Alexandra (Alex)
Alex is a recently retired public school teacher with 24+ years as a top-notch classroom teacher and instructional leader. Alex is described as young at heart and wise in spirit by her teacher colleagues who’ve hired her to work with their own children. A South Bay native, Alex is highly qualified to meet the specialized and complex needs of elementary school aged children. Alex is widely regarded by parents, students and other teachers as an exceptionally dedicated and caring educator earning not only the highest performance reviews possible in the school district but also the Rotary Club’s Teacher of the Year award. Her expertise in reading comprehension, writing (and language development for English language learners) has catipulted thousands of kids toward language proficiency and advanced placement. Specializing in GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) as well as performing arts and mindfulness for kids (and families, too!) Alex uses novelty, graphic organizers, music, movement and more to motivate reluctant learners and over-achievers alike. She has led workshops in test prep and growth mindset strategies that give kids the tools they need to feel confident in their own thinking, take ownership of their own learning and ultimately master the critical thinking steps involved in problem solving in math, science and even conflict resolution.
Alva
Alva received her B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Spanish from the University of California, Merced. Shortly after graduation in 2015, she enrolled into the Speech Language Pathology Assistant program at Pasadena City College. While there, she began volunteering as a reading coach for a program offered by Pasadena. She began her career working with children in 2016 when she became a Learning Center Instructor for an after-school program. Since then, she has continued working with children as a 4th grade Instructional Assistant and tutor for VarsityTutors. She is currently a Behavior Therapist with Maxim Healthcare. In her free time, Alva spends time learning American Sign Language, hoping this will help her communicate with children that speak ASL. Alva hopes to return to school to become an SLPA and hopefully an SLP in the future.
Amaya
Amaya was born and raised here in the city of Los Angeles. She graduated from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in 2014 and in June of 2018, Amaya received her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry at the University of California San Diego. Amaya has always had a passion for science but after her success in her high school AP Chemistry course, she realized how much she loved the subject and wanted to further her studies at the university level. After graduating college, Amaya decided to take a few gap years before returning to school. Amaya currently works at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in the Division of Cancer Research and Training where her primary area of study is Breast Cancer research. In the future, Amaya hopes to attend medical school and follow her dream of becoming a radiologist. In Amaya’s free time, she loves reading, playing the piano, spending time with friends and family, and walking her silky terrier on the beach! Amaya loves helping others and sharing her knowledge of chemistry with students to aid their success in such courses would not only be a rewarding experience, but also a consequential one. Amaya looks forward to meeting her students!
Angie
Angie has been peer assisting and tutoring for her entire educational career. She has a Single Subject Math teaching credential. Angie’s educational experiences include Marlborough School for Girls in Hancock Park, Loyola University, New Orleans ( B.S. Mathematics), Cal State Bakersfield (B.S. Sociology/Math Minor), and currently Mount St. Mary’s University (in progress, M.S. Education). Angie’s philosophy is “just because you do not like it, does not mean you do not need to know or understand it”. She makes every effort to help student/tutee understand what they feel is impossible. Angie also specializes in SAT/ACT prep and has done test prep for 10 years. She looks forward to helping students shift their mindsets from “can’t and frustration” to “can and encouraged”.
Caragh
As an Elementary Immersion Teacher of 4 years and mother of 3 grown kids, Caragh has been tutoring students from K – 12th for 8 years. She believes that one on one tutoring greatly targets the gaps and launches the students farther ahead. Caragh is a trained Orton Gillingham tutor for those with dyslexia. Additionally, she has a passion for teaching Spanish. With a B.A. in Spanish from UCLA and living one year in Spain, she makes learning Spanish lots of fun by using lots of teaching aids, tiles, short stories, games, and white boards all with your child or teen’s interests in mind. Caragh finds it gratifying when there is a spark ignited, and the student realizes they can do it. She has helped many students with Reading and Spanish soar, and her National Tutoring Certificates in Beginning and Intermediate Tutoring and Reading really add to better her instruction and assessment. She loves to laugh, cook, bicycle and read. Colleagues and friends describe Caragh as patient, calm, easy going, and goal oriented.
Christine
Christine has over twenty years of experience teaching second, third, and fourth grades for the Redondo Beach Unified School District. She has a Multiple Subject teaching credential from the state of California, as well as a certificate in Specialized Design Academic Instruction in English. In addition to being a classroom teacher, she has served as a trainer of teachers during the implementation of Common Core Standards at RBUSD. Currently, she is a teacher trainer for Project GLAD. Christine is passionate about teaching reading and writing. She is trained in both Readers and Writers Workshop. She also uses Eureka Math daily in her third grade classroom. Her goal is to help students realize their potential to be scholars and life long learners.
