Department: Middle School

Sofia has over 21 years of teaching experience in public and private schools. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education at FSU and holds a Florida Teaching Certificate.  While at TDS, she has taught-4th grade, middle school reading and language arts, SAT prep courses, and elementary school writing enrichment.  She has advanced training in clinical reading methods and has been a member of the L.S. Tutoring team. Given her enthusiasm for program and student development, she has taken on various leadership roles-writing coach, Common Core Committee member, and National Honor Society Advisor. She has a passion for developing young writers & providing a solid foundation for written language.  In her free time, she enjoys being a devoted mom to her son, shopping, writing, and spending time with family and friends.

Jim earned a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. degree in Finance from the University of Georgia, an M.A. in Teaching from U.S.F., and is certified in Mathematics.  He brings to TDS over 25 years of experience in the Financial Industry as well as over 11 years of teaching experience. Jim has taught math in grades 5-12 in college prep. schools and in a school serving students with ADHD, Anxiety and learning differences. In addition to his role as 7th-8th grade math teacher at TDS, he continues to teach Developmental Math as an adjunct professor in the Business School at HCC.  Having taught in grades beyond middle school, it is his goal to present students with the key concepts, procedural knowledge, and study skills needed in higher level math classes.  In his free time, his hobbies include reading, biking, walking, kayaking, & paddle boarding.

Megan has over 5 years of teaching experience in public and private schools. She earned an A.S. from Lakewood College and her B.S. in Environmental Biology from the University of South Florida. Megan is skilled in differentiation and while at TDS, has shared her talent as a math instructor during one-on-one and small group tutoring sessions to fill-in math gaps, build strategies to successfully perform a range of math skills, and provide higher level math instruction to advanced students.  She assisted faculty members as a co-teacher in math classes and currently teaches 7th and 8th grade science.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, camping, kayaking/paddle boarding, and fishing.

Darcie received her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University in Biology, and her masters degree in Teaching and Learning from the University of Southern Maine. She has worked in both public and private schools in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts for over 18 years. Prior to teaching at TDS, she taught 6th, 7th, and 9th grade science at The Winsor School in Boston, MA.  She has always believed that students “learn by doing” and is constantly striving to make her classroom as student-driven as possible. In addition to teaching, she has had roles as a Teaching and Learning Coordinator where she was in charge of leading professional development for faculty, and as a Technology Coordinator where she helped to implement a 1:1 program for grades 5-12.  When she is not teaching, she can usually be found spending time with her family which includes her husband, two boys, two dogs, and a lizard. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and kayaking, as well as painting and photography.

Bio and Photo coming soon.

Shelly has over 21 years of teaching experience in Tampa. She earned her B.A. in Special Education and her M.A. in Reading Education from USF. She has held the roles of Department Head, Literacy Coach, and District Trainer during her time in the Hillsborough County Schools, and has taught all levels of English and Reading. She has also served on several curriculum writing teams for Language Arts, and as a Trainer for New Teacher Orientation for many years. Her philosophy of building connections and relationships with students has served her well, and she loves that so many of her graduated students have become her friends so she can share in their joy of weddings, babies, and new life experiences. Besides spending time with her family and dogs, in her spare time she loves to visit theme parks, crochet, and of course READ!