Little Mountain Learning Academy’s dedicated, energetic and passionate staff are what make our school an enriching learning environment like no other.
Our instructors and staff are our best assets. They bring unique life experiences, educational backgrounds, and brilliant ideas to our learning facility each and every day ensuring an optimal environment for nurturing growth and continuous improvement.
Little Mountain Learning Academy’s unique vision, emphasis on creativity and meaningful class content, and learner-centred approach consistently attracts passionate and dedicated instructor candidates with impressive qualifications.
All of our instructors must either be certified teachers, and/or possess TESL certification from a recognized institution and have at least three years of teaching experience to be considered candidates for our teaching team.
Directors
Ryan Tierney - Managing Director
Ryan has a B.A. from UBC, a T.E.S.L. teaching certificate, post-graduate diplomas in Information Technology and Asian Studies and an MBA.
Ryan has been an educator for over 15 years, the past nine of these in the English Department at Sejong University and at Little Mountain Homeschool in Seoul, Korea. Ryan returned to Canada in January 2012 to take over day-to-day operations of Little Mountain Learning Academy.
Ryan is deeply appreciative of all the amazing staff and teachers that bring innovative and motivational lessons to students attending Little Mountain.
Tim Fijal - Academic Director
Tim graduated from the University of British Columbia with a BA in French Language and Literature and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics. He received his first TESL certification from UBC and thereafter completed the Cambridge CELTA TESL certification.
Tim began his English teaching career in France in 1992 and has been involved in the field of Education ever since. He spent three of those years teaching English in Korea, including two years as an Instructor at Konkuk University in Seoul.
Tim is passionate about inspiring English learners with meaningful content-based lessons, especially when the subjects being studied relate to environmental and social justice issues. He also takes great pleasure in teaching reading to students who struggle with language-based learning challenges.
As Little Mountain Learning Academy’s Academic Director, Tim is dedicated to hiring inspired, skilled, and qualified instructors who share his enthusiasm for learning with each of their students.
Dedicated Teachers and Counselors
Shannon Boyland - Shannon graduated from UBC with a B.A in Art History and Bachelor in Education. She is passionate about teaching and brings over four years of Elementary School classroom experience to LMLA. Shannon has taught in many environments, and is able to meet the different learning and thinking styles of her students. She believes that students are most successful in a safe and positive learning environment based on caring and respect for oneself and each other. She understands the importance of reading and writing practice and takes every opportunity to integrate these skills into all curriculum areas. It is Shannon’s goal to create a stimulating learning environment where students are motivated and engaged, and where skills such as problem solving, and critical thinking are central, and risk taking is valued and encouraged.
Carmen Ng - Computer Lab Co-ordinator
Carmen graduated from UBC with a BA in Family Studies and Psychology, and a B.Ed. in Elementary Education. She has spent the last eight years working with children of all ages in various parts of Vancouver. Carmen has volunteered with different organizations, such as BC Children’s Hospital, World Vision, and SUCCESS, to raise money and awareness of social issues for today’s children and youths. She has also gone with Stoney Creek Expeditions to Mexico, to build shelter for the less fortunate. Carmen is committed in educating children to be socially responsible individuals who can positively contribute to their society.
Elaine Su – Assistant Academic Director
Elaine graduated from UBC with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and English Literature, and a B.Ed. in Elementary Education.
She has spent the last eight years teaching in Hong Kong and Vancouver, focusing on the implementation of the Fine Arts into general education. For the last three years Elaine has been dedicating her time to teaching students with learning disabilities using alternative methods. Through Drama, Visual Arts, Music and Creative Writing, she aims to help each of her students explore their own unique ways of learning.
Elaine is also committed to helping today’s youth take responsibility for change, and works with the Humane Education department of the BC SPCA.
Noan Fesnoux - has been teaching English for the past 9 years throughout Asia and North America. Graduating from the University of Guelph with an Honours BSc. in Marine and Freshwater Biology, he moved to where the coral reefs were plentiful: Indonesia. Initially teaching at premier language schools, he moved on to teach English at Santa Laurensia National Plus school in Jakarta. Upon return to Canada he connected with Tim Fijal as the first employee at Little Mountain Learning Academy. Noan now divides his time between Green School in Indonesia where he is the environmental teacher and Little Mountain Learning Academy where he continues to direct Little Mountain CALI Summer Camps. Noan is a T.E.S.L certified English teacher.