Cindy
Cindy received her BA degree at Northern Illinois University with a minor in sociology and her multiple-subject teaching credential at Cal-State Dominguez Hills. She has worked as a substitute teacher in the Torrance, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach school districts teaching elementary level students. In that capacity, she has completed numerous long-term teaching assignments at the second and third grade levels. In addition, she has worked as a tutor for Tutor Doctor and Apple One Learning tutoring elementary level students on a one-on-one basis. Cindy has also taught Sunday school to pre-school students. Cindy has a great passion for teaching and is always striving to encourage her students to do their best academically. It is also important to her that students feel comfortable with her, especially in a case where they need emotional/social support. She also makes the effort to check-in with her students to make sure they are staying organized for school.
Colin
Colin earned two BAs in English and French as well as a minor in Communications from the University of North Texas in Dallas. While at UNT, Colin served on campus as a tutor, helping with history, writing, and French. After graduating, Colin became a private tutor, mainly helping elementary aged students in all subjects, including writing, math, history, and science. Colin has also served as a writing tutor for middle and high school students. Colin enjoys using games, stories, and activities to get students to learn. He is skilled at making any subject a fun experience for even the most begrudging learner. Colin also plans to become a child psychologist and is already in the midst of learning the best methods to teach young learners. In addition, Colin is a certified ESL/TEFL educator, meaning he is skilled at teaching English as a second language.
Colleen
Colleen has her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services from California State University, Fullerton. She also has her multiple subject teaching credential and Master’s degree from National University. Colleen was a substitute teacher for two years working with students from transition kindergarten through sixth grade. She just completed her student teaching in kindergarten and fourth grade classrooms in the Torrance Unified School District. Colleen was a long term substitute teacher for a preschool special education classroom for four months. Through these teaching positions she created interactive lesson plans, activities, and a positive classroom atmosphere. Additionally, work Colleen has worked with children outside the classroom for the City of Fullerton at the Parks and Recreation Department where she organized and coordinated activities. Colleen is comfortable outside of the traditional classroom and has a diverse background with much to offer. When she is not working she enjoys being with her family, playing soccer and cooking. Colleen enjoys teaching while making learning fun and enjoyable for everyone.
Daniel
Daniel received Bachelor’s degrees in History and Political Science from UC San Diego. He grew up in Palos Verdes, and graduated from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. Daniel has tutored students from grades 5-12 in English, Reading, Writing, History, Algebra, and Geometry. He has experience assisting both college-level and high school-level students with writing, including research papers and college essays. Daniel loves engaging with students in order to help them learn critical learning strategies that make school more interesting and applicable to everyday life. He also loves learning about other cultures and languages, as he is fluent in Portuguese and has taught English as a second language to students aged 10-70 in Brazil. He looks forward to earning his credential and teaching high school History in the future.
David
David earned his Bachelors Degree in political science from Villanova University and he earned Credential in Mild/Moderate Special Education and Masters in Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount University. David has been teaching Special Education at the high school level for 4 years and teaches 9-12th grades. He supports in all A-G courses with a focus on English and Math, but also works frequently in the social sciences, Environmental Science and Biology. He is part of the after school tutoring program, and is also a mentor to several of his students as they complete their pinnacle assessment as seniors. David believes in using strengths to grow and focuses on what students “can do.” David loves to provide students with opportunities so they can use their existing abilities to become successful.
Evan
Evan graduated from Mira Costa High School. He has experience tutoring high school students in AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP Calculus, as well as geometry, algebra, and precalculus. In high school, he scored a 5 on the AP chem, calc, and physics tests and a perfect score on the Chemistry SAT subject test. With his students, he focuses on study habits, simplifying concepts, and sharing his enthusiasm for learning. He has been awarded the PTSA Recognition Award for chemistry, the Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Award, first place in the Playa Vista Optimists International Essay contest, and more. Outside of school, Evan loves to exercise, read, surf, play soccer, and work as a surf instructor.
Geanie
Geanie has been a resident of Torrance for over 30 years. She has a Bachelors degree in Mathematics and a Teaching Credential from CSULB. She has taught as a credentialed Math Teacher in Torrance for 20 years. Geanie has experience teaching and tutoring high school and middle school students from the South Bay. She has taught PreAlgebra, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2, Trigonometry, and Precalculus. Geanie is very patient with her students. Geanie is very knowledgeable and can explain difficult math topics in many ways to her students.
