Hi! I'm Talar, and teaching is truly my happy place. I hold a doctorate in Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education from the University of Pennsylvania — essentially pedagogy — and I've spent 23 wonderful years teaching students of all ages, backgrounds and levels around the world, as well as training teachers. Currently, I'm an Associate Professor of English and ESL at the Community College of Philadelphia (and chair of my unit), and I moonlight as a grad professor of education and...
Hi! I'm Talar, and teaching is truly my happy place. I hold a doctorate in Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education from the University of Pennsylvania — essentially pedagogy — and I've spent 23 wonderful years teaching students of all ages, backgrounds and levels around the world, as well as training teachers. Currently, I'm an Associate Professor of English and ESL at the Community College of Philadelphia (and chair of my unit), and I moonlight as a grad professor of education and qualitative research at Penn, Nova, Temple or Drexel.
My focus here is K-10 math and English, and ESL (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). I know what it's like to be the new student, the confused student, the student afraid to sound "wrong" — I grew up attending nine schools across five countries, learning in languages that weren't my own. Those experiences shape everything I do. When I meet a student, I don't see what's missing; I see resilience, a whole lot of potential, and a reminder that kindness is transformative.
My approach rests on two pillars: confidence and independence. Students don't struggle because they can't learn; they struggle because anxiety, gaps, or past experiences get in the way. So first, I create a space where it's safe to make mistakes - mistakes are how we learn, and I celebrate them! Then I hand students concrete strategies they can use on their own: how to break down a word problem, organize a paragraph, attack a reading passage, or speak up with confidence. I'm your child's coach and cheerleader, and my goal is to work myself out of a job by building independent, confident learners.
I'm patient and playful, but also firm and kind. I come prepared and full of encouragement - and I expect honest effort and practice in return. That mutual respect is where the magic happens. I ask for 24 hours' notice for cancellations, though I'm always happy to be flexible when we communicate.
I offer a free consultation - please reach out. I can't wait to get started!
