Potts Education Studio Reviews

I just graduated from here after 4 years. I have to say that my life was changed so much.

At first, I was like those newcomer kids, the ones who want the study life in Canada to be not so strict as back home. I did not like to be pushed to learn stuff, especially since learning extra classes was my parents idea.

But I can never forget the day Phil told me: I can't let you fail yourself, because you can be better. You can be happy and lazy for today but unhappy later in life. Or you can work hard now, but it will take away stress later when you have a good life because you worked hard. He is like a coach.

My attitude changed, and I accepted it. Phil is strict, that's true but he's fair. Good work he calls good. If the work is not good, he does not tell you it is good. But he will tell you how to make it good. That's the most important thing.

Finally, Phil works hard and also the other teachers. They are so responsible. They do not let us fail ourselves. Kristine and Phil both stayed after closing hours sometimes to make me do copies or talk to my parents but they did NOT LET me be mediocre. I finally got accepted by UofT, something I could not imagine just 1 and a half years ago.

To the other students: don't complain. No one here will hurt you. They make you better, and that can be difficult sometimes but you get stronger. That is the point of these classes, to be better and get stronger.

I'm currently on year 3 in Potts. Even when you did not do well on assignment, you can ask the teachers for help, or have a meeting with a homework-helper to help you with assignments. All of the staff are very nice and open.

With Phil's '80% and up' rule (that's what I call it), I have done so well in my freshman classes for high school. English has never been this easier ever since I went to Phil's class.

I remember not wanting to go to an extra-curricular class in grade 6, but now I feel happy, as it not only benefits for my school year, but in the future.

After studying here at the studio for over two years, I am quite confident that my English has improved phenomenally. And I owe that to Phil, who is arguably the best teacher I have ever had.

My experiences are a little different from some of the other people because I was never afraid of strict teachers. Conversely, I usually enjoyed them. It just seemed to me that they were usually more interested in the growth of the students. But the classes still took me by surprise in that they have a perfect balance between being serious and humorous. There are often amusing interactions between the teacher and the students, but when it comes to responsibility, there better not be any nonsense. Many real-life lessons were learned in this class before I could make the same mistakes in society (phew): so it is not just English that you learn here, but also how to be a better person.

The classes here cover a variety of topics from grammar to poetry and, in my opinion, by taking into account such a wide scope of linguistic knowledge, each component complements the other and it makes for a truly enlightening learning experience. The high caliber thinking that the students often have to engage in also taught me efficient thinking processes and learning methods. Here is an interesting analogy for you: imagine that your skill sets are like a wooden bucket; it only holds as much water up to the shortest piece of wood. It is then not hard to know why the teaching here is so effective, it strengthens every part of you so that you hold more value.

I am only in grade 10, so I do not yet have any inspirational story that I can tell anyone, but improvements and achievements do not just rush into your life overnight. With a teacher like Phil, I will undoubtedly have many of these stories to tell in the future.

(I would give this a six out of five but sadly that is not possible)

I have been taught by Phil, Kristen, and Karolin. They are very nice and professional. (But the premise is that you have to finish your homework.)

A place providing students who like learning with abundant professional knowledge to improve

Extremely wise teacher and very professional. You will learn at lot more than good quality English.

I walked into Phil s class expecting it to be another one of those typical boring English tutors who I had to sit through an hour of every week. Oh boy was I wrong.

I still remember my first day of class. I was sitting in a chair listening to Phil interrogate his students during a Q & A session for a current events project. For those who did not conduct enough research fell victim to Phil s comedic roasting. Never have I ever been so terrified; never have I ever been so eager to learn. I was quick to learn that this was the norm at Phil s. However, as long as you stay on top of your work and have a drive to achieve great standards, you can then laugh with others at the unfortunate mishaps of others. He is a teacher who isn t afraid to make fun and joke around with you; he treats you as an equal as opposed to being condescending.

I ALWAYS look forward to Phil s classes. He finds the perfect balance between humor and teaching. He makes sure that all his course material interests the students, making learning fun throughout the entire class. If you are lucky enough, you could hear about one of Phil s many hilarious anecdotes if you are taking his class MAKE SURE that he tells you the story about his trip to the Sahara desert! This was a huge factor for me as I found humour to be something that greatly helped with learning.

Now, on more of a serious note. Phil genuinely cares about his students a passion. Unlike other teachers, Phil is always happy to answer your emails and questions. He is committed to helping each individual student become successful. Even now, whenever I ask him a question he is always delighted to respond and help. Even the way he responds to the questions, you can tell from his tone of voice that he is interested in helping you. When I first started class, I struggled to understand the poetic terms and devices. To get caught up, Phil spent lots of time carefully explaining the concept after class until I fully understood each term. It is hard finding people like Phil in this world; truly a gem.

Phil, if you are reading this I am beyond grateful for your time and dedication to helping me. I owe my successes to you. For everyone else, if you attend his classes, I can GUARANTEE that you will improve both in your proficiency in the English language and as a person.

I had classes here for three years, and I have to say that I truely learned a lot. At first I was scared by the teacher's strictness and the amount of homework I had. However, after many classes, I realized that I've learned so much. It is a place that allows you to develop your skills and challange yourself.

Not only has Phil taught me English skills, he has also taught me how to succeed as a person. He genuinely cares about his students and makes sure they are on the right path of succeeding, whether it's in school or later in life, all his lessons bring out value. His humour always keeps students engaged in class and I would definitely recommend.