Private Academic Tutoring & Music Lessons in Your Home
janine leone
Servicing Eastern Suffolk
Quick Facts:
-10 Years of Classroom Experience
-Experience working with grades
-Pre-K to 5th grade
-St. Joseph's College Graduate
-NYS Certified Teacher: General and Special Education Birth-6th Grade
-Certified Reading Specialist K-6
-Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) K-12
Hi, my name is Janine Leone. I graduated from St. Joseph's College with my Undergraduate degree in 2012. As I started my career, I quickly fell in love with teaching kids how to read and went back to receive my Masters degree in Literacy and Cognition to become a reading specialist. Since then, I have experienced teaching a variety of grades and have been teaching first grade for the past four years. My passion is helping kids realize that they can be confident and efficient readers and igniting a natural love of reading in them too. I believe children learn best when they're enjoying themselves and feel connected to their teacher. I dedicate a lot of time creating games, and brainstorming other fun ways for my students to become excited about learning!
toni buffalino
Servicing Eastern Suffolk & Nassau County
Quick Facts:
-NYS Teaching Certification: General Education (1-6)
-NYS Special Education (1-6)
Hi! My name is Toni Buffalino! I am currently certified as a NYS teacher in General Education and Special Education grades 1-6. My teaching experience started at Variety Child Learning Center in Syosset where I worked with autistic children. This experience then brought me to the Plainview School district where I worked in their ABA (applied behavior analysis) program for 7 years in the elementary school and middle school.
As a teacher I believe it is so important to make connections with children and motivate these students to be the best they can be. I believe that establishing a positive relationship between the child and the teacher is so important. In order for me to assist your child reach his or her full potential the teacher and parent relationship is important. I love to find new ways for children to learn and know that not every child learns the same.
When I am not teaching, I love being active and going on hikes. I really enjoy going to find new places to eat and traveling for the best donuts!
danielle conklin
Servicing Suffolk County
Quick Facts:
-Mother to two beautiful girls
-9 years teaching
-Experience with all elementary grades
-ENL certified
-Experience with Fundations, Go Math, Reader's and Writer's Workshop, Writing Without Tears, Creative Curriculum
-Let's make learning FUN!
Hello! I have been fortunate to have worked in many grade levels throughout my 9 years in the teaching field. I have worked with grades UPK-6, and have worked with a variety of curriculums. My goal as a teacher and tutor is to make learning engaging! Children learn best when their affective filters are lowered. A climate of warmth, growth, and success is created this way. I believe that is of the utmost importance for teachers to facilitate. I am looking forward to meeting new families and contributing to student success~
michelle soca
Servicing Western Suffolk & Eastern Nassau
Quick Facts:
-2 years of teaching experience
-6 years of tutoring experience
-NY State certified in Childhood / Special Education Grades 1-6
-Experience with programs such as Fundations, Eureka Math, Teachers College, Savvas, Google Classroom etc.
Hello! My name is Michelle Soca and I am excitingly at the beginning stages of my education career. At the moment, I am currently a Social Studies teacher for grade 6. I completed my Masters degree at Pace University where I obtained both Childhood Education and Special Education degrees in grades 1 through 6. This is currently my second year teaching and I am loving teaching 6th grade so far! Before teaching in the middle school, I spent 4 years working in the elementary grades. I've student taught in grades 3 and 4 ICT and gifted settings. After completing my student teaching in college, I moved back home and began working as a substitute teacher in the primary grades K-3 where I continued to work in various classroom settings. Shortly after that, I became the districts remote learning teacher for students in grades K and 1.
Teaching in various settings has allowed me to work with all types of learners which has helped me understand that every child has their own special and unique style of learning. For this reason it is important that we meet the needs of each students learning style. Whether it's a more kinesthetic approach or a more visual approach, it is important to include all types of learning in a lesson so that it is geared to all students. For example, most of my lessons include a listening portion, that is followed up by visuals and then closes out with a technology or kinesthetic activity. I feel that this type of learning keeps students engaged even after doing daily routine things. Keeping students engaged in their learning is an important part of making education fun!
briana dunne
Servicing Eastern Long Island
Quick Facts:
-NYS Teacher Certification: Early Childhood Education (Birth - Grade 2)
-NYS Teacher Certification: Students with Disabilities: Early Childhood Education (Birth - Grade 2) -Skilled in EnVisions math, Fundations, Blast Foundations
Hi, my name is Briana Dunne! I am currently NYS certified in Early Childhood Education. I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s degree at Hofstra University. I have experience working with children in daycares, and various schools on Long Island.
