WASHINGTON D.C.

Chloe Amore Kaplan is a native Washingtonian with two decades of experience in the education field. With a Master’s Degree in Childhood Education from NYU and a Bachelor's in Child Development from Tufts University, Chloe is a former classroom teacher with a background in launching enrichment programs. 

Chloe began to develop ideas for after school programs while attending high school at Sidwell Friends School and went on to become a University College of Citizenship and Public Service Scholar at Tufts University, where she created tutoring and mentoring programs in the Boston area. After graduating with a degree in Child Development, Chloe became a teacher at Horace Mann Elementary School in DC. She later earned a Masters in Elementary Education from NYU, teaching at public schools across the city during her time there. 

After teaching Kindergarten back at Horace Mann for several years, Chloe launched Amore Learning in 2016 to bring a love of learning to children and families in the DC area. 

A fourth generation Washingtonian, Chloe currently lives in Georgetown with her husband, son, and dog.

Lizzie Pichowicz is a dynamic special education teacher who makes learning accessible, fresh, and inspiring for her students. 

She graduated from the University of Maryland with her B.S. in Elementary & Middle Special Education, where she taught at The Center For Young Children. Currently, Lizzie is a full-time Learning Disabilities Teacher & Reading Interventionist in Falls Church, VA. She is also a Fien Reading Fellow at the University of Florida as she pursues her M.Ed in Reading & Dyslexia Education remotely. 

Lizzie’s known to cultivate “all the good vibes'' with her learners and their families! You can find her on Instagram @the.good.vibes.teacher.

Aya, a Tennessee native, is currently a 3rd-grade elementary school teacher and tutor with over 7 years of experience. 

Aya is passionate about helping students develop a love for learning by creating enriching and inclusive learning environments. She finds joy in helping young scholars build confidence and a solid understanding of core subjects. 

She holds a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. 

Aya enjoys traveling, trying out new recipes, and playing brain games (especially Sudoku).

Bright Djikunu is a finance professional pursuing a Master’s in Financial Analytics at American University’s Kogod School of Business. In addition, Bright is preparing for both the Financial Risk Management Professional (FRM) exam and the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam. He has a passion for teaching children in his spare time, combining his love for learning with community service. 

An avid volleyball player and hiker, he enjoys staying active and adventurous. Bright also finds joy in cooking, exploring the intersection of creativity and precision both in the kitchen and in his professional life.

Emily is a Kindergarten teacher in her second year teaching professionally! 

She is originally from Pittsburgh, PA. Emily is an alumni of Slippery Rock University where she studied Early Childhood Education and Special Education with a minor in Professional Spanish. 

She loves to read books, go on walks with her pug Tulip, and try out new recipes!

Grace Buchanan is currently a student at American University studying International Relations. 

Originally from the suburbs of Detroit, Grace spent much of her middle and high school years tutoring students. Last summer, Grace worked in the education department of a small farm in Long Island teaching children of all ages about environmental and food systems. 

Grace, a fluent Spanish speaker, is excited to bring her passion for education to the Amore team!

Jade is a licensed Occupational Therapist with a master's degree from Chatham University and a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Exercise Science. 

Jade is a problem-solver by nature and enjoys finding creative and personalized ways to help children find success, belonging, and joy in their daily lives. 

She is currently a school-based practitioner who provides therapy to children from PK3-8th grade with fine motor, visual perception, and sensory processing differences that impact their educational experience. 

Before finding her love for school-based OT, Jade worked as an acute care therapist within the hospital system, treating children and adults with a variety of illnesses and injuries. 

In her free time, you can find Jade teaching spin classes, spending time with her family, and trying out DC's newest restaurants.

Jenna Levy, a graduate from the University of Maryland with a BS in Marketing, brings energy and creativity to her work with children in a unique capacity. 

With over 6 years of childcare experience, she has the most fun when she’s helping elementary aged students unlock new skills they’d never think to try. 

As an OnSite Specialist for Stryker, Jenna is most passionate about finding solutions for children’s mental and physical well-being. She loves to bridge STEM with the arts when teaching children for an immersive experience!

Katherine Randolph is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds a degree in American Studies with a thesis speciality in Children’s Literature. She started her career working in communications at Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School and currently works as a teacher in DCPS. 

A Texas native, Katherine loves writing, snuggling with her cats, and playing softball with friends. As a teacher, she finds joy in helping students improve their writing, giving children tools to process their emotions, and meeting young learners where they are for engaging and exciting instruction.

