Ellie A.

Ellie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education. She completed her teaching practicums in primary classrooms and is well equipped to support students across all elementary grade levels.
She brings over three years of experience working in after-school care, where she supported students with both academics and daily routines. Ellie takes a calm, supportive approach and enjoys helping students build confidence while strengthening their foundational skills.
Ellie recently moved to Squamish and is currently working as a Teacher on Call (TOC) with the North Vancouver School District, gaining experience across a variety of classroom settings.
Outside of work, Ellie enjoys running and hiking, and loves being active in the outdoors.

Alina M.

Alina is originally from Germany, where she taught German, Geography, Art, and Biology to students in grades 4–10 for eleven years. During her university studies, she completed several internships in different schools and also worked on a pediatric oncology ward, supporting children and teenagers as they prepared to return to school.
Alina recently moved to Canada with her husband and their two dogs and now teaches in the Sea to Sky School District. She brings patience, empathy, and strong organizational skills to her teaching, while providing thoughtful, individualized support to each student. Alina believes that learning takes perseverance and encourages her students with her motto: “Everything is difficult before it becomes easy.”
In her free time, Alina enjoys exploring the beautiful nature around Squamish with her dogs, crocheting, reading, and occasionally baking and cooking traditional German dishes.

Rich T.

This summer, Rich and his labradoodle, Bernie, drove 6,800 kilometers from Maine in the US to BC. His family joined him in Squamish as he pursues a Master of Education in Social Studies Education from UBC. Before becoming a teacher, Rich worked as a trial lawyer arguing cases in criminal court. He traded closing arguments for something far more rewarding: the moment a student finally “gets it”.

With over 16 years of teaching experience in both private and public schools, Rich has helped thousands of young people of all abilities overcome obstacles and improve as students. Succeeding in school is neither simple nor easy. But being a “good student” requires skills and a change in mindset that can be learned. It starts with a deep breath and continues with a fresh approach to learning. That new approach could be as basic as creating a system for tracking assignments or as complex as learning new ways to synthesize information into an essay. Everyone can improve. All students can learn hard things. Complicated subjects can be broken down into simpler pieces. Step-by-step, learning happens. Rich is dedicated to helping students believe in themselves and reach for results they can be proud of.

When not in the classroom himself, you’ll find Rich training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, playing the guitar, or watching movies with his family.

Cole R.

Cole’s desire to work in education led her to gain experience through tutoring students while still in high school. Upon graduating, she pursued a degree in mathematics and French, aiming to teach both subjects to elementary and high school students. Following the completion of an additional secondary math education degree at SFU, Cole secured her first teaching position at Alpha Secondary in Burnaby. There, she taught French as a second language, collaborating with experienced language instructors and acquiring valuable teaching strategies. In 2011, she relocated to Squamish with her partner and subsequently worked at several schools in Whistler and Squamish, including Howe Sound Secondary, Whistler Secondary, Spring Creek, and Squamish Elementary. At Howe Sound Secondary and both primary schools, she taught French immersion to grade ten and grade five/six students, respectively. At Whistler Secondary, she taught Math 10, calculus, and physics. Her most recent contract, spanning from 2024 to 2025, involved teaching grade five French immersion at Spring Creek.
Cole is passionate about making her French lessons engaging and diverse, incorporating real-world concepts and a variety of cultural music. She has also created itineraries for “traveling through” Francophone countries, while integrating both verb usage and new vocabulary into these lessons. Recently, Cole decided to transition to tutoring because she loves working one-on-one with students and it provides the flexibility to spend more time with her son and daughter. Cole views herself as both a teacher and a lifelong learner, constantly seeking methods to help students develop their love of learning.
In her spare time, Cole enjoys spending time with her children at Sp’akw’us Park, taking in the beauty of the magnificent Squamish backdrop. She can also be found swimming laps at Brennan Park centre or running around her backyard with her children and animals.

Karin C.

Originally from Québec City, Karin has travelled extensively and has called Whistler home for over 26 years. She is fluent in French and English and can communicate comfortably in Spanish. With more than 25 years of experience tutoring French in Whistler, Karin brings warmth, structure, and deep local knowledge to her work with students and families.