Gerri
Gerri has over thirty years experience teaching kindergarten through third grades for Los Angeles City Schools in South Los Angeles and in South Gate. She has a lifetime teaching credential from the state of California, as well as a Bilingual Academic Certificate in Spanish. She has served at various times as a mentor teacher, a bilingual coordinator and a gifted coordinator for the schools in which she taught. She loves working with young children and has spent her teaching career preparing them for academic success by developing their written and oral language, reading and math skills. She has tutored many children privately and currently is a volunteer tutoring emerging readers through the Reading Partners program at William Green Elementary School in Los Angeles. She also works with children as a volunteer docent at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro.
Harmon
Harmon was raised in Palos Verdes and attended Palos Verdes High School. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. He always had an easier time with math than most of his friends growing up, but seeing how other people struggled is what attracted him to tutoring. He tutored as a volunteer sporadically through the end of high school and college. After that Harmon tutored math at Mathnasium and recently tutored at Study Hut, where he mainly tutored math but also assisted students in general education physics, English, and middle school history. He has tutored kids from seventh grade through twelfth as well as college students. Harmon specializes in tutoring Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-calculus, Regular and AP calculus, Statistics, Calculus 3, and Linear Algebra. To Harmon, an important part of successfully tutoring a student is being patient with them and understanding where they might be struggling. Harmon tries to build connection with his students by relating the material to everyday life and using humor to make students feel more at ease with math. Through his experience, he has been able to build math self confidence and lessen test/math anxiety.
Hugo
Hugo is currently working towards completing his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Long Beach and has been studying Applied Mathematics for 4 years at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Hugo has tutored small study groups and held the position of Math Supplemental Instruction Leader at CSUDH for 2 years, mentoring over 120 college students. He has a deep passion for helping students and will dedicate as much time needed to help a child learn new material, concepts, and study habits. Everyone learns at their own pace and Hugo is there to guide them in the right direction. With over 3 years of experience tutoring/mentoring students in various subject, Hugo tells his students, “You’re not alone, we’re in this together.”
Illeana
Illeanna graduated from South Torrance High School in 2014 and then went to the University of California, Irvine to further her education. She graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health Sciences. Illeanna excels at math and has multiple years of experience tutoring math at the middle and high school grade levels. Illeanna always had a passion for tutoring and helping students succeed. She loves helping students realize their potential and seeing them reach their academic goals. Illeanna believes that academic success is possible for every student and she loves sharing her study and organization tips for success. She is currently a mentor with the organization Girls Inc. where she visits different schools in the Los Angeles School District and provides her students with academic confidence exercises, study tools, and mindset hacks to help them succeed. Illeanna loves working with students and her goal is to be a school psychologist to help students realize that their dreams are possible!
Janell
Janell is excited to be part of the Beach Cities Tutoring team! She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Social Behavior with a minor in Education from UC, Irvine. After receiving her BA, she earned her Combined Masters and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential Program from Cal State, Fullerton. Janell has 9 years of prior experience working with diverse groups of children as a recreational leader, tutor, instructional aide for special need students, preschool teacher, and elementary school teacher. She feels very blessed to have the opportunity to tutor students again. Janell was curriculum chair of the English Language Arts Department and has taught junior high (6th-8th grade) and fourth grade. She received training in Eureka Math, Collaborative Literacy, Onward Readers, Restorative Justice practices, and Tribes. She wants use her unique skill set to challenge students’ critical thinking process as well as their academic skills. It is important to Janell to provide her students with the encouragement and support they need not only to succeed in school, but in their life as well.
Janice
Janice holds a BA in History from the University Of California, Los Angeles and has over 5 years experience tutoring elementary and middle school students in all subjects and high school students in literature, writing, and history. She specializes in the development of strong language arts skills, ranging from phonemic awareness and fluency to comprehension and writing expression. Additionally, she assists with elementary common core math and test prep for the ISEE, SSAT, and OLSAT. For the past three years, along with tutoring, she has worked for the Hermosa Beach City School District in both resource and general ed classrooms as an instructional aide for children with special needs. Her years of exposure to differentiated instruction equip her with the tools necessary to customize lessons to the individual needs of each student. Possessing a lively personality and a playful sense of humor, she delivers engaging lesson plans within a warm and encouraging learning environment.
