BEN G.

Ben teaches chemistry and biology at the nationally ranked Westhampton Beach High School on the East End of Long Island where he has been for the past twenty five years. He has taught AP Chemistry for the last 15 years and AP Biology for the past 6 years. Ben wrote and implemented the curriculum for freshman and sophomores to take AP Biology and AP Chemistry in consecutive years. Ben has been a private tutor for almost 30 years. Ben has a Master’s degree in Secondary Education from Dowling College and Bachelor of Science from the University of Massachusetts.

JAN C.

For the past decade, Jan had her own private reading remediation practice in Fairfield County and the Hamptons (summers).  She started as a public high school English teacher of junior English (both advanced and basic levels), before shifting to become a community college lecturer, then becoming a learning center reading specialist using the Orton-Gillingham approach before becoming a private reading specialist.

Jan holds two Ivy League degrees, was credentialed as an award-winning high school English teacher, and trained in Connecticut’s only Orton Gillingham institution where she worked directly under a Fellow, who later sat on the Academy’s Board of Directors.  In addition to learning the OG approach, Jan used the Wilson Reading System, FUNdations, SPIRE, and the Language Tool Kits.

The Orton GIllingham approach has been validated by the test of time– for 75 years, diagnosing educational psychologists have recognized that it is the best means of remediating diagnosed dyslexia.  Dyslexia affects 15% of the population with reading challenges comprising 85% of Special Education referrals.  However, the public schools have not conquered this problem, as the typical SpEd student enters the program reading two grade levels behind his peers, and he exits the program still reading two grade levels behind his peers.  The Orton Gilliingham approach actually closes skill gaps, rather than simply making progress.

Among the attributes that make the OG approach unique are its emotional sensitivity and its customization.  The Orton Gillingham practitioner creates a lesson for that individual’s specific needs and skill levels in order for him/her to achieve 80% or better accuracy.  During the lesson, the specialist adjusts the lesson’s administration accordingly to realize that result.  Allowing such a curated sense of competency to emerge (albeit in a vacuum) builds a newfound sense of confidence in written-language capability for the dyslexic student.  Also, the Orton Gillingham approach, because it is not a program (pre-scripted) or a one-size fits all curriculum, permits the instructional intensity necessary to closing deficits.  There is no need for covering ground already familiar to the student, and there is the freedom to bear down on those skills eluding the student.

AIMEE C.

Aimee Campbell has over sixteen years of elementary and special education teaching experience. Currently based in East Hampton, Aimee has taught on the East End of Long Island, Connecticut and Louisiana. She possesses a Master of Professional Studies in Elementary (PreK-6th) and Special Education (K-12th) along with a TESOL certification. Aimee is highly trained in multisensory and creative teaching strategies such as the Orton-Gillingham method and specializes in teaching struggling and reluctant learners. Interestingly, prior to her teaching career, Aimee earned a Master of Arts degree in Archaeology from Washington State University and worked on Native American archaeological digs in the Pacific Northwest and the African Burial Ground Project in Lower Manhattan. Students love working with Aimee because her lessons are engaging, interactive, and rewarding.

GEORGE R.

George Rahbari has been teaching at the high school and college level for the past 28 years. His background in biochemistry, statistics, and law qualifies him as an expert in a multitude of areas of education and one of a select group of individuals who can guide students in various areas of education.  Additionally, George has worked with a number of college students who are and were seeking admission to medical, law, business, and graduate schools. His greatest attributes aside from subject expertise, include patience and compassion for students of all abilities and aptitudes.

SANDRA S.

Sandra’s passion for teaching came after she left the United States Marine Corps in 1998. After leaving the Marine Corps, she enrolled in a bachelor’s program at Long island University (CW Post) and received her degree in elementary education.  After graduation, she enrolled in a master’s Program at Dowling College where she received her master’s degree in special education.   Sandra currently holds 4 New York State Teaching Certifications (Birth-6th grade, General Education and Special Education). Sandra has a passion for teaching and motivating children to become independent and lifelong learners.   Sandra currently teaches grades 3-6 in a public school on Long Island.  Sandra has tutored for the past 14 years.  In Sandra’s spare time, she loves to be out on the water boating with her husband and 6-year-old son.

ELISA C.

Elisa Cullaro earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) and her Master’s Degree in Special Education (Grades 1-6) from Manhattan College. To further develop her teaching practices and continue her growth as an educator, Elisa has recently completed TESOL graduate courses at The College of Mount Saint Vincent and she is working towards acquiring her TESOL advanced certificate.

Elisa has been a passionate NYC public school teacher for 5 years, where she has had the opportunity to teach kindergarten, second and third grade. Throughout her experience thus far, Elisa has worked with children of various learning styles, abilities, and backgrounds. Each year she strives to develop a strong rapport with her students and families, which she believes is essential in a child’s learning experience. Her passion, patience, and empathy foster a sense of encouragement and motivation in her classroom where her students can experience success and joy while learning.

In her free time, Elisa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, traveling, and taking long walks with her dogs.

KATHERINE M.

Katherine received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Elementary and Special Education from Manhattan College. While there, she also obtained her certificate in Early Childhood education. After college, Katherine gained valuable ENL experience as she moved to Seoul, South Korea and taught full-day kindergarten as well as tutored older children in the afternoons. After returning from Korea, Katherine obtained a kindergarten position in the New York City Department of Education where she taught in a general education classroom for five years. For the past two years, Katherine has taught in an ICT classroom with her co-teacher while also serving as the grade leader of her team. Katherine has experience teaching students who fall on the autism spectrum as well as students with learning disabilities such as speech impairments, ADD/ADHD, etc.

Katherine believes that all students have the ability to succeed! She is skilled in building relationships with students to foster a growth not only in academic scores, but self-esteem and confidence as well. In her free time, Katherine enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her two young nephews, and relaxing with her dog, Gertie.

MARIA S.

Hola!

Maria Sanahuja was born in Barcelona, Spain. She has a bachelor’s in business administration from the European University in Barcelona and a certificate in marketing from EADA. After 15 years in the fashion industry as a business owner, Maria moved to the United States, in 2013, after her husband got a job offer. Since then, she has been tutoring and teaching Spanish in various schools. She loves her country and has a passion for teaching the language and culture to kids. Maria uses a full immersion teaching method, where 95% of the class is taught in Spanish, using only English when strictly necessary. Maria likes to make learning Spanish fun and interesting, engaging students through various interactive activities.

Maria enjoys reading, listening to music and long walks with her family of 6.

Hasta pronto, amigos!

ROLANDO A.

Rolando earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Mercy College and a M.A. in Pure Mathematics from Hunter College. Math has always come easy to him, allowing him to help his classmates throughout his school years. He started working as a math tutor for Mercy College at the start of his sophomore year. He graduated with honors (Summa Cum Laude) from Mercy College in 2017. He has a wealth of experience in teaching and tutoring, in-person and online for middle, high school, and test prep math. He currently works as a supplemental math instructor at SUNY Maritime College. His goal as an instructor is to provide his students with the necessary tools to transform their weaknesses into strengths. Rolando’s favorite motivational quote is, “The five P’s: Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” Rolando enjoys sudoku, anime and movies in his spare time.

THERESA C.

Theresa completed her undergraduate degree at SUNY Cortland, and is certified to teach in grades 1-6.  She received a Master’s degree in Special Education from Pace University.  She also has a certification in TESOL (grades 1-12) and middle school Social Studies (grades 5-9). Theresa is in her seventh year of teaching and teaches third grade, general education, in Westchester.  In her free time, she enjoys being outside and playing and watching sports!