Keandra is originally from Columbia, South Carolina. She attended the University of South Carolina, graduating with a degree in Public Health. 

Currently, Keandra is a DC classroom teacher and attends GWU, pursuing a Master's in Public Health. In the future, she has ambitions to work in health policy. 

In her free time, she loves to cook, explore DC, and read about different topics in public health.

Kelsi Pilcher’s passion for tutoring and mentoring began during her undergraduate years at Western Kentucky University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a Minor in English and served as a peer tutor in the University’s Student Support Services. 

During law school at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Kelsi continued to tutor peers and worked with several professors in creating course curriculum. Since 2015, Kelsi has tutored and mentored K-12 students in all subjects with an emphasis in reading, phonics, and writing. 

She is an advocate for literacy and education and encourages her students to enjoy learning.

Kristen joins Amore Learning with twelve years experience in a Bethesda elementary school as a teacher in Kindergarten, First grade and as an enrichment instructor. Kristen has spent the last eight years working one-on-one as a tutor to private and parochial school students and has found herself in the classrooms of every grade from Pre-K to 8th as a substitute teacher. 

She specializes in the Orton Gillingham approach to reading instruction, having completed the program and receiving her certification. Kristen prides herself on her appreciation of different styles of learning and considers perhaps her greatest teaching achievement the building of literacy skills in struggling readers. 

When she’s not tutoring, she devotes her time to her husband Eric and their four sons. And when she’s not with her family, her free time is usually spent in one form of physical activity or another, and almost always outdoors or in a yoga studio. 

A native Washingtonian, Kristen graduated Georgetown Visitation high school, received a degree in Economics from Rollins College, and then went on to complete her masters degree in Administration.

Madison Parker, a senior at American University, is pursuing double majors in Business and Political Science. With a dedication to empowering youth in an ever-evolving world, Madison has previously contributed to nonprofit initiatives like Kode with Klossy, aimed at teaching young women coding skills. 

Her diverse experience includes working with student-run organizations, a private consulting business, and the U.S. Government. An enthusiastic "Swiftie," Madison is thrilled to join the Amore team for its Swiftie Dreams course!

Meghan Bracewell is our compassionate and committed educational consultant. Meghan specializes in school selection support, interview prep, essay editing, and more. Her
favorite part of working with families is helping them navigate the wide array of educational opportunities in the DMV to determine which is the best fit for their child's learning style. Over the years, Meghan has been thrilled to have worked with clients who gained admissions to Sidwell, WIS, Landon, Stone Ridge, Primary Day, Beauvoir, St. John’s, St. Patrick’s, Mater Dei, and more.

Mostafa has over ten years of experience as a special education teacher. Mostafa has lived in Iran, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, and now the US for over a decade. 

He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering and is fluent in Persian. Now he teaches K-9 math, science, English, and social studies, specializing in comprehension, retention, and test-taking. 

He also has extensive experience supporting students with special needs such as dyslexia, ADHD, and ASD.

Rachel Jamieson (she/her) has been teaching early childhood education since 2009.  She holds a Master's in Early Childhood General and Special Education from Bank Street College in NYC. She sees early childhood education as primarily a practice of care-- helping a child who just scraped their knees is as educational as helping a child gain knowledge of a new concept.  

Her teaching style includes trauma-informed teaching, relationship-based learning, and anti-racist and LGBTQIA-affirming practices.  She lives in DC with her cat, Turnip, and when she is not teaching, she trains at a circus studio in aerial sling and partner acrobatics!

Sharon Morgenthaler holds a BA in Literature (The American University), a Master's Degree in Reading Specialization (University of the District of Columbia) and a PhD in Education Administration (The American University). 

She has provided instruction and educational support to elementary, high school, and college students and also adults in community-based settings. 

Sharon is an avid reader (old fashioned real books!) and also enjoys gardening, golf, and her cat and dog.

Todd is an elementary school teacher with a certification to teach English language learners. He works with students who have a variety of learning styles and challenges and knows how to connect with them and make lessons fun and meaningful. 

Todd has a Bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Louisiana State University, a Master’s degree in Urban Policy and Leadership from Hunter College and certification in teaching from Moreland University. He is a lifelong learner whose experiences include managing parks in New York City and rebuilding neighborhoods in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina through a fellowship from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Probably his most challenging and rewarding role has been as a father to two daughters. Todd believes that the classroom is not only for academics but a place where students learn to advocate for themselves and develop the social and emotional skills needed to succeed in life. 