Janssen
Janssen earned his B.A. from U.C.L.A with a double major in International Development Studies and Latin American Studies. He has been teaching in the Long Beach Unified School District for the past 8 years. He has taught in different classroom settings from K to 12 and has experience teaching students with special needs. He also coaches the Basketball, Soccer, and Track and Field teams at his middle school. Janssen is able to motivate his students to achieve their academic goals. He also has provided tutoring in Algebra, History, Spanish, and English.
Karen
Karen earned her Bachelor’s degree from Cal State University Long Beach in Liberal Studies and continued her post graduate teacher education courses at Cal State Dominguez Hills. She has been employed with the Redondo Beach Unified School District, with over 27 years of teaching experience, as both a full time and substitute teacher. Her skill set includes having been specifically trained to teach the EngageNY/ Eureka Math program for K through 5th grade from its inception for RBUSD. Karen also works with students to improve their writing skills to adhere to the mandated writing rubric. Additionally, Karen has been assisting students as a private one on one and small group tutor in the Redondo Beach, Torrance and Long Beach school districts for 14 years. She has a passion for teaching and more so for learning. It is her belief that every student can improve his/her study habits and overall grades, given the proper support and commitment.
Katherine
Katherine has earned an AA Degree in Communications at El Camino College in Torrance, CA and is a court certified Spanish Interpreter. Katherine has more than 20 years of tutoring experience in both, Spanish and English, and is well-versed in reading, writing and comprehension. Her skill set also includes speech preparing and presentation, along with the providing of organization tips and test-taking skills that will automatically set students up for success.
Kayla
Kayla received her BA in Anthropology and a MA in Zoology. She is a mother of two toddlers. Kayla is an experienced preschool teacher and special education aide for the Long Beach Unified School District. Although she always had a curiosity and love for learning, she struggled with getting good grades in middle and high school because of ADHD. In college she learned many valuable study techniques that allowed her to become a successful student. She wishes that she had learned these at a younger age, and she is passionate about helping children in a similar situation. She has training in teaching children with autism and personal experience helping her son who has speech delays. She looks forward to helping your child reach their educational goals!
Keyri
Keyri (pronounced Katie) was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Justice Studies along with a Minor in Mathematics from San José State University. During her time there, she tutored college students in a variety of different subjects including Math and English. Keyri has a wide variety of experience teaching these subjects from the elementary to the undergraduate level. Specifically, she tutors in English, Remedial Math, Algebra, Algebra II, College Algebra, Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III and Ordinary Differential Equations as well as Spanish. During her summer breaks, Keyri mentored international students from Europe and Asia with engineering related projects. Her experience as a tutor, mentor, and role model started when she was a sophomore in high school. As a teenager, she volunteered at the local YMCA Child Watch for two years where she learned how to care for toddlers, young children, and teenagers. More specifically, she taught and looked after preschoolers and kindergarteners all while showing them proper ways of communicating, expressing their thoughts and feelings, and about the importance of asking questions. For students ages 2-4years, her main focus was teaching them the alphabet, the sounds letters make, primary and secondary colors and numbers. Outside of that, personally, she is interested in gardening, working out, exploring nature, learning about different cultures and cooking/baking.
Kip
Kip received her Bachelor’s degree in Science from Penn State University. She has a CA credential in high school Biology, taught in the South Bay for 6 years and has private tutored for 10 years. Her specialities are Math and Science: specifically Algebra, and Geometry, all levels of Biology, Basic and Honors Chemistry, Environmental Science, Earth Science. She loves teaching one-on-one to clarify areas of difficulty into useful, understandable concepts and her specialty is creating unique lesson plans. Kip has lived in Hermosa and Redondo for 35 years and is originally a Phillie girl. She is also a amateur watercolorist.
Kristen
Kristen is very excited to be a part of the Beach Cities Tutoring team. She has over 10 years of experience working with children as a teacher, after school counselor, and tutor. She specializes in tutoring English (including essay writing), French, and History/Social Studies, but loves working with elementary and middle school students in all subjects. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing, with a Minor in French, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2013 and her Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 2019. She is also a certified substitute teacher for LAUSD. After receiving her BA, Kristen taught English abroad in France with the French Ministry of Education’s TAPIF program, helping students to improve their reading, writing, and speaking ability. As a graduate student, she was part of the Tufts Literacy Corps and tutored students ages 5-15 in all subjects, as well as taught an all-ages poetry workshop to students at a local community center. Kristen is always looking for new ways to engage students’ creative minds. It is her mission to ensure that her students feel empowered to lead in their own learning and find what sparks their curiosity.
