Desha

I’m a certified TESL, TESOL, and TEFL teacher with 27+ years of experience teaching and tutoring English as a Second Language, both online and in the classroom, for all age groups. I also tutor General Math, Algebra 1, and English Language Arts, from Kindergarten through Grade 12, with additional experience supporting first- and second-year college/university students. Additionally, I hold a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto.

Tutoring Style

My tutoring methodology is gradual release. However, I bring an experienced, supportive, and student-focused approach to every lesson. My goal is to help students build confidence, strengthen their skills, and succeed academically.

Success Stories

Story 1: One of my proudest moments as a reading and phonics tutor was helping a 9-year-old student with learning disabilities who initially could not read or even identify most letters of the alphabet or their corresponding sounds. She had been bullied for years because of her reading difficulties, so I knew that building her confidence and creating a safe, trusting relationship would be just as important as teaching her the fundamentals. With patience, encouragement, and individualized instruction, she made remarkable progress. Within 3–4 months, she reached a Level C/D reading level. After 6–8 months, she reached Level I/J, and about a year and a half later, she was reading at Level P. She also developed broader literacy skills that strengthened her overall reading ability. Watching her overcome so many challenges, gain confidence, and discover that she could read is one of the most rewarding experiences of my teaching career. Today, she reads everything—and I will always be proud that I helped her get there.

Story 2: I have had many proud moments as a general math tutor, but one that stands out is working with a student who was failing Algebra 1 and whose parents were concerned that she might fail the school year. As a result, we had very long math tutorials. She struggled to understand the methods and techniques her teacher was using because some of her foundational math skills were below grade level. I spent a significant portion of our tutoring sessions reteaching those fundamental skills, and then used the remaining 45–60 minutes to work on her assigned Algebra 1 material. Over the course of 3–4 months, she went from failing the class to earning an A. Her confidence grew tremendously, and she eventually reached the point where she felt she no longer needed tutoring. Seeing her go from struggling and lacking confidence to believing in her own abilities was incredibly rewarding.

Story 3: One of my proudest accomplishments as an ESL teacher was working with a toddler who knew no English when we first met. Through fun, engaging online lessons focused on phonics, vocabulary, pictures, and songs, I helped make learning English something he genuinely looked forward to. He became so enthusiastic that he would ask his parents to help him prepare English sentences to share with me and often went beyond his assigned homework. Within a year, he could express his thoughts in simple sentences, and after two years, he was speaking English fluently. This experience reminded me that when a teacher can ignite a student's love of learning, the possibilities for growth can be remarkable.