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Prior to joining LJL, Kayla spent over a decade as a special education teacher. Kayla has also served children as an SLP-A, Instructional Coach, Behavioral Coach, and Structured Literacy Coach. Kayla says her biggest accomplishment is learning and understanding the strengths of her son, who was identified with dyslexia in 2nd grade. This is what she remains most passionate about – helping parents understand that their child’s reading or spelling ability does not determine how smart they are, in fact, they have some incredible strengths that just need to be understood!
Bree has extensive experience with high school and adult students. She has worked at several colleges and also has experience implementing accommodations to students with IEPs. Over the past few years, she has started teaching reading strategies to students of all ages with Dyslexia. Bree is inspired to help students appreciate their own learning process and find joy in what they can discover about themselves and the world through learning.
Led hundreds of professional development workshops and conference presentations, conducted several large educational research projects, and has numerous publications in academic journals.
One of her favorite things to do is supervise student projects. She has helped K-16 students do projects on algorithmically-generated music, the “perfect” shuffles problem, Pick’s Theorem, Mathemagics, and tracing the historical development of mathematics concepts. Dr. Goodwin is also an avid reader, singer, and lover of holiday movies.
Misty has helped a variety of students with ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, and auditory processing disorder. Misty values the importance of developing the whole child and supports each child’s individual strengths, abilities, interests and needs.
Cheri has helped a variety of students with ASD, ADHD, DS, depression, and supported those who needed a boost in confidence and self esteem. Cheri’s philosophy in a teaching role is to emulate positive practices and engage with students with enthusiasm, creativity, patience, and sincerity.
Prior to joining LJL, Taylor spent 6 years in educational classroom settings including special education in North County San Diego. During Taylor’s time in the school, he helped students with ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, depression, auditory processing disorder, and visual processing disorders. Taylor embraces a growth mindset and looks to improve each day as a person.
Prior to coming to LJL, DeAnna lead classrooms in multiple preschools and kindergartens. DeAnna has been mastering the art of virtual learning since the pandemic started and successfully worked with children as young as 4. She has experience helping students with ADD/ADHD and sensory processing disorders. DeAnnas passion for education stems from the philosophy “I do, we do, you do” teaching adults or children has always been just as rewarding for her as it is for her students.
Prior to joining LJL, Jody spent over a decade helping start and run a parent volunteer reading program – Everyone A Reader – in her children’s school and working one on one with struggling readers. Before that, Jody taught both first and third grade. Jody has also worked tirelessly to advocate for her own daughter who was finally diagnosed with Dyslexia in 6th grade. This experience is why she decided to work with LJL– helping students feel more confident and understand that although they have struggles, they also have incredible strengths.
Yvanna believes learning should be done in a fun and interactive way to motivate and increase students’ confidence. All it takes to master a topic is practice and support and she aspires to be that support for all her students.
Danielle has worked as an educational specialist in the special education field where she has taught students with special needs K-12 for 17+ years. She feels inspired in creating an environment that instills joy, motivation and care. She loves supporting each student’s own unique way of learning and enjoys teaching in various modified ways to help students reach a better understanding of what they are learning.
Prior to joining the LJL team, Olivia worked as a response to intervention (RTI) specialist for grades K-8. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in sociology with an emphasis in education. Olivia values educators’ impact on students’ learning experiences and aspires to work within the educational administration system to guide future educators.
Jenny has been an elementary school teacher for four years. Prior to teaching, she has worked in education for over ten years in many different capacities. She has worked with a variety of students with different needs ranging from elementary school to high school ages. Jenny’s passion is teaching reading and writing. She loves being able to work one on one with students until they have that light bulb moment where what they are learning finally clicks. She feels that literacy plays a huge role in reducing inequities and that everyone deserves to feel empowered in their reading and writing abilities.
Leslie helps students who have struggled with reading comprehension and fluency, auditory processing, dyslexia, basic writing composition, anxiety, and autism. Her early background in the arts adds to the creativity in her work. She supports a variety of learning styles, modifies methods as needed to facilitate clarity, and champions each student’s strengths. Leslie believes in boosting confidence in an atmosphere of non-judgment, respect, positive rapport, and fun! She incorporates topics and materials of particular interest to the student. “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.” -Chinese Proverb
Shivani has a passion for the educational therapy field and for working with students with learning disabilities. She believes it is a true privilege to witness once struggling students thrive in their personal, academic, and professional pursuits. It brings her great joy to be a part of positively impacting children and their families and guiding confident young minds onto the path of independence.
