Kara grew up in the Midwest where she gained her love of children and teaching. She earned her K-6 licensure in Elementary Education from Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota. She has a myriad of experience with students, including teaching in the classroom (grades 4, 5, and 6) and small group/1-1 tutoring. Her passion is establishing relationships with children of all ages, while discovering their interests and learning styles. Her greatest hope is to encourage and instill a love of learning, while finding strategies that allow students to feel the most successful they can be. In her free time, Kara enjoys yoga, nutrition, and spending time with her husband and son. They enjoy the outdoors, the beach, trying new foods, and cooking together.
Teacher
Specialties
K-12 Math & Science
SAT Math
Physics
Gabbie is an East Bay native with a wide range of educational experiences. She was diagnosed with ADD and a visual-auditory-processing disorder at 6 years old. She spent many school years in both the remedial and GATE or rapid learning classes. However, she fought her way through and achieved a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics from UCSC, the top Astrophysics program in the country.
Gabbie's teaching philosophy is that every person learns differently, and she loves finding methods that work for each student. She believes everyone can learn and make sense of any concept or formula with the proper help. Gabbie wants students to know that it does not matter if they have a learning disability, dyslexia, or just a good old fashioned hatred of numbers, she has got their backs.
Gabbie has worked with students ages 9 to 71, from the formal classroom to individual tutoring, online tutoring, and even outdoor education. Her passion for supporting students in math and science comes through with her sense of humor, intrinsic love of all math, and her philosophy that the more people comfortable with math and science the better the world will be!
Gabriel Flores
Kayla has worked in Early Childhood Education for over six years. Her positions have included indoor and outdoor teacher, sports instructor, and coach. She has experience in outdoor forest programs, preschool classrooms, and a variety of sports programs. She is also taking ECE classes to achieve a practitioner certificate.
Kayla's passion for working with young children stems from her belief in the person-centered approach to life and learning. She works with children on an individual level to help assess their needs and abilities, and uses a multitude of different approaches to help children achieve their own goals and milestones.
In her free time, Kayla enjoys playing with her cat Oliver, gardening, practicing yoga, and reading.
Teacher
The Right Approach To Education
Specialties
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Math K-9
Brandy is a native of Southern California living in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2016. Brandy received her bachelor of science in Kinesiology from California State University Fullerton. She then completed post-baccalaureate classes in chemistry, biology and physics leading her to a tutoring and teaching career focused on the subjects of chemistry, biology, and physics. Brandy is a recent graduate of University of San Francisco with a masters in teaching with an emphasis in urban education and social justice, and a teaching credential in chemistry.
Brandy believes all students can learn complex content with the proper study and organization skills. She loves to see the “light bulb” come on for students when they grasp difficult concepts and reach new goals. In her free time she likes to hike, dine at new restaurants, and visit new cities.
Education
B.A. Mathematics, San Francisco State University
Single Subject Math Teaching Credential
Education
B.S. Psychology, Santa Clara University
Professional Clear Multiple Subject Credential- College of Notre Dame
Staff
Education
B.A. in Communication Disorders from Holy Names College
M.A. in Communication Disorders as a Speech/Language Pathologist from CSU Stanislaus
Wilson Reading System Certification/Wilson Dyslexia Practioner
Specialties
K-6 Reading
Students with special needs, dyslexia
Gina Williams
Teacher
Jamie Govoni Hobe
Education
Currently pursuing a B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering, San Jose State University
Julia is a Redwood City native and was a part of the second ever graduating class of Everest Public High School. During high school, she had her first experience teaching the English language in Estelí, Nicaragua through the experiential education non-profit Global Glimpse. This 3-week cultural immersion had a profound impact on how she viewed the world and her relationship to it, instilling within her the desire to open young minds to our deep interconnectedness. This inspired her education at UC Santa Barbara where she double majored in Psychology and Sociology, or as she likes to call it, nature and nurture.
This educational background in social skills development is infused with her work with atypically functioning youth, teaching English language to international learners and somatic tracking/guidance with chronic pain patients. As a Registered Polarity Practitioner in training, Julia’s passion for holistic mental, emotional and physical health seamlessly blends into each student relationship she fosters. In her free time, Julia enjoys playing soccer, reading about our inner and outer worlds, and hanging out with trees.
Israel "Izzy" Chavez
Specialties
Math (All Levels)
College Advisor, Teacher
Christina was born and raised in the Bay Area. She attended Mercy High School in Burlingame and then went on to earn her B.A. in History and Psychology at Stanford University. After completing her undergraduate degrees, Christina worked for a college preparation program for students who, like herself, would be the first in their families to attend college. After almost four years of working with students and families, she went on to UC Davis School of Law where she earned her J.D. in 2008. Over the first five years of her career as an attorney she handled issues ranging from criminal law to labor and employment litigation in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. When not at TRA, she works for the federal government in civil rights enforcement matters.
Christina spends her spare time with her partner and her three very active children ages 20, 11, and 10. She loves to cook, travel, and dance to all types of music.
Julia Arsan
Specialties
K-12 English, Mindfulness, Students with Learning Disabilities
Kyle was born in Ohio, but grew up in the East Bay from age four. After finishing high school, Kyle went to SF State University where he studied plant biology. He then worked as a plant biologist for the US Forest Service near Yosemite National Park. Eventually, Kyle returned to SF State University where he earned a master’s degree in mathematics and spent several years teaching mathematics at SF State as a graduate student. In his free time, Kyle enjoys backpacking, disc golf, xbox, and stock market trading.
