Allison A.

Allison A. earned her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Quinnipiac University and is certified to teach in CT, SC, and FL. After her fifth year of teaching, she was nominated for the Presidential Award in Excellence for Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST) given to teachers who are recognized for being the best in STEM education – demonstrating deep content knowledge of the subjects they teach and the ability to motivate and enable student success.

Allison was recognized for having exceptional Classroom Management skills, and has hosted many Professional Development workshops on the subject over the years. She believes it is very important to build relationships based on mutual trust and respect with each individual student. Having this foundation is crucial for a positive and effective learning environment. One that fosters motivation, engagement, and ultimately leading to improved student outcomes.

Allison believes in creating inquiry-based instruction for students. When students are immersed in the subject using hands-on and exploratory methods, they learn at a deeper level. Allison utilizes manipulatives, games, songs, and online platforms to create scaffolded, differentiated, and purposeful lessons.

Fun Fact – Allison races sailboats. She competes in long-distance, open-ocean races around the world.

Kathleen K.

Kathleen is a 5th year teacher with a M.Ed in STEM education. Whether you’re struggling with basic concepts like cell structure and genetics, or diving into more complex topics like ecology, evolution, or biochemistry, I am here to guide you every step of the way. With an undergraduate degree in sports medicine, she has a strong understanding of anatomy and physiology, while also having a strong background in botany and environmental science. She enjoys studying the environment, especially the ocean habits of the marine life here in Florida. Her strengths in teaching for us on advanced placement biology, anatomy and physiology, and all levels of environmental science. She has a strong focus on project based and inquiry learning and works hard to have learning fun!

Lucy N.

Lucy is passionate about fostering an inclusive and engaging learning environment, believing in the power of structured support and encouragement to help students reach their full potential.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the Greenwich School of Management in London, United Kingdom. With 20 years of experience in corporate and educational coaching, mentoring, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her teaching practice.

Her expertise spans multiple disciplines including, English Language Arts, Business and Law, and Cambridge International. She is skilled in guiding students to develop effective study strategies, time management skills, and critical thinking abilities. She is especially passionate about connecting learned skills and knowledge to real-world applications, believing this approach is essential for maximizing students’ educational motivation and success.

Outside the classroom, Lucy enjoys supporting her three children in their various sporting endeavors, fitness and nutrition, and exploring culinary delights.

Alexandra W.

With a solid foundation in research and education, Alexandra brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the field of science education. She has served as a secondary science educator across various institutions including virtual education. Her expertise spans multiple disciplines, including Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Environmental Science. In addition to her teaching experience, Alexandra has a robust research background in the biomedical field, with published works in molecular biology and cancer research journals.   She has successfully guided students through honors and advanced placement science courses and nurtured a passion for scientific inquiry, mentoring student researchers and advancing students to state science and engineering fairs. Committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment, Alexandra emphasizes growth mindset strategies while implementing organizational, time management and knowledge retention practices with her students, ensuring that science is accessible to students of all abilities.  Outside of science education, Alexandra is an equestrian coach and enjoys spending time with her family exploring all things outdoors on the beautiful west coast of Florida.

Richard M.

Richard Maloon has a proven track record in education. He earned his Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) in Elementary Education and later his Master’s degree in Education (M.Ed.) with a focus in Curriculum & Instruction. He has taught all grades 1 through 9, spending most of his time with grades 4 through 8. He taught for 14 years and served as a private school principal for 23 years. Mr. Maloon also had a career as a national certified consultant for MicroSociety, Inc., a successful, real-world school reform model. He was the consultant for many public schools in the southeast United States. He is very adept at teaching math, social studies, science, and English, and has been recognized for his creative approaches to teaching concepts and skills. He is considered by many to be a master teacher. He also was a school-wide program coordinator for implementing MicroSociety; his school was featured in many periodicals and on prime-time television. He has had an article published for a professional journal and has been a presenter at teacher conventions as well. Besides this, after school he has coached soccer, sponsored a chess club, and started a robotics tech club in many of his schools, taking teams to the finals in Lego Robotics. Mr. Maloon also enjoys traveling, being in nature, and learning more about neuroscience.

Rebecca V.

