Real Results from Real Families
What parents say after seeing their child’s confidence, grades, and stress levels change.
"John started tutoring my son from one and half years ago. Back then, my son was struggling with his English reading and writing and his grade is barely 80 at grade 10. He make significant progress since and his grade went from 80 in grade 10 to 85 in grade 11 and now 98 in grade 12 (midterm). Now he has been accepted by top Universities in Canada including University of Toronto. He is now very confident in the English writing and presentation and well positioned for upcoming University life.
I would recommend John to any parents who wish to improve their children’s language skill and academic performances."
Eric · Tutored son Tim, Grades 10–12
★★★★★
"Both of my daughters were taught by John from G9-G12, and he has been an exceptional English tutor throughout these years. Their grades have consistently been above 90 and they have excelled in writing essays. His teaching methods are very effective and engaging, ensuring that every lesson is tailored to their needs and level of understanding. John's patience and dedication have made learning enjoyable for my daughters. I highly recommend John to anyone looking to enhance their English!”
Zoe · Tutored daughters Patrea and Krista, Grades 9–12
"★★★★★
We have been incredibly fortunate to have Mr. John Wiskin as a private tutor for our son. His dedication, expertise, and personalized approach significantly improved our son's English skills and confidence. John connected well with him, matched his learning style, and kept him engaged. We highly recommend him to any parent seeking a professional and dedicated English tutor.”
Rachel · Tutored son Addison for 2 years
Real Grade Growth Over Time
A snapshot of actual grade progress across different starting points, timelines, and courses.
Typical Grade Growth
10–20% grade increases within 1–2 semesters
Multiple students moving from 60s/70s → 80s/90s
Long-term students maintaining 90%+ averages
University acceptances following Grade 11–12 improvement
+21% in under a month
+35% (failing → mid-70s → English major at Guelph)
+23% jump to a 98% in Grade 12
Multiple +10–15% gains in under a year
A Note on Transparency
Not every student experiences dramatic jumps. Outcomes depend on attendance, course difficulty, starting skill level, outside support, and personal circumstances.
The full results document shows a range of outcomes—from major improvements to steady maintenance—because real academic growth is not one-size-fits-all.
The consistent focus is on skill development, confidence, and long-term improvement rather than quick fixes.
Grades, Confidence and Reduced Stress
Students describe how their writing skills, understanding, and confidence improved over time.
“I love how John took his time to "connect" with my son during Grade 12. I know that helped my son to reduce the stress and anxiety of being final year of high school. Also he felt the support. Goals are achievable when you put efforts in.
And he recommended a book for "Growth Mindset" for him to read which helped us, parents and students. Plus he is so efficient with email when I have questions or concerns. He is a superb teacher!”
Stephanie
Tutored son in ENG4U
“When looking over your writing he does not just point out mistakes but teaches you how to write a proper essay, construct it, and improve it for future essays. His tips have helped me in later essays. He provides extra resources and detailed constructive criticism.
He is accessible throughout the week and happily edits and corrects essays multiple times after sessions—he is with you the whole journey.”
GS
Former tutoring student in ENG2D, ENG3U and CHC2D
“Mr. Wiskin is one of the best tutors I have ever had. He not only helps edit work during classes but also in his spare time. He helps you develop your English skills really quickly!”
CW
Former ENG3U tutoring student
“What stood out most was that John goes far beyond assignments and reading. He teaches students how to learn, how to study, and how to take interest in their work. He offers a wide range of support, not just academics.
As a professional educator myself, working in a high-ranking school and with teenagers, I recognized immediately the depth of John’s experience. He has a calm confidence. Never intense or stressful. While other parents were anxious, I felt completely at ease. John simply said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got this,’ and he truly did.
His flexibility, professionalism, and ability to connect with teens made all the difference. I never felt worried once.”
Jeanne
Tutored two sons, Grades 10–12
Students on Their Growth & Confidence: “I Actually Got Better”
Students describe how their writing skills, understanding, and confidence improved over time.
"Being a grade 9 student in Mr. Wiskin's English class in the years 2023–2024 was a pleasure! The subject used to be the most challenging for me, as it was my second language. However, learning English with Mr. Wiskin had truly transformed my perspective on the difficulty of English.
…He is very straightforward with his teaching without making anything difficult to understand. At the end of every lesson, he would ensure that everyone understood his teaching and instructions. When a student is confused about something, he will patiently explain it to them again in more detail.…He created a comfortable classroom environment and allowed us to understand our problems right away so we could work on our mistakes and become stronger writers.
