CLASSROOM MATTERS
Staff Biographies
To send a message to any of the tutors, just click the address next to his or her name. For inquiries, information or scheduling, send a message to shirley@classroommatters.com.
Please note that Classroom Matters is a tutoring center; all instruction and Supervised Study take place on site in Berkeley, CA.
Administrative Staff
Lisa Miller (Director, English, French)
Tutors
All of our staff is fully versed in study and organization skills in addition to their subject area specialties. Good study habits and organization are essential skills; we give them top priority no matter what subject we are teaching.
Lisa Miller (lisa at classroommatters dot com) was a popular and rigorous English and French teacher for six years at Berkeley High School. She was also responsible for the Yearbook. Lisa received her BA in French Literature, with a minor in English, from the University of California at San Diego and spent her junior year in France studying at the Sorbonne. She is very interested in French language and culture and travels to France whenever possible. Additionally, Lisa spent several years working for an SAT preparation program and is well versed in test-taking techniques. Lisa is also terrific at helping students with study skills. She has honed her skills not just as a classroom teacher, but through her experience working with individual students both as a tutor and as a teacher in BUSD's Independent Studies Program. Currently, as Director of Classroom Matters, Lisa draws on her experience as an educator and trainer to create an environment where every student can discover his or her own love of learning, both in and out of the classroom. Lisa designs study skills curriculum for Classroom Matters, travels to Bay Area schools offering workshops and trainings, and appears as a guest speaker at educational events. In addition to training tutors at Classroom Matters, she has worked as a new teacher coach and mentor for Oakland Unified School District.
Shirley Hasson (shirley at classroommatters dot com) was born and raised in Tel-Aviv, Israel. She joins our administration team bringing over nine years of experience in various companies and non profit organizations, including the Jewish Community Center in North Berkeley, where she was an Associate Director for the children’s department. At CM, her responsibilities include managing a challenging schedule and providing a safe and enriching environment for all our families. Shirley currently resides in Berkeley and is completeing her pre-requisite course work towards a Bachelor's degree in Nursing at NYU. To further her career goals and training, Shirley volunteers on a regular basis for organizations like VITAS, that support hospice patients. In her spare time, Shirley enjoys spending time in San Francisco, yoga and traveling as much as she can. Shirley is also an experienced tutor who enjoys working with K-5 students in reading and writing and with older students in Anatomy, organization and time management.
Molly Gerstein Gales, teacher and mentor, founded Classroom Matters in 1998 at the request of a parent. Molly provides a network of educational opportunities, resources, and tutors for junior high and high school students. Molly received her M.A. in English Education from Columbia University. She has taught at public high schools throughout the Bay Area. At Berkeley High School, Molly helped to create the 9th grade integrated core program and founded B.E.S.T., a successful program for second-semester seniors. At Serramonte High School in Daly City, Molly designed and implemented a complete project-based learning curriculum in all subject areas. While Molly was teaching at Irvington High School in Fremont, the school district requested that she share her innovative techniques with other teachers in a series of professional development workshops. She continued to train teachers in private workshops and as a Master Practitioner with the UCLA School Management Program, Bay Area. Although Molly does not participate in the daily operations of CM, she remains active as a consultant and continues to share her philosophy in workshops and staff trainings.
Cameron Cuchulainn was born in New York City and grew up in Oakland, California. He attended public schools in Oakland and the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated with highest honors and high distinction in general scholarship, earning his B.A. in Political Science. Cameron went on to work for the University's Educational Technology Services Department, and then served in the Peace Corps in Mozambique. As an education volunteer, Cameron taught English for two years to tenth graders at a Catholic bush school, coordinated a photojournalism group with a novel approach to fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS, and co-coached a high school English theater team. He currently tutors students in English, other humanities subjects, and prepares students for their AP examinations. Cameron is a superior speaker of Portuguese and an advanced speaker of Spanish. His twelve-year-old brother has ADHD, and the two work closely together on homework and building study skills outside of Classroom Matters. He has a creative approach to teaching and tutoring, and his personal interests include skateboarding, photography, literature, art, and contemporary music. In the future, Cameron plans to pursue a career as a photojournalist specializing in the Portuguese-speaking world.
Casey Busher Born, raised, and magnetically pulled back to Berkeley, Casey Busher is a Classroom Matters success story. With the help of the CM staff, she navigated her way through Berkeley High, SAT and AP testing, and the college application process. She recently graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz, with a BA in Literature and Creative Writing. While there, she wrote a novella about a young woman with whom she might have a few things in common. She has taught at-risk youth in Santiago, Chile, and is an advanced Spanish speaker. Casey tutors English, Spanish, and other humanities subjects, for test prep and the classroom. She also offers tools for effective study habits and general organization. In her spare time, Casey enjoys solving crossword puzzles, playing ping pong, and freestyle rapping.
Hilary Seeley graduated with honors from UC Berkeley with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, a self-designed major that combined American and French Literature, Art History, History, and Sociology. She spent the Spring of 2008 in Paris, France, studying French history, literature, and culture at the Sorbonne. Hilary has tutored students from ages 3 to 24 in various subjects, both in one-on-one and group settings. She is known to be extremely organized, understanding, and patient, and she loves to see a student's comprehension and enthusiasm for learning grow. In her free time, Hilary enjoys dancing (swing, ballet, and hip hop), singing, designing and making clothes, and traveling.
