University and K-12 Writing and Academic Tutor of 20+ years; Classroom Teacher 15 years+

Find out more about Sol

• When and why did you develop an interest in your chosen field?

  I began tutoring straight out of high school. I worked for several learning centres at post-secondary institutions, where I was trained in one-on-one teaching. Years later, while completing graduate school, I trained more formally in classroom teaching and pedagogy. What began as tutoring gradually developed into a career in education. I discovered that I particularly enjoy helping students understand difficult ideas, strengthen their skills, and become more confident and independent learners.

• What makes you passionate about your subject?

  I love the way sociology helps us understand the connection between our individual experiences and the larger social world. It gives us tools for understanding why life works the way it does, why people encounter different opportunities and challenges, and how our social environments can be changed. I especially enjoy helping students make those connections for themselves—taking something that can initially seem abstract and showing them how it relates to their own lives and the world around them.

• What do you like about tutoring? What makes you a "Superprof"?

  What I love most about tutoring is being able to meet students exactly where they are. In a classroom, a teacher has to divide their attention among many students, but tutoring allows me to focus entirely on one learner: how they think, what they already understand, where they are struggling, and what approach will work best for them.
  
  I bring more than 20 years of tutoring experience to that work, alongside my experience as a university educator. But what I think matters most is creating an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes. My goal isn't simply to help students complete an assignment or improve a grade. I want them to develop skills and confidence that they can carry forward into their future studies.

• Do you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you? Please explain.

  I have learned from many wonderful educators throughout my career. One particularly important influence was Dr. Christian Caron, with whom I trained in pedagogy during my PhD at the University of Toronto. My earlier experiences working in university learning centres were also enormously influential because they taught me to think about education from the perspective of the individual learner.
  
  Those experiences helped shape a principle that remains central to how I teach today: students learn differently, and good teaching requires us to pay attention to those differences rather than expecting every student to learn in exactly the same way.

• What are your keys to success?

  Curiosity, persistence, empathy, and being willing to ask for help. One of the most important lessons I try to teach my students is very simple: strong students ask for help.
  
  Success doesn't mean understanding everything immediately or never making mistakes. It means being willing to identify what you don't understand, ask questions, accept feedback, and keep working. As an educator, my job is to create an environment where students feel comfortable doing exactly that.