I am confident in my ability to create an environment for children that is fun and engaging to achieve academic goals. My passion truly lies within education and the desire to learn. As a teacher, I encourage and support children to be lifelong learners. As I get to know each child and their interests, I create fun activities that the children want to engage in. I am constantly adjusting to help each child’s individual needs and recognize their learning strategies to help them be successful. My experience has allowed me to continue to learn and grow each day. I'm so excited to be a part of the Seventh Street Tutoring team and to continue to help children achieve their goals!
mary valvano
Servicing Eastern Nassau to Western Suffolk
Quick Facts:
-Certified in Elementary & Special Education K - 6
-Experienced in teaching mathematics grades 5 - 10 for the past 18 years
-Math curriculum writer for the past 7 years
-1:1 math tutoring: grades 3 - 8, Algebra 1, Geometry, SHSAT (NYC Schools), SAT, ACT (test prep) for the past 10 years
-Home instruction teacher PreK - 3rd
Hello, my name is Mary Valvano and I have been an educator for the past 20 years in a variety of settings & grade levels. I love working with all levels & subjects, however my passion is teaching math. My goal is to help all learners feel confident learning math and eventually teaching them to be independent and fluent with their comprehension & abilities.
When tutoring students, I work to establish a trusting relationship between the student and myself from the beginning. This helps to encourage students to try their best and feel good about making mistakes. I work consistently to help rid the fear many kids have when attempting math problems. By doing all of the above, this helps students increase their math confidence & perseverance in their work.
Many of my students have described me as having a kind and compassionate disposition with firm expectations of work ethic. They often verbalize the ease of completing problems with me and enjoy the strategies I use, as my approach is a bit unique compared to what they have experienced. I would describe myself as very flexible in my teaching & delivery of content based upon the student I am working with. I really try to identify each child’s needs and adjust my approach to accommodate their learning styles. And I love watching students recognize their potential. I believe kindness, patience and compassion are always essential!!
joyce federico
Servicing Eastern Suffolk
Quick Facts:
-NYS Professional Certificates in:
-Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2)
-Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2)
-Childhood Education (Grades 1-6)
-Students with Disabilities (Grades 1-6)
-Middle Childhood Education (Grades 5-9)
-Students with Disabilities (Grades 5-9)
-14 Years of classroom teaching experience, 2nd grade through 8th grade
-Experienced General Education Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Resource Room Teacher, and 5th Grade Mathematics Teacher
-Highly experienced in Elementary Mathematics (K-5)
-Test prep support for ELA and Math assessments (NYS Grade Level ELA and Math Assessment, Diagnostic Assessments, etc.)
My name is Joyce Federico and I have been an educator for the past 14 years. I’m certified to teach early childhood, childhood, and middle childhood students both in the general education and special education settings. I have a background in art and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL. A few years after graduating with my BFA, I decided to return to school to pursue my passion of working with and educating children. I attended Dowling College where I completed a Master of Science in Childhood Education. Shortly after, I continued my education through Touro College, securing multiple extensions to expand my knowledge and opportunity to work with students of various ages and abilities.
I believe each child has a unique way of processing and building upon their understanding. As an educator, it is my job to get to know your child and determine how best to support their academic, social, and emotional growth. I enjoy encouraging each child to discover and gain confidence in the way they think, in turn, fostering their lifelong love of learning.
All my instruction is aligned to Next Generation Learning Standards (NGLS). I can analyze data to target specific areas of weakness and strengths. Using data best allows me to prepare targeted instruction to help fill any gaps in understanding, and or, provide enrichment to extend learning opportunities. My strengths include differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all learners. I incorporate kinesthetic, visual, auditory, and multi-modal approaches to make lessons captivating and interactive.
When I am not teaching, I am a wife and a mother of two young girls of elementary age. I enjoy spending time with my family, practicing hot yoga, experimenting with healthy cooking, being outdoors as much as possible, reading the latest books, and traveling and exploring new places.
iana shapovalova
Servicing Nassau County
Quick Facts:
- Master’s Degree in Teaching Spanish and English as a Second Language
- Fluent in English, Spanish, native speaker of Ukrainian, Russian
- Musical education: violin (10 years of music school), string orchestra and choir.