When he’s not in the classroom, he is either hanging out with his family or throwing the ball with his dogs, Seven and Izzy.

Liz Rosenberg comes to Amore with over a decade of experience teaching in D.C. charter schools. She taught in an inclusion classroom and has extensive experience working with students with ADHD, dyslexia, Down Syndrome, autism, and speech and language disorders. 

She has a Masters in Early Childhood Teaching and is a Phi Beta Kappa member from her undergraduate experience at Oberlin College where she studied Sociology. As a passionate mentor, Liz had multiple student teachers in her classroom whom she loved to guide and support at the beginning of their own teaching careers. 

Liz is fluent in Spanish and Italian, and continues her work as a polyglot studying French, Hebrew, and ASL. Liz also specializes in observing infant, toddler, and preK classrooms in the DMV. 

In her consulting work, Liz specializes in supporting parents to understand how a child learns to read, how to communicate effectively with classroom teachers and understand developmental milestones. 

In her free time, you can find Liz deepening her yoga practice as a certified instructor or fiercely cheering on the Washington Nationals with her family.

Andrew is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with bachelor's degrees in mathematics and political science. As an educator, Andrew encourages creativity in the classroom and prioritizes the development of problem-solving intuition. In particular, as a mathematician, Andrew believes in making math more approachable to students and that anyone can become "a math person"! In his free time, you can find Andrew working on a math problem, out on a run, or playing with his dog Barney.  He also loves to try new restaurants and is always looking for recommendations!

Bianca N. Morales Silva is a passionate educator with years of intense training and hands- on experience in the Performing Arts. As a violinist, singer, dancer, and educator of over 15 years, her expertise encompasses a wide range of genres from Classical music to Latin, Jazz, R&B, Folk, Pop and more. She obtained her Bachelor of Music, dual concentration in Violin and Vocal performance, from the University of New Mexico, where she also received her pedagogical training, became a registered Suzuki Association of the Americas member and instructor, with Suzuki Teacher training certifications (ECC & Units 1-5). 

As a native bilingual (Spanish and English) bicultural and biliterate teacher, Bianca has worked all over the world in diverse environments, for many educational institutions (State Ministry of Culture, State Arts Agencies, Churches, Music Conservatory prep-schools, Public schools, Charter Schools, Music Academies, International schools, etc.), and with all types of students (Early childhood, Special Education, General K-12, At-risk youth, Adult Education and Elderly students). She strongly believes in teaching valuable life skills through the arts, embracing heritage exploration, cultural appreciation, as well as the importance of acceptance, inclusivity, respect, and self-growth. 

As a Fine Arts instructor, she is experienced with curriculum writing, virtual online learning, teaching self-contained and general inclusion classrooms, multicultural students of all ages, as well as students with cognitive disorders and other disabilities. 

In her free time, Bianca is a Salsa dance instructor, enjoys reading a good book, visiting family, baking and going to the beach.

Carol Lucarelli is a native of Bethesda, Maryland and currently lives in D.C. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a major in journalism. Growing up, she spent many summers being a camp counselor. She also taught preschool for a few years. She received her Masters in Education from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She has taught 5th and 6th grade in Fairfax County Public Schools, and is currently a 5th and 6th grade math teacher at The Woods Academy in Bethesda. Carol enjoys working with students of all ages, and especially helping those getting ready for middle school. She loves supporting students to realize their full potential and believes that math and reading should be lots of fun!

Farah Bueno, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, grew up in Istanbul and she has lived, studied and worked in Washington, DC for the past 20 years. 

She holds a BS in Business Administration with a focus on International Business and an MBA, both from American University in Washington, DC. She has served as a board member of Kutes Ironworks, a leading casting and metal foundry in Istanbul, Turkey. 

She discovered her passion for teaching through experience tutoring in elementary mathematics and more recently through her role as a substitute teacher at St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School, where she works with children from ITC to 5th grade in various subjects.

Farah currently lives in DC, with her husband and two daughters. 

Graciela Rey is a Helen Hayes nominated actor, dancer, and educator who has performed in upwards of 20 professional productions. 

She has held a residency with DC Public Schools, led a masterclass workshop for the DC commission on the Arts and Humanities (DC CAH) and was a teacher on Harvard Project Zero’s ‘Children are Citizens’ initiative. She has choreographed or directed over 15 educational productions and has served as a grant panelist for the (DC CAH) dance fellowship. 