Laramie
Laramie has a BA in Chemistry from Lipscomb University. He currently teaches Chemistry and has been teaching Chemistry and AP Chemistry for 11 years. He is passionate about the subject and makes sure to connect Chemistry’s purpose to everyday life so students can understand it’s value. He has created digital labs and videos to make Chemistry come alive during Covid-19’s online learning environment.
Laura
Laura is a writer from New Jersey. She graduated first in her class from Stuart Country Day School in Princeton, NJ, and from Georgetown University with a degree in English in 2009. Since then, she has worked in the publishing, theater, and entertainment industries. She is the author of two nonfiction books for Globe Pequot Press, as well as a playwright and magazine contributor. She has worked with children of all ages, from elementary to high school, specializing in English, verbal test prep, and essay writing. Laura’s work in the creative arts makes her especially adept at helping students harness their own creativity to write college application essays that stand out in the crowd. In addition to helping middle and high school students with language arts, she tutors elementary age students in all subject areas.
Lea
Lea is currently working on her Ph. D in Educational Psychology ( specialization in Instruction & Curriculum). She ultimately seeks to teach graduate level Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Research Methods, Instruction & Curriculum or Special Education courses to psychology majors or master level special education teachers, and small groups of students across the South Bay. Lea has 20 years of experience in teaching students with special needs ( i.e., ASD, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia) as well as general education students in all subjects K-12th grade. She not only teaches the subject matter, she also focuses on how the student learns so he/she will develop positive study habits and study skills. Additionally, Lea has a background and is certified in ABA (applied behavior analysis). Lea has compassion for her students’ differing learning styles and makes sure to engage them academically as well as socially.
Leanna
Leanna earned her B.A. degree in Child Development and Family Studies from CSU Long Beach. Since then, she has served children, and their families, as a Tutor, Teacher, and Director for the last 20 years. Her specialty lies in English/Language Arts and loves to assist children in learning early reading skills. She is currently enrolled in a Master’s program to become a Marriage and Family Therapist. Leanna looks forward to continue working with children, and families, while encouraging healthy development.
Leanna
Leanna Jackson earned her B.A. degree in Child Development and Family Studies from CSU Long Beach. Since then, she has served children, and their families, as a Tutor, Teacher, and Director. Her specialty lies in English/Language Arts and loves to assist children in learning early reading skills. She is currently enrolled in a Master’s program to become a Marriage and Family Therapist. Leanna looks forward to continue working with children, and families, while encouraging healthy development.
Liliana (Lily)
Liliana is finishing her degree in math at University of Southern California. She works for El Camino College as a Supplemental Instruction Coach for the Mathematics Department and has been doing so since Fall 2014. She is also fluent in Spanish and took 4 years of French in High School and has passed the AP placement test. Liliana tutors in all levels of Math through Calculus as well as all levels of Spanish. Liliana enjoys helping students unlock their potential not only in the classroom but also in their daily lives. She is able to break down difficult concepts and connect math concepts to real life. She hopes to inspire her students in the future by becoming a math teacher.
Nicole
Nicole is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University, where she earned her undergraduate and Master’s degree in elementary education, with a focus on reading and writing. She has had 6 years of teaching experience with 2nd-4th grades, and has been tutoring for the past 3 years, in grades ranging from 1st through 8th grade in language arts and math. She’s been hired by the Redondo Beach Unified school district as a substitute teacher. She has lived in the South Bay for three and a half years, and now calls California home. She is passionate about helping students succeed and inspiring in them a love for life-long learning.
Nik
Nik has been teaching piano/music in Los Angeles for over ten years. With 25 years experience as a musician he enjoys passing on his knowledge of genres ranging from traditional Classical to Pop/Hip-Hop and R&B. He believes “whether a student is 5 or 95 they should all have a chance to enjoy the gift of becoming a musician”. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music History from UCLA. Nik’s piano teaching style focuses on obtaining a high proficiency of fundamentals, learning to read music, basic music theory, ear training, and improvisation. He is also highly skilled in music composition/production and digital multitrack recording. He has produced songs for many local recording artists. When he’s not busy teaching and making music he enjoys relaxing trips to the beach, playing basketball, and working out at the gym.
