category: High School

Amy Glickman

Amy Glickman is a native New Yorker. She was born and raised in Brooklyn and now resides and works in Manhattan. Amy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from Brooklyn College and a Master’s degree in Learning Disabilities from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. While at Columbia, her work focused on the assessment and remediation of reading and math disabilities. Each semester she interned at the Child Study Center where she gained experience in administering a battery of classroom based and standardized assessment measures to identify strengths and weaknesses of individual students and then developed an intervention plan based on the assessment findings. Upon graduating from Teacher’s College, she worked as a classroom teacher at the Stephen Gaynor School, where she taught students with language-based learning disabilities. While at Stephen Gaynor, Amy developed and implemented an after-school computer skills training program which was tailored to the individual needs of the students.

After realizing that she enjoyed the personal connection with students and could effect more meaningful change working one-on-one, Amy established her own educational practice working with students from kindergarten through high school. Her favorite part about tutoring children is the opportunity to build and maintain deeply personal connections with students throughout their years of learning. In addition to her practice, Amy worked with a team of psychologists and learning specialists performing psychoeducational evaluations. She evaluated students in areas of executive functioning including memory, and attention, auditory processing and language, visual processing and academic skills.

Amy has experience working as an educational consultant at the Ramaz Lower School in New York City. Her purview included evaluating the learning center and lower school reading writing and math curriculum. She also advised teachers on how to best meet children’s individual learning and behavioral needs. While at Ramaz, Amy helped design and execute a new class for children with language and learning disabilities. She trained and supervised teachers and helped design curriculum.

In her work, Amy integrates rigorous evidence-based phonics training with literacy encompassing word recognition, reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary development, spelling and expressive writing. Amy also has extensive experience supporting students with attention and executive functioning needs. Her love of mathematics has led her to tutor students with learning disabilities in math from kindergarten through Algebra 2 and Trigonometry. She is trained in Orton-Gillingham , PAF Reading Intervention, Judith Hochman’s Writing Revolution, Stern, Singapore Mathematics and a variety of other programs.

Amy’s philosophy centers around focusing on the whole child. While incorporating the students interests, she tailors the tutoring process to meet the needs and goals of the individual student. To help a student build self-esteem and achieve their full potential she uses a collaborative approach working closely with parents, teachers and other professionals.

Marie Leblanc

Marie Leblanc guides diverse learners of all ages as they navigate their academic endeavors. She is a New York State certified 7-12 ELA teacher, reading specialist, student advisor and private tutor who holds a BA from Fordham University in Literature, an MA degree in English and American Literature from New York University and an MA in Teaching and Learning also from NYU. In addition, Marie has earned an advanced certificate in TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages) and is certified as a Reading and Writing Specialist. Additionally, Marie has been trained at the Associate Level through Commonwealth Learning in Orton-Gillingham to deliver corrective and developmentally appropriate reading education for students with dyslexia.

Recognized as a New York City Department of Education “Model Teacher,” Marie designs standards-based, differentiated, humanities curricula to students in inclusion (ICT) classes containing ninth through twelfth graders. She opens her doors for collegial observations, and enjoys leading internal and external professional development on best practices in reading strategies and the writing process. Marie is a member of several critical groups that share insights on, and advanced strategies for working with students with reading deficits and differences.

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Marie acts as an advisor in the social, emotional and academic development of a small group of students throughout their years in high school. She meets regularly with her advisees, guiding them in applying to post-secondary education, building a spirit of trust and camaraderie among each other as well as encouraging their understanding and enactment of core values, e.g. Respect for Humanity, Diversity, Truth and Intellect and Commitment to Peace, Justice and Democracy. As the primary point of contact between home and school, the advisor-advisee relationship provides a consistent and open line of communication among all stakeholders in students’ lives. Marie speaks several languages, which helps her non-English speaking students negotiate their acquisition of English Language skills and aids in communications with their families.

Marie is particularly proud to have helped found and develop a school built on seven core values, lived and expressed by its community members, through restorative justice practices and community service initiatives. Her curricula and teaching approach emerges from these core principles, underscoring an individualized approach to teaching, which has developed through commitment to, experience of, and belief in how students best learn.

Marie enjoys nearly two decades of experience working with students with different learning styles and honoring their needs: from students requiring enrichment opportunities, to struggling readers and those with particular learning challenges. She provides homework support in the humanities, helps students with test preparation, including the SHSAT, the NY State ELA Exam, the PSAT and the SAT, assists students and families navigating the college application process, works with middle school through college students on essay writing, and aids students of all ages with developing their reading skills and stamina, reading comprehension and text analysis.

Marie’s commitment to helping students realize their intellectual promise inspired her to cofound a tutoring company several years ago so that she might closely work with individuals at various stages of their educational journey.

Marie is exalted in her career as an English teacher. Her motivation stems from the potential of young people and she remains inspired by the opportunity to contribute to their academic success.

Shelly October

Shelly October applies her experience as a K-12 English teacher, advisor, speech-language pathologist, and private tutor as she facilitates student success in reading, writing, executive functioning, and applying for college for diverse learners. She holds a BA in English language and literature from SUNY Stonybrook, a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Master’s degree in Science in Communication Disorders from Western Kentucky University.

After graduating from Teachers College, she began teaching at a progressive transfer high school in Chelsea, where students from different backgrounds required a smaller and different setting in order to graduate high school. It is at this school where Shelly learned the skills of wearing many hats, differentiating lessons to multilingual learners, students with disabilities, twice-exceptional students, and generation education students who needed alternative pathways towards credit accumulation. Shelly took extensive training in restorative practices, focusing on holistic education and individualized targeted academic and socioemotional support for all students. Throughout the years, Shelly has taught math, science, English, and social studies in a co-taught and stand-alone environment, learning the skill of intentional lesson planning and deep collaboration with students, family, staff, and outside partnerships.