Graciela has instructional experience in elementary, secondary, and collegiate settings and is passionate about arts education!

Jakob Moberly was born and raised in the Chicagoland area and finished his education at the University of Kansas, studying music therapy and musicology. 

As a multi-instrumentalist, he focuses on the importance of studying the music elements and their impact on learning about sound, music, and the functional organization of music skills that cross over into other parts of life: teamwork, listening, cooperation, confidence, independence, and more. 

Jakob continues to pursue his career working as a music clinician and mentor, while also applying his skills in orchestral performances, compositional writing, and music research.

Jenny Medvene-Collins is a native Washingtonian and has been an elementary school educator for over sixteen years. 

At the start of her career, Jenny earned her Masters in Childhood General Education from Bank Street College of Education. During her fifteen years as a classroom teacher, Jenny also worked as a reading specialist for grades first through third at Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC and enjoyed being a mentor teacher for the Teacher Training Center during her time at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Following classroom teaching, Jenny worked as an Executive Function Coach and earned her Orton-Gillingham Certification. She is passionate about early literacy and is excited to help more students discover their many strengths and find magic in the learning process. 

Outside of her education career, Jenny enjoys practicing mindfulness, exploring the outdoors with her family, and running long distances!

Kavita Maharajh-Ali holds a degree from the School of International Service at American University. Her primary thematic area is International Development, and her secondary is Comparative Governance. 

She has a certificate in Global Human Rights from the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey School of Law, and a certificate in Implementing Sustainable Development Goals from Foundation for Environmental Stewardship. 

Kavita is proficient in Chinese, Spanish, and English, and is taking on her fourth language, Czech. She has worked with NGOs centered around helping youth in a developmental capacity and loves inspiring children through teaching.

Keisha Henderson is an alumna of Howard University, where she studied education. After graduating, she embarked on a fulfilling career in teaching, which has spanned over 26 years. 

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., she has always had a deep connection to this vibrant city and its diverse communities. She strongly believes in the power of education to empower students and shape their futures. 

Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to fostering strong community relationships that support and uplift her students. By creating a nurturing and inclusive environment, she strives to help each student reach their full potential and achieve success.

Kevin Nguyen is currently a sophomore at American University studying Finance with a

minor in Accounting through the Kogod School of Business. He has served as a

management consultant for a nonprofit organization, helping to contextualize donor and

volunteer data to improve the organization’s reach and exposure. He also works for Kogod’s

Center of Professionalism and Communications as a Peer Consultant, aiding in the

revision of student essays, e-tutoring sessions, and in-class final project presentation

practices. 

Kevin is also a Lenfest Scholar, a Finalist in the Emerging Technology Cup at

Kogod, and honored on the Dean’s List at Kogod. In his free time, Kevin loves to try new

restaurants and go for runs across DC.

Laura Howell is the founder of Laura Howell Social Coaching, LLC, which she launched after nearly three decades as an early childhood educator at Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC. While teaching third grade, she also served as a social-emotional liaison between students, staff, and faculty. In her current role as a social coach, she practices the Social Thinking methodology, working with students in both small groups and 1:1 settings to support their social learning. When teaching social competencies, Laura focuses on the whole child, incorporating their interests and strengths into her lessons to foster strong personal connections and an atmosphere of success. She believes that all children would benefit from learning more about the complicated social world. Laura earned her B.A. in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Tufts University.

As a native New Yorker and lover of education, Maryam is beyond excited to be a part of Amore Learning! She is an enthusiastic and passionate elementary educator that brings a holistic approach to her teaching. 

She currently works as a Math Interventionist/Specialist at Basis DC. In addition to her vast experience in education, she holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Johns Hopkins University. 

In her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, and trying out new recipes!

This is Michael's tenth year as an educator and second year teaching in D.C.! He received his bachelor's degree in Mathematics at James Madison University, along with a masters in Education. Over the course of his career, Michael has taught 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade. Outside of education, he loves to attend concerts and the Washington Spirit games. In the summers, he enjoys hiking.

Nistha Dube was born in New Delhi, India, and raised in the Northern Virginia area. Holding a B.S. in Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience from Virginia Tech University, Nistha's mission is to empower individuals to cultivate intentionality and purpose in their everyday lives. 

While she loves helping students with all different content, Nistha specializes in executive functioning and emotional regulation. Nistha is fluent in Hindi and Spanish, and is currently learning French and Italian. 

