Meet Our Team

Hello, I am Larry! For many years I have tutored math, physics, and computers at the middle school, high school, college, and professional levels. I am mathematician and computer scientist who has been teaching technology courses and tutoring since retiring in 2000 from a 27 year career on Wall St. I hold a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from MIT and a master’s degree in information science from the University of Chicago. A native New Yorker, my wife and I moved to Surprise 16 years ago.

I have tutored local students with a great deal of success. My approach goes far beyond just dealing with the concepts that the student needs to understand, but connects with the student in ways that effectively help him or her overcome any ‘fears’ or ‘resistance’ to the material. I have helped students raise their grade point averages and standardized test scores (such as SAT and PSAT) by showing them different ways of approaching and solving problems, which leads to a deeper understanding and mastery of the subject matter.

Hi, I am Erik! I am a generalist and very accommodating. I have almost 10 years of experience being a tutor. I’ve helped students of many ages and backgrounds; ages from 7 to college age and a few older (40 years plus).

My background is in the Life Sciences such as Biology, Microbiology, Botany, Zoology; Anatomy & Physiology; also Psychology and Mathematics.

Hello, I am Susan! I am a certified elementary teacher with experience in early childhood, EL, special education, and social-emotional learning, as well as having experience as an Academic Coach and an Administrator. I retired last year after 34 years in education.

My background is in early reading and I have supplemental certificates in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, the building blocks of reading. I believe that all children can learn and be successful when given the chance and when instruction is tailored to the individual child.

Janis Johnson is a mother and grandmother who knows the value of a good education. After retiring from medicine, she attended law school and obtained her Master TEFL Certificate. She has been teaching English as a foreign language for over 10 years in Latin America and tutoring a wide variety of students, from age 4 to adults – including nursing students and call center employees. “Any educational deficiency can be fixed. It’s just a matter of tracking back to just before the problem started and finding out what went wrong.”

My name is Melinda Blain and I have five years of private tutoring experience. I currently work at a behavioral health facility for girls aged 10-18 years old and have experience with various mental health and learning disabilities, such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, mood disorders, anxiety, and behavioral issues. My volunteer experience includes working with several organizations throughout the valley as a mentor, tutor, and dance teacher to children who are in the foster care system. I also previously ran a non-profit rescue for orphan kittens, so I am a huge animal lover. I am currently in my senior year of college with a BS in psychology at Barrett on the ASU campus. From there, I will be completing my masters of counseling before becoming licensed as a clinical therapist. I was in a self-contained gifted program from grades 5-8 before moving on to becoming an honors student in high school. Although I had the aptitude for learning, I struggled with having the motivation to excel at classes and had a perfectionist procrastination style. Since I have been through many of the same struggles as my students, I am able to understand where they are coming from and relate to them, while offering solutions for success.
My private tutoring experience stretches across various subjects, such as mathematics, science, writing/grammar, standardized test prep, and study skills. I have worked with all ages and schooling systems from elementary up through college level, honors/AP students, and private, public, online, specialized, and behavioral school systems. My theory when working with students relies heavily on motivation from the student since I believe little can be achieved unless the student is receptive. I apply a hands-on approach in the beginning of new concepts to ensure that the student has the necessary skills before slowly reducing my guidance for the goal of independent learning.

Hello, I am Certified in Secondary Math, Business-CTE and Family Consumer Science. Have taught both High School and Middle School. I’m also a retired Civil Engineer.

Hello, my name is Robin. I have worked with children for more than 10 yesrs. I have taught k-6 grade, I am familiar with Special Education, speech and the needs all children need to succeed. I love helping and encouraging these children that learning can be fun.

My name is Terry and I love helping others.  I have a BA in Administration of Justice and a Master’s of Education in Human Relations. For the past 20 years I have helped many students with reading, writing, cognitive skills, budgeting, studying, organization skills and ethnic studies.  I love working with children K-5.  I believe every child can be successful!. I have taught swim lessons for several years and learned to be very creative when teaching our littles. I have a gift from God that allows me to quickly bond with children and establish a fun and loving learning enviroment. My goal is to inspire others to be the best that they can be!