Associate Director
Bradford B
BRadford B
I became a teacher because teaching, and learning, are a lifelong passion. I was born and raised in rural western Colorado; my younger sister and I were the third generation of our family to grow up in our small mountain town. Like almost all young people there, I attended our local public high school, and upon graduation became the first in my family to attend college. I credit this to, after God's grace, the constant support especially of my mother, whose selfless devotion inspires me to this day.
I started my higher education by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy, with distinction in the major, from Yale University. I then attended law school at Cornell University, earning my JD. After practicing law for two years in a large corporate firm in New York City, which I found unsatisfying and lacking a healthy work-life balance, I changed careers. I returned west, specifically to southern California, and decided to return to the humanities, my first academic love. I was admitted to the PhD program in English literature at UC Berkeley, where I also did significant coursework in classics (Latin and ancient Greek).
While finishing my doctoral dissertation, I worked for five years teaching English literature and writing, AP U.S. history, Spanish, and other subjects with HS2 Academy, a private company in Orange County, CA. In 2015 I was hired to teach at ASU, where I've taught for the past nine years, in the Department of Interdisciplinary Humanities. Over the past fourteen years I've worked with countless (literally in the low thousands) students of different backgrounds, and I'm just as keen on teaching now as when I started! Some of my former students, now adults and married with children, remain dear friends, and it's an honor to have helped shape their path.
I recently joined the Focus Tutors team and am happy to work with students in the following areas: English language and literature; Spanish language; French language; Latin language; U.S. history; world history; U.S. government and civics; philosophy and religion; reading and writing support; general homework support; study skills.
One interesting aspect of my career change is that I have lived and worked in Seattle, Portland, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Los Angeles, and New York but finally came back "home" to teach at a school I attended. I am an alumnus of Hopi, Ingleside, and Arcadia ultimately graduating from ASU with a degree in Industrial Engineering before starting my international IT career.
Javier U
Javier U
After I discovered my passion for math and the sciences, I made it my goal to continually help students achieve those same ‘aha’ moments that I once did. Throughout my years of tutoring, I’ve worked with students of many different ages on many different topics, from pre-algebra to calculus to upper division math courses, as well as biology, chemistry, physics, and other sciences. In my opinion, one of the most important aspects to tutoring is recognizing the ways that the student thinks. Having graduated from Arizona State University with bachelor of science degrees in applied mathematics and biology and now working in a mathematical biology research laboratory, I emphasize how certain concepts relate to student interests and real-world scenarios. As part of the Focus Tutors team, I look forward to working with students on mathematics, biology, and chemistry, as well as improving their study habits, test-taking skills, and overall organization, which are also vital to success.
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.
Tanya M
Tanya m
I absolutely love helping students understand and succeed in math. I know it is a hard subject, but I know how to break it down so that you can understand it. If you are willing to put some time into it, you can succeed at math.
I have a Bachelor’s in Mathematics for Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University and have been teaching and tutoring for the past 20+ years: teaching high school math in a public school, then homeschooling all subjects to my own children, and currently tutoring students at the middle and high school math levels.
With experience both in the classroom and with one-on-one tutoring, I have really seen the benefit of the latter. The classroom setting has its limitation, especially for a struggling student. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of one-on-one help to boost a student’s confidence and performance. Tutoring isn’t magic either; it also takes dedication from the student to do their part, working hard to complete all homework and persevere when things get tough. If you are ready to commit to that, I am ready to join you and help you succeed in your math class.
Genelle B
Genelle B
I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school. My fourth grade teacher changed my life, and I was on a mission to do the same for other students as soon as I was able to. I graduated with an Elementary Education degree from the University of Arizona, with an endorsement in English Language Learners. I am currently in my seventh year of teaching elementary school, and I am absolutely in love with my career. My first home and my heart will always be in San Francisco, which is where I grew up. I have learned to call Arizona home after living here for the last nine years. Throughout my seven years of teaching experience, I can confidently say that I have shaped many young minds and helped other students find their love for learning. I am excited to teach more students through Focus Tutors and watch their little genius light bulbs go off!