Jessica Engle graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in the History of Art and Architecture. She was a Regent's Scholar and part of the Honor's program at UCSB, and received the Academic Honors Award, Art History Chairperson's Award, and Research Promise Award along with induction to Phi Beta Kappa upon graduating. Jessica has tutored adults and kids of all ages in various subjects including, SAT prep, reading, writing and math. Jessica is now a Master's candidate at the California Institute of Integral Studies; she studies Drama therapy, and is delighted to be combining two of her greatest passions - theater and personal growth. Jessica has traveled around the world, performed for years as a singer and improvisational actress, and loves dancing, writing, and meditating.
Matt Criden who was born and raised on a kibbutz in Northern Israel, spent his childhood making friends with exchange students from all over the world. After serving in the army and the air force for three years, he moved to Berkeley. Matt is now a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Astro-Physics with a minor in Physics. Matt plans on attending medical school and potentially do some research while keeping Astro-Pysics as a life long hobby. In his spare time, Matt enjoys traveling; he has covered almost all of Europe and South America. Matt is a dedicated tutor with helpful and motivating techniques to help you love Physics and all things math related.
Matt Sharpnack who was born and raised in the Bay Area, began working with children at an early age in his mother's 2nd grade classroom. Throughout his high school years at Bishop O'Dowd, Matt worked many summers as a camp counselor before shifting toward education, tutoring, and mentoring. Since then, Matt enjoys engaging children in a fun and exciting learning environments. He graduated from UC San Diego with a BS in Psychology with an emphasis in Biology, and he has worked as an after-school enrichment teacher for ages K-5th for the past two years. Matt enjoys spending time with his students, and he is especially passionate about developmental education. He has great patience and skill in helping students understand concepts and processes. In his free time he enjoys basketball, soccer, golf, snowboarding, nature, video games, tinkering, and reading.
Maye Hong graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in Mass Communications and English Literature, concentrating on pop culture and folklore. She has over ten years of educational-assistance experience working in various school districts all over California from Long Beach to Sacramento to Oakland and now Berkeley. She has years of experience working with all age groups from preschool children to adults. Maye also has experience working with students with learning differences and special needs. She is also experienced is supplying enrichment for students above their grade level. Maye specializes in assessing students of their academic standing by checking grade level standards and supplementing areas of need. With her k-5 students, she specializes in phonemic awareness, beginning reading and writing, math development, and academic assessment. She emphasizes filling educational gaps in order to strengthen foundations and empower students. Her goal is to help students develop their love for learning and nurture positive aspects of their lives. Maye enjoys working with students to find their own personal learning style and loves finding new, fun, and creative methods of learning. Maye is also a trained test prep tutor for the SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE, HSPT, COOP, and TECH.
Meg Webb graduated with honors from Arizona State University with a BS in Biology and a minor in Child Development. She has been tutoring in the areas of mathematics, Biology, and Chemistry since high school, and plans to one day go to medical school to become a pediatrician with a special emphasis on Adolescent Medicine. In her spare time, Meg enjoys making trips back to Chicago, where she was raised, to spend time with her family, singing (mostly showtunes and Disney, she cautions), and watching dancing reality TV shows.
Meghan Hunt brings to Classroom Matters a love of traveling, discovering and learning. Recently returned from a semester at the National Autonomous University in Mexico City, she is back at Classroom Matters as a Spanish, English, History and Math tutor. Meghan has been working with children ever since she was one, helping in her mother's 3rd grade bilingual classroom and later becoming a camp counselor and summer school teacher. She is now a leader of a mentoring program at a Berkeley middle school and in her final year at UC Berkeley. She is a student of International Development with a minor in Spanish, and just completed a summer internship at the Food and Development Policy Institute in Oakland.
Michael DeMaio just graduated from UC Berkeley as an Applied Mathematics major. He has a strong passion for math and engineering, and a desire to teach and tutor youth of all ages. He has a diverse academic background with experience in tutoring history, Spanish, Chemistry, Physics and mathematics as a private tutor since the age of sixteen. Michael has worked for many youth academic camps, for multiple recreation departments, and spent time as a peer tutor for other students in mathematics and Chemistry at UC Berkeley. In the future, he hopes to go to graduate school in either teaching or engineering. In his free time, Michael enjoys playing and watching basketball and football and he works for Cal Athletics.
Rebecca Goodberg graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UC Berkeley with majors in Political Science and a self-designed interdisciplinary program combining English, Dramatic Art and Film. She's tutored students of all ages throughout California, with a focus on writing, reading comprehension and analytical thinking, has taught acting and directing at Bay Area schools and camps, and developed a popular summer playwriting workshop for seventh through twelfth grades. As a professional writer with more than a decade of creative and commercial experience, she especially enjoys helping young people use the power of language to shape their own voices.
Reem Javed received her BS in Biological Sciences from UC Davis, and her MS in Chemistry from San Diego State University. She has previously worked as a high school Chemistry teacher, and as a research associate doing cancer drug research in La Jolla, California. In addition, throughout her academic career, she has tutored students and small groups, primarily in science. Reem enjoys working with young people, helping them to understand and love the scientific world.
Yania Escobar is an undergraduate student at the University of California Berkeley. She plans to graduate with a Chemical Engineering degree and go on to Medical School to become a Trauma Surgeon. Yania has been tutoring in the areas of mathematics, Spanish and Chemistry since high school. She is very passionate about math and science and is a native Spanish speaker. Besides tutoring and going to school, Yania enjoys Capoeira, Soccer and reading fiction books.