In her free time, you can find her doing yoga, dancing, writing, or traveling. She aims to bring self-discovery techniques to education systems so that our youth are better equipped with techniques for emotional regulation and self-awareness.

Samantha is from the Philadelphia, PA area. She has her Bachelors of Science (B.S.) in Education, as well as her Masters (M. A.) in Education, both from James Madison University. She is currently a third grade teacher in Falls Church, VA. 

She loves to work with students of varying abilities and makes her lessons unique and engaging, to ensure the best quality education for her students.

In her free time, she is playing with her cat, working out, and spending time outdoors. 

Starr Foster received her first tennis racket from the late great Arthur Ashe when she was four years old, and has had a passion for the game ever since.

She teaches kids how to crush it on the courts and also the importance of being a true "Starr Player" through a curriculum developed in honor of Ashe, which combines on-court tennis skills and drills with court-side journaling and conversation about bravery, sportsmanship, respect, and kindness. 

Starr is also the co-founder of StarrMark Academy.

Yofti is a recent college graduate with a degree in Computer Science. He has tutored students at various capacities ever since he was in high school. He is highly driven to see students reach their full academic potential. 

A programmer by trade, Yofti runs a website called Huddlers-dot-dev, which is a tool for building decentralized social platforms. He is also an avid fan of the Arsenal Football Club and loves great movies.

Abby Maslin is a passionate and seasoned educator with a remarkable 15-year career in public schools, with certifications in elementary and special education. 

Her forte lies in crafting engaging language arts curricula and fostering the growth of young writers. As an accomplished author, Abby's belief in empowering students to become active partners in their learning journey is evident through her dedication to building strong relationships and nurturing their unique strengths. 

She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Mary's College of Maryland and master's degrees in Creative Arts Therapy from Drexel University and Elementary Education from American University. 

You can read more about Abby at abbymaslin.com.

Anika is a sophomore at American University and originally from California. Her hobbies include drawing, cooking, and dancing. Anika has worked as a tutor for over 6 years teaching Math, English, History, and Business. 

In addition to English, Anika speaks Gujarati, Marathi, and Hindi! She's excited to be a part of Amore and eager to pass on her knowledge!

Brielle Franckowiak is an undergraduate student at American University pursuing a BA in International Studies and a BS in Economics. Throughout high school, Brielle tutored students of all ages, teaching various subjects, including writing and science. She has also worked on several international volunteer projects. These vary from providing medical infrastructure to expanding educational facilities to help all kids access an education. 

Brielle’s passion isn’t limited to education, as she’s studied theater, piano, and music theory for a decade. She’s worked as a teacher in the arts, helping students grow their love for music and performance. As a teacher, Brielle loves encouraging students to feel confident and find their passion for learning!

Casey is a Virginia native and teacher of six years. 

She started her teaching career in Harlan, Kentucky, where she taught 6-8 grade language arts for three years with Teach For America. Casey then moved to D.C. and earned a master's in Education and Human Development from George Washington University. 

She strives to cultivate a love of reading in all her students and is so happy to have found a home here at Amore!

Geoff Wheeler has been working with children of all ages to build their academic skills in homes and in schools for the past 20 years. He is thrilled to be a part of the Amore team and use the skills he has learned over the years to help students grow!

He enjoys creating the types of dynamic, engaging lessons that he would have wanted to experience as a student and believes that all learners benefit from clear, scaffolded instruction and creative content that incorporates their interests and skills. 

Geoff has a Master’s in Special Education from The Ohio State University and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. 

In his free time, Geoff loves traveling to new countries, learning songs on the piano, and playing basketball and tennis. 

A native Washingtonian, India has been in education for over 14 years. 

Most of her experience is in Early Childhood Education. 

She specializes in early literacy education and currently teaches at Langdon Elementary School in Ward 5.

Jenna is a Speech-Language Pathologist with a M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from The George Washington University. She currently works as a preschool and elementary age SLP in the schools, where she evaluates and treats children who are diagnosed with a myriad of medical and developmental conditions. 

Prior to becoming an SLP, Jenna was an elementary school teacher for seven years. During her time as a classroom teacher she discovered her passion for working with students with communication needs. 

Jenna believes that functional, individualized therapy not only impacts the child but empowers their family too. Additionally, she has worked in the early intervention field for the past five years. Jenna’s expertise lies with children who benefit from support related to language development, articulation needs, stuttering and social skills development. 

If you were to ask Jenna what the best part of her day is, she would probably say it is watching young children develop and learn, so that they can fully participate in family, community life, and live out a life they truly desire.