Specialties
Math (All Levels), Physics
TRA Founder & CEO, Teacher
Kayla Dzurek
Education
B.A. Elementary Education, Bethany Lutheran College
Education
B.A. Education, University of Vermont
CA Certified Teaching Credential
Waldorf Teacher Training, NAMC
Montessori Early Childhood Diploma
Education
B.A. History and Psychology, Stanford University
Doctorate of Jurisprudence, UC Davis Law School
Brandy Williams
Specialties
All Subjects (K-8), Writing & Literature (High School)
Christina González
Teacher
Eric was born and raised in the Sacramento area, then moved to the Bay Area shortly after high school. After spending time traveling, he decided to return to school to pursue his passion for literature. Once enrolled at UC Berkeley, Eric steeped himself in the environment of learning by studying creative writing, poetry, and Spanish in addition to literature. He created exchange groups for studying languages and offered tutoring for classmates as well.
It was at University that Eric fully realized his love for learning and his passion for helping others to achieve their academic goals. He lives for the moment when a student's face lights up with the mastery of a new idea. When not absorbed in a book, Eric enjoys writing, playing music, rock climbing, vegetarian cooking, and traveling--especially to destinations where he can practice his Spanish.
Gina taught special education for 34 years in San Mateo and Palo Alto and is now semi-retired. She enjoys teaching reading to all students from kindergarten through grade six. When she is not teaching, Gina can be found working in her garden, taking long walks with her husband and three little dogs, and catching up on her reading.
Teacher, Administrative Assistant
Gabriel was born, raised, and still lives in San Francisco. He recently received his B.A. in Mathematics with a concentration in teaching. He currently teaches mathematics for a distinguished school in the San Francisco Unified School District. Gabriel is passionate about teaching and mentoring and makes math fun and relevant for all students.
In his free time, Gabriel enjoys volunteering for various organizations and is a true SF Bay Area sports fan! He also plays in recreational baseball and basketball leagues.
Specialties
Early Childhood Education
Education
University of San Francisco B.A. Sociology
Specialties
Early Childhood, K-8 all subjects
Eric Elsea
Erika Stratz
Kyle Bradach
College Advisor, Teacher
Education
B.A. in Mathematics, San Francisco State University
B.A. in Ecology, San Francisco State University
M.A. in Mathematics, San Francisco State University
Specialties
English, Comprehension, Composition, Creative Writing, Test Prep, College Applications
Charlie Westly
Kara Talledge
Teacher
About Us
The Right Approach to Education provides Waldorf inspired 1-1 and small group tutoring to students in grades K-12 and beyond. We are a dedicated staff of credentialed teachers and specialists who work to understand the needs of each learner who walks through our doors. We integrate all learning styles and teach through movement, visual aids, music, and hands-on activities. This approach is so effective, we now work with students from over 50 Bay Area schools, and have helped over 950 families in not only academics, but also test preparation and education consultation.
Specialties
College Applications
English (Grades 9-12)
Israel "Izzy" was born & raised in the Bay Area. He attended Aragon High School in San Mateo and then went on to College of San Mateo; however, he is now at SJSU in his final two years of his undergraduate program. In addition to his bachelor's, he is pursuing a minor in Computer Science. In addition to tutoring at TRA, Izzy is interning as an engineer at Structural Integrity. Izzy takes pride in his academic and professional journey because it has been challenging, and yet, he has overcome adversity and is the first in his family to pursue higher education and title. Izzy is excited to bring his 6+ years of experience tutoring math for all age groups.
Charlie is a Bay Area native who discovered a passion for STEM at an early age. They enjoy puzzles and increasing their mathematical knowledge, but most of all they enjoy sharing their knowledge with others through teaching. Charlie has an A.S. in Mathematics as well as Physics from Foothill College and recently graduated with a BA in Mathematics for Teaching at SFSU.
When not practicing math and physics, Charlie likes to listen to and play music. Their favorite instrument is the ukulele, but they are also learning to play the guitar, mandolin, and drums.
Teacher
Specialties
Math (All Levels) and Physics, working with kids who "hate" math
Erika is a Bay Area native, living with her family just a mile from where she grew up in San Carlos. After graduating from Notre Dame High School, she studied psychology at Santa Clara University and received her elementary teaching credential from Notre Dame de Namur University. She began her career teaching middle school science, then went on to run her own third grade classroom in La Honda for several years. After starting a family, she job shared in kindergarten and first grade in San Carlos, tutored all ages, and later began teaching young children and supporting their parents at a co-op preschool. When she's not sharing her love of learning with students, Erika loves catching sunrise and sunset, walking barefoot on the beach, reading, cooking, raising chickens, learning to garden, and spending time with family and friends.
Education
A.S. Mathematics & Physics, Foothill College
B.A. Mathematics, San Francisco State University
Single Subject Math Teaching Credential (in-progress)
Gabbie Blachman
Education
B.A. English, UC Berkeley
The Right Approach was founded in 2010 by Jamie Govoni. Jamie is a graduate of the University of Vermont's prestigious child education program. She was named Student Teacher of the Year in 2002 by university faculty. Jamie moved to California in 2003 and taught middle school for four years. After becoming disenchanted with the state's insistence on teaching children based on standardized testing, Jamie sought alternative teaching methods. She has combined her training from a Bay Area Waldorf teaching program with her knowledge of traditional teaching styles, along with teaching students with learning disabilities, and SAT/ACT English and writing. She also has an ages 3-5 Montessori certificate, which helps when teaching her own small children at home.
Test Prep
SAT/ACT Math
Education
B.S. Astrophysics, UC Santa Cruz
Teacher
Teacher, Administrative Assistant
Specialties
Math (all levels)
Ecology
Teacher
Teacher
Education
BA in Sociology and Psychology UC Santa Barbara
200 Hr TEFL Certification
Peace Corps Prep—Youth in Development Certification
Polarity Practitioner in training
Specialties
K-7 All Subjects
Test Preparation: ISEE, HSPT