Science (Elementary) Archives

Mayra Licera

September 20, 2025

With over 14 years of experience in both independent and public schools, Mayra Licera is a dedicated and passionate educator specializing in early childhood and elementary education as well as Spanish language instruction. She holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Manhattanville College, with dual certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Her teaching journey is deeply rooted in a family tradition of early childhood educators, and her commitment to fostering a love of learning is evident in every aspect of her work.

Throughout her career, Mayra has specialized in kindergarten readiness and has extensive experience teaching Spanish to students from Pre-K through Grade 12. Her work in the kindergarten admissions process at independent schools has provided her with valuable insight into early learning benchmarks and developmental expectations. She is also a skilled tutor in all core academic subjects and brings a wealth of knowledge in both formative and summative assessments for Pre-K through Grade 3.

A seasoned literacy and math interventionist, Mayra has received training in Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Fundations, Sounds in Motion, and Heggerty—programs that enhance phonemic awareness and foundational literacy skills. In mathematics, she is well-versed in the TERC Investigations, Bridges, EngageNY, and Contexts for Learning curricula, allowing her to meet diverse learning needs with research-based strategies.

Currently serving in New York City’s District 3 on the Upper West Side, Mayra leads both small and large group instruction for English language learners. She collaborates with colleagues to develop developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive curricula that support newcomers in building both academic language and confidence.

Previously, she spent nearly a decade in independent schools on the Upper West Side, where she also taught Spanish to English-speaking students. Her approach is student-centered—she takes time to understand each child’s interests, using them to inspire curiosity and engagement in the classroom.

In her free time, Mayra enjoys traveling, learning new things, and spending quality time with her husband and their five-month-old baby. She brings the same sense of joy, curiosity, and care from her home life into the classroom every day.

Betsy Carroll

February 16, 2024

A beloved NYC Stand-up comic by night and established computer science practitioner by day, Betsy Carroll has the unique ability to be a ray of sunshine on even the most intimidating and confidence-shattering topics in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

In addition to her charismatic, fun energy and sense of humor, the key to Betsy’s success as a private tutor is her empathy, which she acquired through firsthand experience: She knows what it’s like to not absorb or understand things the same way (nor as quickly) as the other kids. She went from struggling to even keep up as a child due to learning difficulties, to reaching the top of her class and gaining admittance to and thriving at her dream college, Columbia University, where she pursued Mathematics and Architecture. She continued at Columbia for Graduate School, where she studied Machine Learning and Computer Science. Following her education at Columbia, Betsy became a successful computer programmer and engineer specializing in the elite field of Artificial Intelligence. Betsy Carroll is living proof that grit is a learned skill that will take you as far as your dreams.

Because of her own life experience, she knows that a child’s comprehension differences are actually what can make them an even stronger Math student than their classmates in the end, so long as you can identify their obstacles and thus their corresponding strengths. Though her STEM expertise goes up to the highest graduate school level, she loves working with very young children just as much as more advanced older students. In her experience, children as young as 3rd grade are at such a major crossroads in their attitude towards Math and Science, and Betsy particularly excels at showing them the way before they take up the kind of adaptive coping mechanisms that are not exactly right for them and serve as a band-aid covering up deeper issues.

Applying the same curiosity, vigor, and unique “nothing is assumed true” mindset that got her to the top of all her Math classes, she will figure out why your kid “doesn’t get” their material. She truly believes that everyone can be good (or at least significantly better) at Math if only they figure out their way in. She believes in building strong conceptual understanding and teaching students how to think visually, spatially, and algorithmically; how to take in new information in the way that is most efficient for them; how to love Math because it is beautiful, awe-inspiring and incredible; and most importantly, how to relax and enjoy the process of achieving their academic dreams!

Bailey Landow

August 23, 2023

Bailey Landow has loved working with and mentoring students since she was very young. As a 5th grader in New York City, Bailey participated in her school’s buddy program, where she helped a first grader with homework while engaging in recreational activities. This love for working with youth led to an interest in psychology, which transformed into a passion for education and child development.

Bailey is a life-long New Yorker and a graduate of Riverdale Country School. Throughout her undergraduate years at Cornell University, Bailey immersed herself in various tutoring and mentorship positions for both college students and local Ithaca youth.

Upon graduating in 2021 with a BS in Human Development and a minor in Theater, Bailey joined Teach for America as part of the New York Corps. After teaching a third grade summer program in the Bronx, Bailey spent two years at Harlem Link Charter School, where she taught kindergarten in an Integrated Co-Teaching classroom. As a Special Education teacher, Bailey supported students with various learning differences and worked closely with families throughout the IEP process.

While teaching, Bailey obtained her Master’s in Early Childhood Special Education from Relay Graduate School of Education. She is currently working towards her PhD in School Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she researches various school-based interventions, behavior plan implementation, and teacher consultation. This past year, she received her Master’s in Educational Psychology as part of the program.