Karen Bralove, a native Washingtonian, is a graduate of Holton-Arms School and Vassar College. 

She created the Drama Dept. in the Upper School at Sidwell Friends and taught there for 24 years. For the past several years she has been substitute teaching at Sidwell in both the Lower School and Middle School. 

She feels energized working with the youngest kids. What could be more fun than finding things in the classroom that begin with the letter "B?" She lives in Bethesda with her dog, Bellina, and luckily, lives 10 minutes away from all 4 of her grandkids.

Kaylee received a Bachelor’s in Political Science and spent her first year out of college in Charleston, SC as an AmeriCorps VISTA working with local elementary education and food assistance programs. Kaylee also earned a Master’s in International Development from The Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals in Barcelona, Spain before changing paths to work in natural resource conservation and lead AmeriCorps youth crews with the U.S. Forest Service. 

Currently, Kaylee lives in Arlington, VA with her cat, Cashew. She works for the National Park Service in an outdoor recreation grant program and loves helping communities develop new parks and outdoor recreation opportunities. In her free time, you can find her riding her bike, in yoga class, or out on a hike.

Keisha Harris is a native Washingtonian who began her time in the classroom working with CityYear, an AmeriCorps program in 2009. During that experience, she fell in love with education and volunteering. 

Keisha has been teaching for 12 years and began her career in Pre-K. She is currently a first-grade teacher at Lafayette ES.

Khadija Sahib was born in Morocco and raised between France and Morocco. She is a native speaker of French and Arabic. She has 8 years of teaching experience. Ms. Khadija is an AP/IB French literature teacher, and French1, French2, French3 teacher with MCPS. 

She studied Physics and Chemistry at University Abdelmalek Essaadi at Tetouan Morocco and also studied la littérature française at University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg VA. Ms Khadija is a lifelong learner and is pursuing her M.Ed at George Mason University.

Lauren’s teaching style has been described as clear, calm, and confident. Her practice combines elements of nature with yoga movement and philosophy. She incorporates various yoga styles, including Hatha, Vinyasa, InLighten, and somatic techniques. Lauren teaches both adults and children, skillfully tapping into her intuition to make her classes relatable to all ages and levels. She remains open to adapting to the energy of the day, bringing a unique, playful style to each session. Lauren includes music, art, and dance in her classes, sharing her contagious enthusiasm and love of yoga with her students.

When she’s not teaching, Lauren enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, two teenage children, and their dog, Olive. She also cherishes quiet moments reading or taking long walks.

Maura Barry is an experienced elementary teacher with a love of incorporating mindfulness into her teaching. 

Maura graduated from Miami University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and a certificate in Teaching English Language Learners in 2013. 

Maura taught as a classroom teacher in Kindergarten, First, Second grade, ESL, special education resource teacher. 

Maura is the proud new mom to baby Connor and loves spending time with her dog Sonny!

Coach Michael Johnson is a DC native who received a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science and Fitness Management from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and he has taught Physical Education in Washington, DC for more than 5 years. 

He has a tremendous passion for teaching children how to actively engage in learning different sporting activities, and for encouraging men of color to stay in the classroom. You can catch Coach Mike on the courts and fields at Volta Park coaching basketball and soccer!

Rachael Rabinovitz is originally from Massachusetts, and has lived in Virginia for just over a year. She has been teaching young children for fifteen years, and has her Masters Degree in Elementary Education. 

She is an actress in theatre and film, and has an enormous love and passion for the arts. She loves helping children become confident in their skills, and curious, engaged learners.

Originally from Ethiopia, Selam earned her Bachelors degree in Public Health from the University of Maryland and is currently pursuing her Masters in Database Information Systems. 

Selam has over 5 years of tutoring experience and specializes in math instruction.

Tawny joins Amore Learning with over 10 years of educational experience as a board licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant. Tawny has primarily worked in the elementary school setting but has experience working with pre-K to high school students. 

Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Tawny graduated from University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology. Tawny's natural extroversion and 'student-first' mindset has earned her a reputation as a collaborative partner in each of the schools she has worked in. Her greatest joys while working with individuals is seeing confidence spark from practice and perseverance and encouraging curiosity in learning and growth. 

Outside of school, Tawny enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, Rob, and her two rescue pups--Ollie and Maggie. When she is not with her family, Tawny can always be found at her barre3 fitness studio or wandering the aisles at her local grocery store looking for her next plant-based recipe!