Rebecca
Rebecca has 10 years of experience teaching kindergarten, first grade, and Pre-K in Los Angeles and San Francisco. She has a BA in Psychology from Pomona College and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and M. Ed. from UCLA. In addition to being a classroom teacher, she has tutored students in language arts, math, and social studies in grades first through sixth. She also has experience working with children with learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism. She is passionate about helping young children learn to read and write and works to make learning joyful and fun. After teaching in San Francisco for the past 6 years, she is excited to have returned to the area and work with new students!
Rosalyn
Rosalyn received her BS at UT Austin and obtained her Single Subject Credential in chemistry and foundational-level math from Loyola Marymount. In addition to four years of teaching high school Chemistry, Rosalyn has also taught Algebra and Geometry. Rosalyn was also a college-ready seminar teacher who supported students through the college application process and assisted students with testing strategies for the ACT and SAT. Prior to teaching in the high school setting, Rosalyn has had numerous positions working with students of all age groups including tutoring middle schoolers at Sylvan Learning Center, assistant teaching in a private Christian preschool, leading a class of 3rd graders for Boys and Girls Club of America, and interning at the Texas School for the Blind. For the past four years, she has also served at her church as a 2nd/3rd grade Sunday School teacher.
Rosalyn is always looking for ways to better engage students and to increase their hunger for learning. Her greatest desire is to give her students the confidence to become critical thinkers who can independently problem solve. Lastly, Rosalyn loves to get in involved in her students’ lives. She has been able to share her passion for photography/design as the yearbook advisor of her school and for running as a Students Run LA coach, where she trained and completed the LA Marathon with a group of her students.
Stephen
Stephen has a Bachelor’s Degree from UC Santa Cruz and is a credentialed math teacher. He is currently available for online tutoring and has experience tutoring 8th grade Math, Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry, and Calculus, as well as prepping students for the SAT in Math and Reading. With 10 years of experience writing and editing test prep books for educational publishers, he can assist in standardized test prep as well as everyday homework and tests.Stephen enjoys helping students to develop confidence through patience, diligence and encouragement. This involves understanding what is holding the student back, and developing a game plan to improve skills. Stephen takes an individual approach that could include creating flashcards, drilling concepts with test questions, helping students apply their knowledge to solve word problems and going over concepts step-by-step.
Steve
Steve earned a B.A. cum laude from Dartmouth College and a Masters in Marketing from Northwestern Kellogg School of Management. After many years as a successful marketing/advertising executive, he found his true calling: helping children discover and reach their full potential as scholars and lifelong learners. He holds a California Clear Multiple Subjects teaching credential with a certification in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE). He has been teaching 4th/5th grade, with 30-50 percent GATE students, at the same Los Angeles Unified School District school since 1998. He has built in-depth knowledge of the California Common Core Standards in Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Science for upper elementary grades. He has both Readers and Writers Workshop training, and uses Eureka Math and the Imagine Math app in his 4th grade classroom. He has quickly adapted to Distance Learning, conducting classes on Zoom with a wide array of resources, including Google Classroom and Google Forms for students and Class Dojo for parents. As one of only 10% of elementary school teachers that are men, he has developed a strong rapport both with male and female students and parents/guardians. He has also mastered the art of differentiated instruction due to the diverse composition of his classes, with students ranging from GATE to far above grade level to far below grade level, including those with IEPs and/or special needs. Steve prides himself on providing a nurturing Growth Mindset environment and adapting his instructional approach to the varied personalities and learning styles of his students.
Thithien (Tee)
Thithien has been a teacher for over 5 years working within both Los Angeles and Ventura county school districts. He is a SoCal native, graduating from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor’s degree in English in 2007 and then later obtaining his Special Education teaching credential and Master’s in Science at California Lutheran University. He has gained much experience working with his students that come from various socio-economic backgrounds throughout his years working in Special Education. He continues to thrive and grow in the education field and is currently working within the Torrance Unified School District as a High School Special Education teacher. Teaching has always been a great passion for Thithien and he is excited to continue making an impact in the beach cities.
Ulises
Ulises is a test-prep specialist and UCLA- certified college counselor with over 8 years of experience tutoring in the South Bay. Ulises earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California – Santa Cruz in 2014. During his time in college, Ulises worked as an AVID tutor and college counselor for immigrant students of low-income in Watsonville, CA. Ulises teaches Spanish and English at all levels and works with college students to develop skills for writing research and analysis papers. As a test prep specialist, Ulises has been successful in helping students earn perfect scores in the ACT and SAT Spanish Subject test while improving the personal best scores for many others in a variety of other standardized tests including the ISEE and HSPT.