Bailey has tutored students ages 3-13 in a range of academic subjects, including reading/phonics, writing, and math. She also specializes in Kindergarten Readiness. Her time in the classroom has taught her the importance of differentiation and discovering the “whole child” to best build a collaborative relationship. Further, Bailey understands the importance of data-based decision making, as well as alternative assessment. Bailey has training in Orton-Gillingham methodology, Wilson Fundations, Heggerty, Fountas and Pinnell reading assessments, and the Heart Words sight-word method. She has also completed a year-long Science of Reading professional development course. Additionally, she was trained in reflective listening techniques and crisis intervention, and she was an active volunteer with the Crisis Text Line while at Cornell.

In addition to her wide-ranging elementary aged experiences, Bailey is knowledgeable in high school and college psychology curricula. She was a TA for several courses and tutored college students in psychology throughout her undergraduate years and beyond. She thoroughly enjoys introduction to psychology courses, as well as abnormal psychology and child development classes.

In her free time, Bailey enjoys theater, dance, and spending time with family and friends. You can often find her at a Broadway show or in the audience of one of New York’s many late-night talk shows.

Nathan Ashe

August 23, 2023

Nathan Ashe is a fourth-year medical student at Weill Cornell. He has experience teaching and tutoring humanities and sciences: among other experiences, he has led seminars on science fiction and on the essay at Princeton, as well afterschool classes in neuroscience at public middle schools in New York City.

Whether tutoring for standardized tests or school subjects, Nathan aims to foster a deep understanding of the material, rather than just test-oriented shortcuts. He particularly enjoys teaching math and science to students who have previously found these subjects unapproachable by filling in knowledge gaps and by building intuition through practice and discussion.

He has experience tutoring math (geometry, algebra, precalculus, and statistics), biology, physics, chemistry, English literature, world and U.S. history, and elementary Mandarin Chinese, as well as the Lower and Upper ISEE, SAT, and ACT. Further, he works with students on essay writing skills for school subjects and applications by helping with brainstorming and outlining and by walking students through detailed feedback on drafts.

Nathan’s education is the product of excellent professors and tutors, whose best practices he incorporates into his own teaching approach. He received a BA in English at Columbia University, and a MA and PhD in English at Princeton University, where he studied Victorian literature and the history of science. He then attended a one-year science program at Bryn Mawr College for students entering medicine from non-traditional career paths.

In his limited free time, Nathan enjoys rock climbing and reading speculative fiction.

Rachel Levinsky

January 30, 2023

Rachel Levinsky has been an educator for over 20 magical years. She has been a New York City public school educator for 18 years, and has also taught in Chile, Egypt, Taiwan, and Shanghai.

Rachel’s undergraduate studies at Colorado College, graduate work at Columbia University’s Teacher College for a master’s in curriculum development, Hunter College for certification in administration, and Hamline University for a master’s in TESOL have prepared her with the skills to plan tailored curriculum for specific student needs. Rachel has two sons and the family enjoys hiking, camping, traveling, and lots of baking. The house is always filled with the scent of someone’s cooking project and the walls are lined with everyone’s favorite books. Rachel loves incorporating these interests into her teaching, often teaching fractions through baking or sewing projects, or working on writing skills by creating plays. No matter what your child’s interests are, Rachel will find a way to include those special assets in their work together.

Rachel Levinsky has teaching and private tutoring experience with all elementary ages and also taught middle school for eleven years. Rachel has been a classroom teacher, English as a New Language teacher, and an interventionist, supporting struggling learners in reading, writing, or math. Teaching so many different subjects and students has helped Rachel develop a facility with adapting to any new learning environment and meeting any student’s needs accordingly. Rachel always incorporates games and projects so that learning is fun and engaging.

Rachel works to light the spark that leads to a lifelong love of reading. Matching children to the perfect book series is a particular joy. Rachel has a wide library of books for all levels of readers. She is trained in Heggerty, Sounds in Motion, and works with a Bank Street literacy initiative. All of these programs develop children’s phonemic awareness, as hearing the sounds that compose our words is the basis for reading. Rachel is also trained in Fundations and SPIRE, two Orton-Gillingham based programs that systematically develop phonics. Rachel also has 18 years of experience teaching with the Teachers College Reading and Writing units of study to develop reading comprehension.

Rachel is currently using the Illustrative Math program, a constructivist program that provides multiple opportunities for learners to build number sense through games and problem solving. She also has experience with Engage Math. Rachel works to build students’ confidence in math through games to develop number sense and applying literacy skills to understanding word problems.

Rachel has experience preparing students for the NYSESLAT test (a test that measures English language proficiency in New York State), the New York State ELA test, and the New York State Math test.

Rachel believes in asset-minded teaching, harnessing your child’s strengths to approach the areas of struggle. With engaging activities and games, your children will develop a growth mindset, understanding that while certain skills might be challenging for them now, they are always making progress.

Mayra Licera

Betsy Carroll

Bailey Landow

Nathan Ashe

Rachel Levinsky

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