Alexa Y

ALexa y

I was born and raised in Northern Colorado, moving to Arizona to attend Grand Canyon University, where I graduated from in 2021 with a degree in English for Secondary Education and Structured English Immersion. Since graduating, I have spent my career in a wide variety of educational settings, along with teaching a range of different subjects. Whether I am teaching at public school, private school, or homeschool cohorts, one thing remains the most true: I feel incredibly passionate about meeting students where they are at academically, and coming up with a plan for their success that suits their unique needs and interests. Working one-on-one with students in a tutoring setting has been one of my favorite parts of this career, as I love to support students in areas that they may feel stuck, or help encourage mastery in areas they really thrive. 

Although my degree is in English, I have spent an equal amount of my career teaching and tutoring in math and history. Reading, writing, and grammar have always come easily to me, but I truly did not enjoy math or history until I had the opportunity to teach it myself! This ignited my passion to find new ways to teach content and make my lessons engaging and impactful for all students. I have learned that one may think they do not enjoy a subject, until they have the opportunity to see it through a different lens.

One of my favorite quotes as an educator is: “Students may not care how much you know, until they know how much you care” -Rita Pierson. I love to create relationships with students and families to ensure they know I truly care about their education. I am excited to be a part of the Focus Tutors team and to support students of all academic needs and abilities!

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Ted T

Ted T

For the last four years, I have worked as a teacher in the Paradise Valley Unified School District. Prior to that, I worked in the Fairfax County Public Schools, the 10th largest school district in the nation, just outside of Washington, D.C.  I feel extremely fortunate to have served a variety of populations, such as: Self-Contained Gifted, English Language Learners, general education students, and those identified as twice-exceptional.  For this reason, I am a firm believer that one size does not fit all in education and I strive to promote equity in any position I am assigned.  I also believe that students learn best when they construct new knowledge for themselves.  Therefore, I see myself as “a guide on the side” rather than “a sage on the stage.”  As a Focus tutor, I can help your student set and meet their individual learning goals.  Whether I am teaching English composition, American Government, middle school science, or test preparation, I hope to promote 21st century skills, like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, tenacity, and problem solving. 

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Kiki T

Kiki T

 I thought I was destined to be a writer. It was my passion throughout my entire childhood and young adult life. I wanted to write for major magazines and travel the world interviewing the biggest names in entertainment. I spent the majority of my college years doing just that- editing my college magazine and majoring in Communication with a focus in media.

 I spent the years following college, working at a technology company where I trained (and retrained) clients on how to effectively use my company's software. Simultaneously, I was teaching Greek at my local church. It was the combination of these two jobs that prompted me to pursue a career in education. I loved helping people and loved making a difference in the lives of my students.

 A move to Northern Virginia opened the door to education. It was there that I had the opportunity to teach at a bilingual preschool while pursuing my Master's in Curriculum and Instruction concentrating in teaching English Learners. My graduate program led me to finding a teaching position at the largest middle school in Virginia. For three years, I worked with students who had recently arrived to the country and struggled to learn English. 

 While my experience is primarily with middle school students, I have spent many years tutoring and working with younger learners. Specifically, with students in dual-language elementary programs. I am so grateful for the opportunity to join the Focus family and work with students from grades K-8. I am passionate about helping students who are learning a new language (French, Spanish, Greek), helping primary grade students in all subject areas, supporting reading and writing, and helping with general homework help and organizational skills.

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