Meet the Team

Mrs. Rivera has been tutoring for 5 years now, and she loves it!  She homeschools her two children, and is an active member of her homeschool community. She loves reading and math. She enjoys being outside, doing “how-to-draw” activities with her children, playing games and eating chocolate chip cookie dough!  Her favorite color is aqua. She loves spending time with her family and telling epic stories at dinner time. She is passionate about tutoring and watching students grow their abilities to learn in their own unique way.

You can learn more about Firefly Reading by visiting their website here.

Hi, my name is Joan Brandon and I have a passion for creating a positive and enthusiastic learning environment while helping children learn to read! I have over 20 years of experience teaching in private school classrooms, private tutoring, homeschooling, and student intervention. My education includes a BA in Elementary Education from Judson University as well as certification and over 60 hours of training in the Orton Gillingham (Science of Reading) approach to reading. This approach provides individualized instruction to students who struggle with reading, writing, and spelling. Through my tutoring services, I conduct assessments to identify your student’s strengths and weaknesses and develop a customized lesson plan that includes multi-sensory activities and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. I love helping students become more confident and equipped in their reading skills while having fun!

Welcome to Inspired Learning Services! My name is Janet Hughes. I am an energetic elementary and middle school certified teacher with endorsements in  ELA and Social Studies. I love reading and writing and am passionate about the subjects I teach and even more so about the students I guide.

I have been in the field of education for more than 20 years, teaching in private as well as public school classrooms, where I have taught 5th-8th grade English as well as 7th and 8th grade Social Studies. My educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan as well as completion of the K-9 teacher certification program at Judson University. I hold a professional educator license (K-9) from the state of Illinois. 

I am an enthusiastic teacher with a passion for working with students, encouraging them to take risks in an inquiry-based learning environment and use critical thinking skills. I enjoy working collaboratively with students and families creating highly organized and insightful learning plans to help facilitate a positive and active learning environment. 

My background in private independent schooling and gifted enrichment education allows me to develop individualized and differentiated learning plans to reach and engage all learners. Students who are challenged by skills such as planning, organization, and staying on task can benefit from support in these areas, and Inspire Learning Services is able to help students with effective management of these day-to-day tasks that are essential to the overall learning experience. Tutoring at EdUcate, Inc. provides me the opportunity to continue working one-on-one with students.

I understand how important it is for students to feel confident in their work and seeing success. My overall goal is to motivate students to become the very best version of themselves and for them to actively participate in their own journey as confident lifelong learners.

I would enjoy helping your child with reading/writing, homework, and general enrichment. I welcome you to reach out so we can work together in setting goals. Welcome to Inspire Learning Services!