Rebecca Vogdanos is a licensed teacher holding professional education certifications in the states of Illinois and Florida. She earned a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Northeastern Illinois University, and began teaching six years ago starting in Des Plaines, Illinois, and has been teaching in Sarasota County since August of 2024. She is a perpetual student and will next pursue an endorsement in reading and literacy in the fall of 2025.

Her love of education was realized in 2012 when her two children were little and she became involved in homeschooling cohorts in Chicago and neighboring suburbs. That is when she developed her teaching method—Constructivism, which emphasizes active learning and peer collaboration through exploration and real-world experiences, and builds upon prior understanding in a way that captures the interests of children.

She accepts challenges with vigor and has very effective strategies in reaching what sometimes seem to be impossible goals, proving that she successfully meets the needs of each and every student.

A few fun facts
● She has traveled the planet and has lived in Tunisia and Greece, which enabled her to find creative and successful ways to communicate with non-English speakers.
● She is an active member of the local community and practices
philanthropy daily with her children.
● She is adventurous and has been a leader of the Adventure Club at her children’s
school. This experience has enabled her to teach survival skills, provide necessary tools
for social-emotional growth, and how to critically think.
● Her life revolves around art. She and her family are very creative and incorporate art into
everything they do, from food presentation to interdisciplinary studies, and everything in between.

Dawn H.

Dawn is a seasoned 20-year veteran elementary level teacher for grades 3-8. She obtained her B.S. in Education from Northern Arizona University, her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix, and her post-graduate educational leadership degree from Stony Brook, NY. She holds a professional Florida Educators License for grades K-6.

With over 90+ hours of mathematics training from the Intel Corporation, Dawn loves creating an inquiry-based model of instruction for students, regardless of one-on-one, small group, or whole-class settings. Her core belief is that learning should be scaffolded, purposeful, hands on, and exploratory in nature. Dawn utilizes songs, games, total physical response, art, on-line tools, and manipulatives to generate excitement in her classrooms.

Dawn’s hobbies include all things athletic, artistic and creative, and has a penchant for bodybuilding, personal training, and nutrition.

Rita Z.

Rita worked with students in the Sarasota County district school system for over 20 years as a middle school science teacher. With a gifted certification and extensive professional development experience in exceptional student education, she is well equipped to work with students of various abilities. In the classroom, Rita was able to connect with students, parents and the community and earned highly qualified evaluations by administrators year after year. Rita took a hands-on approach to learning science in her classroom, often taking students on field trips and creating meaningful learning experiences with interactive and virtual learning. In 2013, Rita was recognized for all of her achievements as the district middle school teacher of the year.

Rita has a master’s degree in STEM education from the University of South Florida and a bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy, making her very capable of helping students succeed in all science disciplines. Rita completed her master’s thesis on how to develop notetaking and organizational skills in students that support students in reading and writing expository texts. After completing her master’s degree, Rita earned over 900 hours of professional development, focusing on differentiated instruction and integrating literacy into the core content areas.

Jennifer C.

Jen graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington with a Bachelor’s Degree in secondary education mathematics, and completed a Masters Degree in Online Teaching and Learning from Concordia University. Jen taught almost every subject available in high school mathematics and for the past two years tutors students preparing to take the SAT. She taught math for about 20 years! She is passionate about helping people and making meaningful connections that promote the desire for life long learning.

Outside of class, Jen works in Real Estate and has many hobbies including running, biking, swimming, lifting weights, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Zoë M.

Zoë graduated magna cum laude from the University of Toronto, specializing in research psychology and minoring in English.
They graduated from York University with an MA in critical psychology, their thesis focusing on accessibility in undergraduate education.

Zoë’s passion is teaching and learning, and they have expertise in a variety of subjects. Most notably, they have been an SAT tutor for over ten years — tutoring 1-1, teaching intensive courses, designing lesson plans and curricula, training other instructors, and even writing an SAT Teacher’s Manual, which was sold to various test prep and tutoring companies, and which they still update yearly for personal use.

Zoë’s teaching style is reflexive, engaging, agile, and learner-centred, informed by their extensive knowledge of psychology and pedagogy, and enriched by their confidence in every student’s ability to succeed when given the right tools.