KOWNINE C.
Kownine is a New York State certified mathematics educator. He completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in mathematics from The City College of New York (CUNY). He has been a NYC public school educator for over a decade. He has experience teaching in both the middle and high school. Kownine’s pedagogical journey has been marked by a profound impact on countless students. With an innate ability to clarify complex mathematical concept, he has fostered a dynamic and engaging learning environment, making even the most challenging topics accessible to all his students. Kownine has an extensive knowledge of Regents based math courses, which he accumulated from years of teaching and scoring the Regents. Kownine is very excited to be part of an elite group of educators at Prep Academy Tutors and looks forward to working with you.
KEVIN B.
Kevin is a veteran teacher with 24 years of experience in the classroom. In addition to his Bachelor of Science Degree in English with a minor in Elementary Education, Kevin holds Master of Science Degrees in Literacy and School Building Leadership. Throughout his career, Kevin has taught a diverse group of learners with various learning styles and academic needs in the general education setting and in the ICT setting. This has provided Kevin with experience in first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classrooms. In his current position as an Instructional Coach, Kevin supports teachers and students from Kindergarten through 8th, in which he has developed a strong understanding of ELA and math standards across the grades. In addition to classroom experience, Kevin has also been providing tutoring support for students since 2007.
Kevin has experience working with students to provide additional support for struggling students, activities to support and meet IEP goals, implementing different strategies to support reading fluency, decoding, and comprehension, as well as supporting students with executive functioning needs. He works closely with families to provide supports to fit the needs of each student through hands on and engaging activities.
Hannah T
LYDIE K.
Lydie has been teaching English and Humanities at Notre Dame School in Manhattan for eighteen years. She has also worked as an instructor for several middle school enrichment programs including the SEEDS Scholars Program of New Jersey and the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Additionally, she has an extensive background as a tutor of multiple subjects. Lydie has a Bachelor’s of English with a minor in Linguistics from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She also has a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College. She is an experienced curriculum innovator and developer, implementing many original courses in schools and programs throughout her career. She is a particularly skilled college essay advisor, coaching students through the writing and editing process and making sure they get the right word count! She is 100% certain that all students have the ability to become strong writers with practice and encouragement. Lydie feels that one of the most important aspects of teaching is showing students how to cultivate their authentic voices so that they can write with confidence, conviction and sophistication. She believes in academic rigor, scrutinizing literary texts for profound meaning, and insightful student-generated discussion. She is both a challenging and compassionate educator. Above all, she believes that students learn from each other just as much as they do from their teachers. Outside of teaching, Lydie is an avid reader, loves watching the CBS Sunday Morning show with her husband and playing with her funny cat, Boots.
VICTORIA P.
Victoria received a Bachelor’s Degree in Childhood Education and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Manhattan College. Victoria is now a tenured New York City Department of Education teacher working in a 12:1:1 classroom with Special Education students. In her six years of experience, Victoria has worked in a day treatment school setting which focuses on preparing students to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom.
Victoria has experience working with students who have a wide variety of learning styles and needs. She understands the importance of planning engaging and differentiated lessons to meet the needs of each individual student. Victoria also prioritizes creating a safe, respectful, and growth-producing environment with each student and their families. She is passionate about making learning fun and celebrating each learning milestone a child makes–no matter how big or small!
When Victoria is not teaching she enjoys cooking, spending time with her family and friends, and relaxing on the beach.
ERIN G.
Erin G. is a chemistry and AP chemistry teacher in Fairfield county and has been teaching for over 13 years. She has experience with teaching and tutoring all levels of chemistry, as well as biology and earth science. Erin has a master’s degree in Biochemistry from Yale University and a master’s degree in Education from the University of New Haven.
Erin has a passion for teaching and helping students recognize their own ability to do hard things. Erin is incredibly patient and is skilled at explaining challenging concepts in ways that are easy to understand. Erin has created a large supply of resources to use during tutoring, including instructional videos, worksheets, and practice problems. She has perfected the technique of both virtual and in person tutoring and is excited to help students succeed.
MARYANN M.
Maryann is in her 15th year teaching in New York City. She holds an M.S. in Education from Lehman College, an M.S. in Special Education from Manhattan College, and an Advanced Certificate in School Building Leadership from Manhattan College. She values her connections with her students and especially enjoys teaching science and literacy!
LADANE B.
Ladane is a multilingual professional educator with a DEI and technology background currently teaching French at a private Independent School in New York City. She is proficient at developing authentic personal relationships with various constituencies with a personal reputation for integrity, mentoring, empowerment, collaboration, performance excellence, and thoughtful leadership. Previously, Ladane worked at The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she taught all levels of French for ten years and developed and implemented new curriculum, including capstone projects, coached tennis, and advised the French Club. Prior to that position, Ladane worked in IT/Telecommunications for Verizon Labs. She completed her BA in Human Resources at L’ Institut Supérieur de Gestion in Tunis, Tunisia, her master’s in network management at L’institut National des Télécommunications in Paris, France, and her MEd at Pace University in New York.
KAREN R.
Successful companies are only as good as the people who work there, and colleges want to welcome students who will benefit most from their offerings. Through her 20+ year career building successful internship and recruitment programs for some of the world’s largest corporations, Karen knows what college administrators and employers are looking for and how to help students and new hires shine.
Early Career Paths was a result of Karen’s passion for empowering students with the tools to best prepare and market themselves to colleges as well as land desirable post-graduate careers in today’s competitive environment. She supports students by helping them develop the necessary analytical tools to navigate this decision-rich period of their lives. Her students not only work towards finding the right college “match,” but also helps them hone in on their major and subsequent course selections. It’s through this process that her students gain valuable life skills that they will come to rely on again and again as they navigate their college careers and professional lives.
Karen is an active member of the National Career Development Association (NCDA) and the International Educational Consultants Association (IECA). As a committed professional college consultant, she regularly engages the admissions teams at public and private colleges and universities throughout the U.S.
NAOMI F.
Dr. Naomi Finkelstein received her B.A. in Classical Studies from Barnard College in 1990, her M.A. 1995, M.Phil. 1997, and Ph.D, 2010 from Columbia University in Classical Studies, (Greek, Latin, Ancient History, Art History and Gender studies). In 2006, she received permanent New York State certification in Latin 7-12.
Dr. Finkelstein has taught and tutored students in graduate school and college at Columbia University, Union Theological Seminary, and in high school and middle school at Fieldston and the City School District of New Rochelle. Throughout her 29-year career, Dr. Finkelstein has helped hundreds of students improve their comprehension, confidence, and performance in Latin and ELA, including AP Latin, the National Latin Exam, ELA essays, and personal statements for both the common and coalition apps. She has also assisted students in preparing for the English sections of the SAT and ACT.
Not everyone knows this but Dr. Finkelstein is also a yoga teacher. She has continued to build skills to better serve students, with training in yoga, social-emotional learning, and mindfulness. She has a 200-hour Yoga Alliance teaching certification and a 25-hour Yin yoga training as well as a Wellness Champion certificate from Breathe for Change.
When Dr. Finkelstein is not teaching, she’s traveling around the world, because travel is the best form of education! Some of her favorite travel experiences have been trips to Athens, Crete, Rome, and Istanbul because of their amazing antiquities. There is nothing like coming face to face with a 2000-year-old Greek Bronze, or architectural remains like the Parthenon, the lion gate at Mycenae, and the Colosseum!