My name is Iana Shapovalova and I was born and raised in Ukraine. Since I was a child, I have greatly enjoyed learning foreign languages. English was my favorite class at school. When I was 11, I had a unique chance to spend the whole summer in Spain, living in a Spanish family. That’s when I fell in love with the Spanish language and culture. I knew for sure I would connect my future with it.
Coming from a family of educators, I always found teaching attractive. Witnessing students gain knowledge, confidence, and get dominion of a foreign language is very rewarding. That’s why I decided to get a degree in teaching English and Spanish.
I got my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Kyiv National Linguistic University. I have taught English at a language school using Callan Method, taught all levels of Spanish at a university and a high school, where I started a Spanish speaking club and a Latin-American dancing club. I also privately tutored children and adults in both languages. Worked as an interpreter at summer camps for special needs children.
In 2012 I met my future husband and moved to the USA. Since then, I have enjoyed tutoring children and adults on Long Island.
As for my teaching style, I like to combine traditional teaching methods, creativity, and modern technology. Applying individual approach, I discover the best way in which each child can learn, understand, and most importantly communicate in Spanish/English.
Besides foreign languages, I have a passion for music. I attended a music school for 10 years, where I played the violin, studied music history and solfeggio, played in the string orchestra, and sang in a choir. I am currently a lead singer during Sunday services at a local church.
stephanie ormeno
Servicing Nassau County
Quick Facts:
-Seventeen years of teaching experience
-NYS Certification in childhood education 1-6
-NYS Certification in Middle Childhood Education (6-9)
-NYS Certification in Bilingual Education
-Tutoring/substitute teaching and teaching experience
Hi. my name is Stephanie. I received my bachelor's degree at St. Francis College. I then graduated from Brooklyn College to obtain my masters degree. Thereafter, I received my second masters degree in bilingual education at Mercy College. Taking several special education credits at Touro college allowed me to experience and create differentiated learning in order to meet students' needs but also to develop and strengthen the whole child. I began my career as a private tutor for several years. I then became a substitute teacher and had a great experience working with different student populations of different ages across the city in private, public and charter schools. I then began my teaching career as a dual language elementary public school teacher. Currently I teach at a public middle school academy. I strongly believe in creating a risk free environment where students feel and know it is okay to make mistakes. My goal is for my students to develop a love of learning so that they develop a passion into becoming a lifelong learner. Building biliterate individuals in today's world will offer more opportunities as young professionals. Learning a different language can be a challenge for most students however with great teaching comes great learning.
When I am not teaching, I like to spend time outdoors with my own kids as well as travel and go for walks. I enjoy food, cooking, art, reading, problem solving and conducting read alouds. I am fluent in Spanish. I have a Colombian and Peruvian background. I was born and raised in Elmhurst Queens NY. Building positive relationships with students and reinforcing their efforts is essential because I believe this allows students to make greater connections and build background knowledge. Creating an atmosphere of safety and reassurance is important in my opinion so students develop a sense of confidence in their learning and become and take ownership of their career as a student. I strongly believe in developing students' learning styles in order for students to be in control of their learning which can allow them to take chances and thrive as a student. Communicating to students of their glows and growth areas are also essential in my opinion because it allows students to reflect on their own learning. I love working with students so that they can flourish into the leaders of tomorrow.
hope Deblasi
Servicing Western Suffolk & Eastern Nassau
-NYS certified childhood education teacher 1-6
-NYS certified special education teacher
-Experience working with grades pre-k to fifth grade
-Masters in Educational Technology
Hi everyone!
My name is Hope DeBlasi and I’m a certified NYS teacher! I graduated with my Bachelors in Education in 2019 and I received my Masters in Educational Technology in 2022. I have experience working in grades pre-k to fifth grade throughout the years as a teacher assistant, student teacher, and substitute teacher. I believe that each individual student learns in their own unique way. As a teacher, it is important for me to incorporate multiple methods of teaching into lessons so that all of my students are engaged in the learning process. I’m a very kind-hearted, loving, and motivated individual with a passion for teaching!