Arielle has worked as a Private Tutor, Teacher’s Aid, and in childcare for a combined 15 years. She believes learning is an individual experience that can be enjoyable for every student when given appropriate tools and support. Arielle has seen first-hand the pride students display when they master new skills and enhance their natural abilities. She values positive communication, consistent encouragement, and active listening as essential elements of effective instruction, and endeavors to integrate these qualities into her teaching approach.
Xander has six years of experience tutoring students from kindergarten through 12th grade in all levels of math. He believes in building a strong foundation to make math feel like a second language for his students. While in high school, Xander created a program where former peers tutored elementary students after school, sparking his passion for teaching. He enjoys getting to know his students’ learning styles so he can challenge them in ways that are both difficult and constructive.
Camila has been tutoring math, English, and Spanish for five years. She believes that knowledge and studying should be a fun and enjoyable process. Camila loves to create an environment that makes students comfortable and excited to learn. She encourages her students to think differently, especially when it comes to math. Camila approaches all students with empathy and joyfulness, aiming to help them get excited about complex topics.
Cavan is an incoming fourth-year at the University of San Diego, planning on majoring in biology. She has experience tutoring children abroad in Madrid, Spain, as well as peer tutoring varied math courses at USD. She is passionate about spreading knowledge in an accessible way and hopes to engage in research as well as volunteer in the San Diego community. She is excited to be involved in helping students reach their goals and their fullest potential!
Riya is originally from San Diego and is one of our former ISEE students! She has a passion to work with kids and make learning fun, and her biggest strength is empathy for all. Her favorite teaching strategies are to infuse fun approaches into her lessons and make connections with the students that she works with. In her free time, she enjoys baking, cooking, learning new languages, and traveling! Riya can understand 7 languages and can speak 3 languages, even though she was deemed slow to learn languages in middle school. Her takeaway from that is that anyone can overcome any obstacle and define their own path if they stay strong and don’t give up!
Deborah has seven years of teaching experience. She has taught in elementary and middle school classrooms and has also taught English abroad in Spain. Deborah has experience working with diverse student populations including English Language Learners and students with various behavioral and academic challenges. She believes that education should be individualized and accessible to all students. Deborah currently works as a fifth grade ELA teacher.
Arielle is deeply passionate about education and has fulfilled multiple education roles as a Tutor, Teaching Facilitator, and College Admissions Essay Editor, working extensively in K-12 education and college preparation. Graduating Cum Laude, Arielle brings a solid academic foundation to her work. Arielle’s approach emphasizes mentorship, executive functioning skills, and fostering independence and confidence in students. Beyond academics, she has contributed globally by supporting ESL students in Taiwan, reflecting a dedication to diverse perspectives in education.
Vanessa’s educational philosophy is based on an assets-based approach, believing every student can master and understand all material. She emphasizes the teacher’s role in unlocking this potential through care, compassion, and understanding each student’s unique needs.
Vanessa believes students can achieve anything they set their minds to. By recognizing and building on each student’s abilities, she creates a learning environment where all feel valued and empowered. Committed to accessible education, Vanessa understands its importance for a strong future.
Her philosophy highlights inclusivity and equity in education, ensuring every student can succeed regardless of their background. Vanessa’s compassionate approach aims to inspire and support students, helping them realize their full potential and succeed in the future.
Lindsey is a high school English and ELD teacher in the Poway Unified School District. She has spent her first four years of teaching focused on incorporating language and writing scaffolds into her teaching and supporting a range of students. She is continuously seeking to add new research based strategies and methodologies to her teaching practice, and loves to learn new ways of understanding the process of learning and student thinking. She believes all students have the potential to learn and produce complex and meaningful content as long as they are provided with the right tools to support and structure their thinking and creative processes.
Amanda has experience working as an Instructional Assistant for special education in the Poway Unified School District. Through this experience, she learned how to come up with creative ways to engage students who may lack confidence in their academic abilities. She believes that every student has a specific learning style, and being able to provide individualized support is something she feels passionate about. She believes it’s important to take the time to get to know each student and find out what motivates them and how to best support them to achieve their goals.
La Jolla Learning is a San Diego-based education company offering a range of services, including educational therapy, academic tutoring, and test prep. Our instructors offer one-on-one individualized instruction to students with learning challenges, as well as students who are looking for enrichment opportunities outside of the classroom.
Our administrative team is available:
All sessions by appointment only.
Our one-on-one test preparation program gives students the skills, strategies, and confidence they need to test their best and stand out above the rest in a competitive admissions pool!
