Richard is a very experienced elementary teacher.  He enjoys working with students to build confidence by employing various teaching strategies.  By developing a positive and fun learning environment, he believes students can achieve successful results. He has taught for many years in elementary schools in Halifax and at two independent schools in Ottawa.  Richard is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, The University of New Brunswick (B.Ed.) and the University of Ottawa (MPE).

With a background in Physical Education, Richard believes in daily physical activity.  He stays active by cycling, skating, treadmilling, and Nordic Walking.  He places emphasis on sharing time with family and friends, reading, and collecting books.

He joined the Open Door to be a player on a team which aims to make a difference in the lives of students by building a strong foundation of learning habits.

Jessica graduated from the University of Ottawa with a B.A. degree major in Second Language Teaching. She went on to obtain her Bachelor of Education at Tyndale University College and Seminary.  After graduating, she took some time to travel and work as a classroom teacher in the United Kingdom.  Jessica has worked in a variety of schools with different types of classroom settings, environments, and demographics.

Jessica loves to see the world and travel. When she has free time, she loves to bake and tends to be making something sweet in the kitchen.

She started working with The Open Door because she loves being able to help students reach their full potential. She loves helping students to gain the skills they need to succeed.

Matthew Gallina is an elementary school teacher who loves connecting with students while helping them to overcome challenges.  He obtained his B.A. at the University of Windsor, and his Bachelor of Education at Nipissing University.  He has 7 years experience teaching students in Northern Saskatchewan, and has worked with children who speak English as a Second Language.

Matthew became a father in July 2017, and relocated with his wife from La Loche, Saskatchewan to Ottawa, in order to be closer to family.  He is passionate about education, and wants to influence and inspire every student that he teaches.

He decided to work for The Open Door because he knows that the most important and rewarding part of his role as educator is to help and mentor students who are struggling, and then to celebrate with them as they make progress.

Krista is passionate about helping students to reach their full potential, to develop a love of learning and to continue to pursue it. Krista earned a Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University, a Bachelor degree in Administrative Studies from Western University and a certificate in French Language Studies from Carleton University. She started teaching French and then began homeschooling her 3 very different learners through their educational journey. From adapting and developing curriculum to help her children learn, understand, and love each subject, Krista became dedicated to identifying each student’s learning style and adapting the teaching to their individual strengths.

Krista and her family spent a decade living overseas in the Middle East. There Krista founded and chaired a homeschooling association in partnership with many families from different cultures, nations, faiths and experiences. Through many shared learning opportunities, Krista realized how many different ways there are to teach and learn yet how much we all have in common with one another despite our outward differences. Krista loves to create, whether it’s art, photography or handicrafts. Being creative is very important to her well-being and her need to express herself and engage with the world around her. Along with her family, Krista loves to travel, camp and visit family and friends. Spending time together learning or trying new things is always a highlight of any vacation or holiday.

She is excited to be working at The Open Door so she can help more students reach their full potential, love learning and see success.

Janet Doyle is a teacher with many years of experience with students of all ages from kindergarten to adult. She enjoyed a very successful career in England as an elementary classroom teacher, then in Alberta as an English teacher, instructor and mentor in a community college.

Her hobbies include singing with the Ottawa Choral Society, reading, playing piano and saxophone, keeping young with yoga, and walking her little dog, Benji.

The decision to work with Open Door Education was an easy one. It is a wonderful opportunity to empower students with the gift of language.

Stephanie is an Ontario Certified Teacher who holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa. She is an elementary teacher in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and has a partial qualification in Special Education.

She is a passionate educator that believes in making all children feel respected and valued. She strives to inspire students to become compassionate and responsible citizens, that have a sense of global citizenship and stewardship. She aims to engage all learning styles and provide various opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and understanding. When she is not teaching, Stephanie is spending as much time as possible outdoors.

Stephanie has been teaching with Barton Reading and Spelling program for several years. She joined the Open Door to help more students on an individual basis, to build strength and confidence with reading and spelling.

Thirty years ago, Faith’s father registered her in a Leadership-in-Training program at the Westmount YMCA in Montreal where she began her career teaching children. Faith worked for the “YMCA” for many years teaching in several programs such as camp, after-school coordinator, preschool art and gymnastics. At the age of 25, Faith began her preschool career working at Miss Vicky’s Nursery School where she spent a better part of ten years teaching their preschool program. During this time, Faith attended school part time at Concordia University studying towards a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Child Studies. In 2002, Faith moved with her family from Montreal to Ottawa. For a few years, she worked towards finishing her degree and raising her two children. Faith started teaching at a small Preschool in Orleans where she worked for fourteen years finishing her career as the Director of the facility in December 2018. In 2009, she was accepted into Teachers College at the University of Ottawa where she graduated with Honours in June 2010. Over the years, Faith used both teaching degrees to create program planning for her young students, to start the assessment process for those children who were not learning at their full potential at the preschool level and to ensure that these children where provided services that would help them integrate into the elementary school system comfortably.

Faith is very excited about working with children one on one using the Barton System because she loves seeing them grow and gain the confidence needed to learn how to read.

Mindy Merkley is an elementary school teacher of 30 years. Retired from teaching Grades 3 through to 8, Mindy is presently putting her teaching skills to work, tutoring students of a variety of ages. A graduate of McMaster University in Physical and Health Education as well as the Queen’s University Bachelor of Education Program, Mindy has extensive experience working with students of various learning needs. Her Special Education Part 2 qualifications have supported her throughout her teaching career.