After presenting at two Expeditionary Learning Conferences with topics ranging from strategies to keep high school students engaged during advisory to creating a vertical farm in the Science classroom using found materials, Shelly began exploring other educational opportunities. As a long-time lover of linguistics married with her experience in public education, Shelly enrolled in Western Kentucky University to obtain a Masters in Science in Communication Disorders resulting in national certification of clinical competency from the American Speech Language Hearing Association. With gained experience from early intervention with the senior population, Shelly returned to the K-12 realm to support students with receptive and expressive language needs by developing strategies to help difficulty with phonemic awareness, ADHD, autism, executive function, career skills, presentations, self-advocacy, community engagement, test preparation, college applications, and essay writing. Always seeking new ways to learn, Shelly was awarded a Fund for Teachers grant to better clinically discern between language differences and disorders in speech-language students from French-speaking countries. This experience generated a more niched interest in the deep components of language which eventually led her to the vast research on the science of reading.

Once completing the Associate Level Course from the Kildonan Teacher Training Institute, accredited by the Orton-Gillingham Academy, Shelly cemented her language skills and applied them immediately at Camp Dunnabeck, a summer camp designed for students ranging from 8-16 diagnosed with dyslexia and other language-based disabilities. Under the supervision of the director of language training, Shelly designed daily one-hour lessons for individual students using an evidence-based curriculum with a sequenced approach. Shelly administered standardized and criterion-referenced assessments as a guide to support students in errorless learning and growth in literacy.

Her experience as a tutor inspired her to cofound a tutoring company, where she can support all students with literacy and other educational needs. Currently, she is a New York State licensed speech-language pathologist in a PreK–12 public school, working with administrators to implement a structured literacy curriculum for all grades so that students from many backgrounds can feel confident about reading.

As a member of the Mayor’s Women Advisory Board, Shelly serves the community based on the needs of women, supporting women’s empowerment in education, finance, housing, entrepreneurship, and self-advocacy. Her passions include supporting anyone in believing they can achieve any goal and remaining grounded in the belief that life is limitless with a growth mindset.

Nathalie Biju-Duval

Born and raised in Paris, France, Nathalie Biju-Duval spent summers in Catalunya, Spain, where her family still owns a home in the small town of Begur. It was here, while playing with other children her age, that Nathalie became fluent in Spanish.

Nathalie’s family relocated to Grenoble, France (near the Alps) where she attended High School at the Lycée Champollion, a public school. She then attended the Law University of Assas in Paris, where she received her Masters in International and European Law. She was always interested in traveling and meeting people from various countries, believing that the ability to communicate in different languages is key to appreciating various cultures and having a greater understanding of the world.

In the nineties, Nathalie Biju-Duval moved to New York City and began working at an International law firm as an intern before becoming a paralegal specializing in US/French/Spanish business transactions. Along with overseeing and supervising a staff of three assistants and two paralegals, Nathalie translated numerous documents and contracts from French/Spanish into English and vice/versa. She also served as the interpreter for attorneys and clients of the firm.

Nathalie is also very good at interacting with young people and has very close relationships with her niece and nephews with whom she has a strong trusted connection. She also helped the daughter of a very good friend of hers when she became interested in learning French and enrolled in classes in college. On many occasions, Nathalie assisted her when she needed help with her assignments. She guided her throughout the chapters with patience and understanding, helping to improve her vocabulary and correcting her translations and syntax. Nathalie always tried to be very positive and encouraging, which really helped her a lot in achieving her goal. It is these relationships that inspired Nathalie to work with middle, high school, and college students as a private tutor.

Nick Thomas

Nick Thomas has tutored for over 20 years in London, New York and Los Angeles, tutoring students in all five continents, including members of the Royal family, descendants of Presidents and other prominent business, artistic and political families around the globe. His broad familiarity with the academic systems of the US, the UK and Europe help inform his incisive and far-reaching approach to tutoring.

Nick is a passionate believer that the ultimate goal of education is to teach problem-solving skills, which are all too often overlooked in most schools. By teaching students not just the facts, but how to make sense of those facts, how they interlink and how to apply them, Nick’s students end up being more engaged, more excited, and more empowered to think for themselves, consequently getting better marks and getting more out of their regular school experience.

This all-important, life-long skill of problem-solving, which will set up your child for success in college and in their chosen career, can truly be learnt and taught on any subject. So while it is not surprising that Nick is enormously in demand for all levels of test preparation and math, he is equally able to help students who are stuck in Latin, modern languages, essay-writing, English literature and science. By focussing on the logic and meaningfulness of these subjects, Nick’s students click with the material, after which the material comes alive, becomes more interesting, and ultimately leads to the results that are desired.

Nick was a scholar at Eton College and Oxford University, wrote a column for the Guardian newspaper, published a book about advanced sudoku and appeared on the BBC to discuss solving logic problems. He also came second in the UK’s first ever Sudoku championship. More surprisingly, he is also a comedy writer and actor with over 15 million views online, and regularly collaborates with grammy-award-winning singer Jason Mraz. His sense of humor and creativity make sure that his sessions are always energetic and never dull!

category: High School

Amy Glickman

Marie Leblanc

Shelly October

Nathalie Biju-Duval

Nick Thomas

Company Overview

School Planning

Private Tutoring

Test Preparation