Jacqueline Stewart - Who is the I.I.P. Instructional Developer and Project Coordinator? -Jacqueline Stewart graduated from McGill University with a B.Ed in Secondary English and Moral Education. Jacqueline is a Quebec and B.C. Certified teacher with eight years of high school teaching experience. She is also an International Baccalaureate certified teacher in Technology and English. Jacqueline has given English workshops to out of province teachers for the International Baccalaureate Organization and has also worked as a keynote speaker at workshops to share good teaching strategies and to inspire fellow professionals.
As a senior English Language Arts teacher, Jacqueline created lesson plans, enrichment, and assessment and evaluation methods at the school, board, provincial and world levels. She has single handedly built and designed courses offered at the high school level such as I.B. Technology and Drama, Public Speaking and Debate.
Jacqueline has always played a leading role in curriculum design and educational success plans as she believes that schools must move beyond memorization and recall teaching and techniques and create courses with learning objectives that allow students to realize their full potential.
Jacqueline has a strong belief in holistic education and aims at creating a safe learning environment that allows each student to work on their individual successes and become life long learners.
Amy Safarik - Amy received her BEd with a specialization in Teaching English Language Learners from the University of British Columbia, and she graduated with honors from the University of Victoria with a BA in English and Russian. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Russian Literature and Language from the University of Waterloo, where she taught Introductory Russian Language for two and a half years. She is passionate about literature, language, and writing, and she is committed to creating an inclusive classroom environment where all learners can find success. Some of Amy’s interests are photography and art.
Nicole Treitz - Nicole currently holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Science and a B.Ed in Junior-Intermediate Education.
Prior to teaching at Little Mountain, Nicole dedicated her time to developing lesson plans and curriculum for several Canadian and international environmental organizations. Nicole’s experience is heavily focussed on education for sustainable development and the promotion of stewardship among youth.
With respect to teaching, Nicole’s passion resides in exploring issues of social justice with today’s youth. Above all, she prioritizes inclusive learning environments that promote student empowerment and confidence in learning.
Bernard Higham – Lead Instructor
Bernard Higham is originally from Edmonton, Alberta where he had worked as a daycamp and outdoor counsellor for over ten years. He studied Classical Archaeology for several years at the University of Alberta. While he was a graduate student, Bernard made his way to Southeast Asia to teach E.SL.
Bernard has over four years of experience teaching and organizing various levels of ESL: preschool/kindergarten, elementary curriculum, junior high school curriculum, and adult English (as well as beginner French). Bernard has a great passion for sharing his knowledge of writing and history, therefore he has especially focused on teaching writing and social-cultural courses.
Bernard loves to spend time walking his dog, hiking in the mountains, learning new words in different languages, travelling around the world, and most especially, reading many interesting books.
Nazanine Hozar - Born in Tehran Iran and an immigrant to Canada at the age of 7, Naz is very familiar with the challenges faced by international, ESL, and newly immigrant students alike.
Naz herself has had to overcome many of these same challenges and as a result has developed a deep appreciation for the English language, as well the other languages she has learned over the years, including French and Spanish. Naz has enthusiastically been teaching ESL and other subjects to both international and Canadian students for over four years. She has also attended Law school in England and is deeply passionate about teaching current events and politically relevant issues.
Stephanie Soroka - Originally from Toronto, Stephanie holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario and relocated to Vancouver to complete her B.Ed. in Elementary Education at the University of British Columbia. Her passions include creative writing, non-fiction literature and dance. She holds an advanced foundation certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance in Classical Ballet and is enthusiastic about creating an environment in which students can learn visually and kinaesthetically. Overall, her teaching philosophy focuses on teaching students to think, instead of memorize. In order to achieve this, she is student-focused, interactive and hands-on while engaging with relevant and current subject matter.
Little Mountain Learning Academy
transformative learning. real world achievement.
604 221 2363 | info@lmacademics.com