An avid outdoor enthusiast, Mindy participates in a variety of sports. She also likes to show her creative side by making yard art for the Christmas season. As a volunteer in her community, Mindy raises funds for children both in her home town as well as other areas in Canada.

Mindy is excited to start working with The Open Door because she enjoys making a difference in young people’s lives. She enjoys supporting students through the learning process and seeing their own confidence improve with their abilities.

Amanda is an educator who loves working with youth outside of the typical walls of a classroom setting. She works to ensure that her teaching is inclusive for all students.

She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Mcgill University and a Bachelor of Education from University of Ottawa. She has worked one-on-one with students with learning challenges in New Zealand, she also led programming for gifted students and learners who have dyslexia and autism.

She enjoys travelling, cooking new recipes and spending time with her dog Henri.

Amanda started working with The Open Door because she wanted to help students overcome barriers they may be facing and help them grow their self-confidence to reach their full potential.

Andrew recently completed his PhD in the Philosophy of Cognitive Science at the University of Ottawa and previously completed a Masters in Inter-Disciplinary Humanities at Trinity Western University, Langley, BC.

He has taught lower-level undergraduate students since 2013, mostly teaching courses in Ethics and Critical Thinking. While at Trinity Western University, he also taught undergraduate students in the Extension Program, a program designed in part to serve students with special needs. That experience required developing new types of curriculum and evaluation, often tailored to specific individual needs.

Andrew enjoys reading, writing, and playing games with his wife and kids.

He is passionate about the Open Door because of its effective method of teaching students, particularly the Barton System for Reading and Spelling and the one-on-one interaction between student and tutor.

Amanda is an educator who is currently working towards her B.Ed. in primary/junior education at The University of Ottawa after receiving her B.A. in English Language and Literature from Western University. She has worked at in Early Childhood and various after-school programs, where she has learned a lot about different learning styles and teaching methods. She has also worked as a softball pitching instructor where she was able to merge two of her favourite things, softball and teaching.

She enjoys playing and watching sports, hiking, reading books, and exploring new places.

Amanda is thrilled to be working at The Open Door and believes that every child deserves the opportunity to learn in a way that makes sense to them, and allows them to succeed. She looking forward to helping her students learn and grow in a comfortable and inclusive environment.

Madison is completing her degree Cognitive Science with a specialization in Language and Linguistics at Carleton University. She loves supporting students and helping them build their confidence as they reach their full potential. She also has experience working with individuals in the DeafBlind community by helping them to engage and participate in everyday activities. She has worked one-on-one with students as a tutor as well as a part of the Kaleidoscope volunteer program.

She enjoys travelling, being active, and baking in her spare time.

Madison started working with the Open Door because she enjoys working with others and understands that every child has a unique way of learning. She also is looking forward to gaining additional experience working with children and assisting them to overcome any challenges they may be facing.

Meaghan graduated from Carleton University in June 2017 with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Psychology. In January 2019 she began studying part-time to obtain a second BA in Psychology with a Concentration in Cognitive Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience & Mental Health. She hopes to obtain a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology to conduct psychoeducational assessments and treat students with co-morbid learning disabilities and mood disorders She has been working in the field of higher education since 2017, and is currently a Registrarial Assistant at Carleton University where she assists undergraduate students with registration and other student support services.

As a part of a 4th year community engagement project, she worked with Discovery University, a non-credit education program operated by The Ottawa Mission that offers university level courses to previously homeless and at-risk youth, where she promoted the program to various shelters and community services throughout Ottawa. She has also held volunteer positions as an assistant figure skating coach and a day camp counselor.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, watching live music, playing sports, reading and cooking.

Meaghan began working with The Open Door because she loves helping students overcome obstacles and watching them achieve their personal academic goals. She is also eager to gain more experience working with students with learning disabilities.

Lyndsay is a registered early childhood educator and is currently attending the University of Ottawa for her B.Ed. in primary/junior education. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Studies from the University of Guelph-Humber. She has worked in many before and after-school settings, and most recently has worked in a kindergarten classroom with a diverse group of students. Lyndsay volunteers with Girl Guides of Canada and enjoys planning diverse activities.

In her spare time, she enjoys baking, playing sports and spending time outside with her dog.

Lyndsay started working with The Open Door because she enjoys working with students to help them grow and learn.

Catherine graduated from Carleton University with an MA in Psychology. Her thesis examined potential applications of a group-based stress management program. However, the most rewarding aspect of her studies was the experience gained as a teaching assistant helping students with learning difficulties successfully navigate the challenges of academic life.

In addition to her work at The Open Door, she works as a care consultant providing specialized support to seniors with the goal of maintaining their overall health and independence. With extensive personal and professional experience as a caregiver for individuals with neurocognitive impairment, she is attuned to the importance of personalized strategies to promote engagement and facilitate positive outcomes.

She enjoys reading, gardening, and sharing her busy multigenerational home with an assortment of furry and feathered companions. She is also an active volunteer with various community-based charitable organizations providing essential care services.

Catherine is passionate about education and appreciates the multi-faceted approach of the Barton Reading and Spelling Program. She loves helping students develop confidence while overcoming their challenges.