MONICA C.
Monica Cheav is an Ontario Certified Teacher who has received both a Bachelor of Education Degree as well as Arts and Science Degree in Elementary Education, from Lakehead University. She is professionally certified in Elementary Education Primary/Junior (K-6) in Ontario, and is currently pursuing her Specialist certification in Reading, Kindergarten, Teaching English Language Learners, and Math. Monica’s love for teaching started when she was in elementary school, staying after to help teachers grade papers, straighten their room and put up bulletin boards. This has shaped her main focus as an elementary school teacher to construct an environment that nurtures students to achieve and prepare them to be life-long learners. Monica ignites her students’ interest in learning by creating opportunities that are challenging, meaningful, and relevant. She believes that teachers must embrace change, encourage innovation, and foster creativity.
Relaxing by the beach with a good book or magazine, hiking new trails, camping at Algonquin Provincial Parks and exploring the waters on a kayak with her family and friends are her greatest pleasures outside of teaching.
MATT J.
Matt is an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT), and Economics Faculty member at a private school in York Region. He teaches both AP Macroeconomics and AP Microeconomics and runs the investment club at the school. Matt has taught students that have been accepted to economics programs at the institutions of Harvard, University of Chicago, and top Canadian universities. He has written economics curriculum for the AP College Board, attended professional development all over the world and is in the process of becoming an AP College Board Reader and Consultant – marking AP exams and instructing AP teachers. Matt loves inspiring students and introducing them to the world of Economics and is a great tutor. In Matt’s free time, if he isn’t hitting a squash or tennis ball, he is spending his hours creating financial literacy content.
SHABNAM S.
Shabnam is a theoretical physicist with a PhD from Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, Italy. She has worked as a researcher in different universities and countries. Before moving to Toronto, she lived in Singapore for more than six years and worked as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Quantum Technologies. She has taught undergrad students at universities such as Bilkent University, National University of Singapore and Yale-NUS college. In early 2019 she transitioned from academia to entrepreneurship. Currently she is a Co-Founder and Director of a start-up in Toronto.
In addition to her teaching experience at university level, she was a Math and Physics tutor right after finishing her high school until she became a PhD student. She has her way of simplifying scientific subjects for students to help them learn gradually and develop their logical thinking and problem solving abilities. Even in her entrepreneurial role she enjoys working with the interns a lot.
Shabnam has travelled to several countries and has friends from many different nationalities. Canada is the fifth country that she lives in. In her free time she enjoys cooking, exercising and dancing. When music plays she cannot stand still.
MICHAEL L.
Michael is an Ontario Certified Teacher in the Intermediate Division. He completed his Bachelor of Science Honors in Chemistry, and his Bachelor of Education at Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario. He is qualified to teach biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, as well as the general sciences. His core belief as an educator, both in the classroom and out, is that teachers are there to support students – educators can help to foster positive mindsets, provide resources, and encourage students to succeed, but success is something that can be found in all students. In his spare time, Michael enjoys reading, writing, woodworking, model painting, and historic martial arts.7th
GERROD H.
Gerrod Harris has been teaching in a wide variety of classrooms and learning environments for the last seven years. While teaching music both privately and in community centers throughout Markham, Gerrod received his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Education at York University. Certified to teach music and history at the intermediate and senior levels, Gerrod has experience teaching a range of history courses along with English, civics, business, and senior level social studies. Since graduating in 2017, Gerrod has continued extensively teaching music, while also volunteering and working in high schools throughout the YRDSB; joining the Prep Academy Tutors team is his latest step forward into a well steeped career in education.
TAMARA M.
Tamara has been an Ontario Certified Teacher (O.C.T.) since 2005, teaching grades K-12 across most subject areas. Tamara held a variety of classroom teaching positions with the York Region District School Board for 11 years before transferring to private education, then more recently, tutoring. Tamara is certified and trained in specialized reading programs such as Direct Instruction (D.I) and Wilson Reading Systems (WRS). She has Teachables in the following subjects: Reading, Primary/Junior Mathematics, Special Education, Visual Arts, Instrumental/Vocal Music, and Guidance/Career Studies. Tamara also holds a Master’s of Psychology from Chicago School of Professional Psychology, specializing in Child/Adolescent development and behavior. (M.A. Psych) She is certified in Mental Health First Aid/Crisis Intervention (M.H.F.A., 2018), and has co-facilitated a therapy group for counseling children ages 7-9 years who present with A.D.D./A.D.H.D. at Kinark Family Services. As well, at Prep Academy Tutors, Tamara teaches and coaches students at all grade levels, and differentiates instruction for a variety of learning needs and diagnosed learning challenges, supporting them through many academic, and social-emotional challenges. Tamara believes in a holistic approach to teaching, and designs lessons that adhere to most recent evidence-based teaching practice (such as learning for/as/of understanding), develop social-emotional learning (SEL), which promotes students’ overall intellectual, social/emotional and mental needs. Outside of teaching, Tamara enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, as well as reading, exercise, painting, and photography.
MARIN A.
Marin is an OCT certified tutor and elementary public school teacher with 7+ years of experience specializing in French and Spanish with grades varying from 1 – 12. He enjoys seeing his students learn new things and become passionate about them. He also loves to see them students getting good grades and becoming more confident and happy individuals in their academic lives. He speaks 5 languages and enjoys traveling.
STEPHEN P.
Stephen enjoys working with students at all levels across many subjects. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature, specializing in English, French, and Russian. Stephen’s primary research focus was the nineteenth-century novel. Stephen received a Masters in Divinity from Regis College, also at the University of Toronto, and his MBA from the University of Warwick in the UK, taking continuing studies in finance at The Bocconi School of Management in Milan.
While Stephen’s background is in English and the humanities, he has tutored extensively in math, and especially enjoys working on problem-solving strategies. Stephen also have several years of experience with all aspects of SSAT and SAT preparation, including not only the quantitative and qualitative sections, but also with application essays after test completion.
Stephen has a real passion for literature, history, and philosophy, spending his free time delving into contemporary works. Stephen has recently taken a liking to nineteenth and twentieth-century history, and believes that as citizens we benefit when we have a fuller understanding of the past.