Karin brings over 35 years of professional experience as a self-employed businesswoman, with a background in graphic design, printing, and interior design. Alongside her creative work, she has spent many years working as a substitute teacher, French tutor, caterer, and ski instructor—roles that reflect her versatility and strong connection with learners of all ages.

Karin holds degrees in Philosophy and Criminology, which have shaped her thoughtful, patient approach to teaching and her strong work ethic. She is passionate about helping students feel confident, supported, and motivated as they learn, particularly when building language skills.

Tom B.

Tom is a qualified science teacher from Ireland with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Education from University College Cork (2021). Since graduating, he has gained extensive experience teaching math, science, and biology across a range of grade levels.

He currently teaches Grades 3 and 4 part-time at an outdoor school in Squamish, where he combines his love of nature with his passion for hands-on learning.

Outside the classroom, Tom can usually be found on the water. A keen whitewater kayaker, he originally came to British Columbia to work as a raft guide and has since paddled rivers around the world — including in India, Norway, and Chile.

Tom blends his experience from traditional classrooms, outdoor education, and guiding to create engaging lessons that cater to different learning styles. He thrives in 1:1 or small group settings, where he can personalize each session to meet his students’ unique needs and help them develop both confidence and curiosity in learning.

Darlene A.

Darlene grew up in Beaconsfield, Quebec and completed a B.Sc in Engineering Chemistry at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Then she moved to Vancouver, BC where she did a PhD in Chemistry. A number of years later she finished a B.Ed at UBC, specializing in Chemistry and Junior Science, Secondary School Education.

As a BC Certified teacher Darlene has taught in public and private secondary schools, including York House in Vancouver and Henan Public School in Zhengzhou, China. She also taught Chemistry 11 and Math 11 at summer school for the Vancouver School Board. Most of her education work has been tutoring. She has tutored for the last 16 years. During the pandemic she started to tutor online using a specialized tutoring software program.

Outside of this life, Darlene has been a ski instructor for Whistler Blackcomb for over 25 years, teaching adults the fine art of skiing. She gets great enjoyment out of helping people achieve their goals; be it to pass a course, get high grades to go the university of their choice – or to slide down a ski slope on skis.

Mia A.

Mia is originally from Australia but has called Whistler home for the past 10 years. She loves outdoor adventures and can often be found enjoying some form of the water cycle — whether it’s snowing, at the lake, or out for a rainy walk with her dog!

For the last 6 years, Mia has been teaching Grade 6 and 7 in the Sea to Sky School District. She has a passion for teaching Math and Science, and she also loves inspiring students to discover the magical world of reading.

Tom B.

The joy and challenge of mathematics has always been a large part of Tom’s life, from participating in maths olympiads and running revision classes at school to his masters’ degree at Warwick University and beyond to ‘recreational’ reading on infinity, statistics or symmetry. He finds the purity of the subject, the neatness and objectivity, fascinating, and brings his enthusiasm and deep understanding to his teaching.

Since teaching roles at University, Tom has been accepting students for tuition both online and in person, and ten years after graduating he has coached dozens of students through their studies and exams at a high level. With a focus on high school math and beyond, Tom brings an understanding of calculus and algebra which allows him to provide students operating at the upper end of their school careers with insights and context they will not find on the regular curriculum, and does so in a friendly and informal manner.

Outside of mathematics, Tom is a keen outdoorsman and can often be found attached to a rope and up a cliff or running on the many trails in the sea to sky corridor (all of which seem to be uphill). He enjoys creative writing, loud music and runs a dungeons and dragons game for friends in Squamish and Whistler.

James C.

James is a teacher who can teach in British Columbia, California and Ontario. He grew up in northern BC and completed post-secondary studies in Alberta and Ontario before going to California to start his career. He has taught students from Gr. 6 to post-secondary (mostly in the STEM subjects from Computer Studies to Calculus to Chemistry and Physics). Outdoor education was always in the mix from running an outdoor programme for a school board to teaching skiing and white-water kayaking. He was selected to create and review online Physics and Chemistry for both Ontario high schools and later within the Ontario College system; these experiences deepened his understanding of barriers to success in students who had already experienced frustration in math or science. Empowering students to move from discouragement to a growth mindset has been the fulfilling part of his career. A move to Squamish after 30 years of teaching has expanded outdoor adventures but he still longs to help students take on challenges and to also find some fun in the work.