
Hannah prides herself on being an enthusiastic and involved educator with a commitment to cultivating learning opportunities that are hands-on, meaningful, and engaging. She possesses a wide range of teaching experience with students from kindergarten to grade 8 in virtual, classroom, and even outdoor settings.
Hannah currently works as an Occasional Teacher with the Simcoe County District School Board and an Outdoor Educator at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto. Hannah hopes that with her teaching she can foster civic and social responsibility and encourage future stewards of the Earth. Hannah’s passion for learning has even brought her to Windsor Castle, England – working with leaders like Jane Goodall to create programming opportunities for youth.
Along with a commitment to helping student’s meet their academic goals, Hannah believes that social-emotional well-being and relationships should be at the forefront of all her teaching.
Justin G.
Justin has an Honours Degree in French Studies within the field of Education at York University. He has studied and used his french abilities throughout his whole life by interacting with a wide variety of members of the french community as well as implementing writing and communication skills in various workplaces. Justin is a passionate, energetic, and hard-working individual who sets others’ needs as his priority. Having worked at summer camps and partaken in tutoring sessions, he sees value and finds pleasure in helping others advance in their educational endeavors.
Matthew S.
Matthew is a full-time tutor and has a B. A. in Economics from McMaster University. He has over 4 years of experience tutoring students one-on-one or in small groups both online and in person. Through these experiences he has learned what the best teaching styles are depending on the students’ needs and learning style.
When teaching students, he presents concepts through relatable experiences and interests for memory association. In order to establish their understanding, he always encourages the student to attempt the question before showing them the correct procedure. After explaining weaknesses in their attempt, similar questions are given until concepts are grasped.
Maria K.
Marie is an experienced tutor specialized in teaching sciences and maths (French and English). She recently graduated from McGill University in Microbiology and Immunology and is now pursuing her graduate studies at UofT in Neuroscience. Currently, she is doing research in Parkinson’s disease. Growing up in Montreal, Marie scored 100% on her governmental math and science exams, and thus, she is very familiar with the content and the format of the evaluations. As such, all of her students have graduated with 90% + grades in these courses. Marie also has experience working with students with learning disabilities. She loves working with each student to create an organized study plan to keep them on track and feeling confident. Aside from her academic success, Marie also speaks multiple languages including English, French, Spanish and Japanese. Her hobbies include running, yoga, fashion and cars.