Alix B
Alix B
What I have to offer students of all ages are the fruits of a lifetime spent cultivating conversations among writers, thinkers, creative artists, and researchers on significant matters that affect our daily lives. As a constant seeker of knowledge myself, I endeavor to be the most supportive facilitator and guide possible for students in their academic searches for important questions that generate writing, reading, and critical thinking fluency. I am passionate, not only about the possibilities of creating personal meaning through the artful and persuasive use of language, but about the fact that spending extensive time and effort to acquire the power to use language critically enables students to be fully enfranchised members of their communities and cultures.
This teaching philosophy developed out of my own intellectual journey through an Honors B.A. in Sociology/Women's Studies/Political Economy at Manhattanville College; the M.F.A. in Writing/Teaching of Writing at Sarah Lawrence College; and a year of PhD studies in the Sociology of Education and Medicine. I began my career in education teaching first graders how to read, and have taught on the elementary through graduate school levels for the past 35 years. My professional background includes dual former careers as a Social Worker and Librarian, and I have worked with American, British, and diverse international students in the U.S. and the U.K. My teaching and tutoring subjects include: composition, creative writing, reading, literature and poetry, sociology, political economy and economics, women's & gender studies, academic success skills, Common App prep, PSAT/SAT/ACT test prep, library and research literacy, French, and a variety of humanities courses.
I am the author of On the Verge, a chapbook of poems (Plinth Books, 1997), and my full-length poetry manuscript is under publication consideration. My awards include a Pushcart Prize nomination, a CT Commission on the Arts Artist Fellowship in Poetry, and a Commendation in the U.K.'s Poets of the Year Competition. While resident on the East Coast, I served as Writing/Humanities Division Chair at The Learning Annex/CT, an adult education institute formerly in Hartford, CT, and worked as an adjunct professor of composition and creative writing at colleges and universities in CT, MA, and NY. In addition to tutoring for Focus Tutors AZ, I serve as an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing & Composition at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, work privately as an editor of creative and scholarly manuscripts, and continue to write and edit an alternative textbook for college-level writing entitled The Question Tree.
Paige W
Paige W
I teach to empower. Studying International Development at Tulane University, I learned that education is the cornerstone of all progress—healthcare, civil rights, environmentalism, and the like advance hand-in-hand with knowledgeability of the populace. For that reason, I decided to go into education. Well, that and the fact that kids are hilarious; high impact plus good company makes for an easy career choice! In addition to International Development, I studied Spanish and Psychology at Tulane. Upon earning my Bachelor of the Arts degree in 2012, I moved right out to Arizona. Two years later, I graduated from Arizona State University with a Master of Education degree. Since that time, I’ve enjoyed teaching special education in the valley with students in grades K-8. I’m thrilled to be part of the Focus Tutors team, and I look forward to sharing my passion and expertise in: organization and time management, study strategies, ADD/ADHD coaching, executive functioning support, test-taking skills, Spanish, and elementary & middle school mathematics, reading, writing, spelling, and grammar.
Nelofar S
Nelofar S
I did not grow up knowing I was going to be a teacher, though it has always been the core of my personality. Since becoming a teacher I have come to understand that teaching is a responsibility as much as it is a joy. Education transformed the lives of my parents and subsequently, the lives of my siblings and me. A good education is the most viable pathway to a good life, one where an individual cannot only support themselves and those they love, but one where an individual can seek answers to those questions that bring happiness and fulfillment. For this reason and many more, I have pursued an education that satisfies my interests and curiosities. After completing Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy (with a minor in Biology) at The University of Arizona, I moved to Phoenix and began working as a science and math teacher for Great Heart Academies. Teaching mathematics became my passion and ambition and the following year I began teaching mathematics full-time. Since then I have worked hard to hone my craft through my work in the classroom, tutoring one-on-one and by pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Arizona State University. My goal is to bring a passion for mathematics to every student I encounter. I aim to encourage their love of mathematics if it is already there and more importantly, to convince and inspire a student that they are capable of achieving what they think they cannot. I offer tutoring services to middle and high school students in mathematics and science, as well as test preparation.