Overall, being a student in Mr. Wiskin's English class was a remarkable experience. It was not just about learning English, but also about how to grow as a writer and how to transform ourselves through the adversity we face in life. His dedication, enthusiasm, truthfulness, and dedication to his teaching are truly inspiring. I am very grateful to be one of his students in the 9th grade. I really hope he will again be in grade 10 as my civics and career teacher!"
Nicole — Grade 9, ELL student
“Mr. Wiskin offers one of the best teaching experiences. He is reliable, practical, and straightforward. He gives critical yet constructive feedback and offers many opportunities to resubmit and improve work. He makes personal and world connections to material, so learning never feels pointless. An amazing teacher for anyone intent on improving themselves.”
Will — ENG2D student
As a past student of Mr.Wiskin I have learned many fundamental skills that have helped further progress my English skills. The deep understanding of Shakespeare's works profoundly enhanced my appreciation and comprehension of literature.
The engaging lessons not only enriched my vocabulary but also provided thorough support to my essays and comprehension skills. Mr.Wiskin created an environment that fostered a love for learning and critical thinking, making English a more accessible and enjoyable course for me as a grade 10 student. I highly recommend Mr.Wiskin to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of literature and improve their language skills.”
Nityan — ENG1W1, ENG2D student
“Usually you expect teachers to be extremely strict in a way where they’d rather you prioritize your work for class above everything else. It was very relieving having a teacher that actually does prioritize his students before the work. He has helped me discover more of my potential and what I’m capable of….For all the work I’ve done in class, he always takes a lot of time to give proper feedback and it has definitely helped improve my writing since.
With how he presents himself to the class, it’s easy to see how passionate he is about teaching and helping his students. Aside from english, he’s also very considerate about helping students in situations that are common to find outside of school (examples can include procrastination, not knowing how to make use of your free time, realizing the imbalance between how much time you spend on school vs online) These small lessons have stuck with me even after the semester has ended. It’s safe to say that Mr.Wiskin is someone I feel like I can easily rely on and go to for help.”
Jiovan — Grade 10 student
What It’s Like to Learn with Mr. Wiskin
How students experience lessons, feedback, and classroom support day to day.
“Mr. Wiskin is great and supportive teacher. He is enthusiastic and is always committed to helping his students understand material being taught in class. He always makes sure his students are engaged in academics and prepares them well for post secondary education. I love how he always tried making assignments fun by incorporating more technology in the classroom to get students to participate; it made learning a lot more fun and interesting. Mr. Wiskin always makes sure his students' learning is his number one priority.”
Jessie
ENG3U student
“Mr. Wiskin taught me Grade 9 Academic English four years ago, and I must admit, his class was a blast.... Mr. Wiskin succeeded in creating a classroom environment where everyone felt free to share his/her ideas without fear of judgement. He was always super approachable and amiable with us, which only improved my experience of being in his class. I'm thankful that I had such a positive experience in my first high school English class with Mr. Wiskin! ”
Tiff
ENG1D student
"Mr Wiskin is a great teacher and he makes class really fun. I feel like I learnt a lot in his classes not only in terms of English but also life. He really makes us students feel welcome and has fun activities and projects for us to do. I really liked this class! 😆"
Karena
ENG2D student
"Throughout the course, I learned how to be a better writer and more importantly, I learned more about myself. As a student, we are always taught the 'rules of English', but we never really learn how to write what we want and build from there. I remember writing my very first narration essay, where I stepped out of my comfort zone. That night I struggled so much.... I showed Mr. Wiskin the next morning and he was so proud that I tried something new. Not only did he assist me throughout the entire process but he gave me so much support that it allowed me to believe that I was capable of something I was not aware of. Throughout the process, I was an eager learner and I just wanted to become a great writer.... Overall, it was an honor to be a student of Mr. Wiskin as he is determined to help students grow. He is supportive and a fantastic person to work with. Outstanding teacher; would love to have him again."
Jennifer
ENG2D student
“I’ve been in Mr. Wiskin’s class for two years now and he’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had! Every lesson is interesting, different, and engaging, and you always leave class with a smile and something to think about. Mr. Wiskin is also really patient, kind, understanding and funny–I know I can always talk to him about anything and his classroom is truly a great environment to be in.”
Rachel
ENG1W1, CHV2O student
“Mr. Wiskin has an amazing ability to understand and connect with his students, even in an online setting. His engaging lesson plans and infectious enthusiasm make learning both fun and effective. Newcomers always feel welcomed and quickly become comfortable in his classes. Mr. Wiskin’s friendly approach creates a supportive and inclusive environment. He consistently encourages participation, which helps students grow and develop their confidence. From my past years with him, I can say for sure that you'll definitely enjoy and benefit from his online lessons!”
Brian
ENG2D, CHV2O student
“My experience with Mr. Wiskin as a teacher was phenomenal! His teaching style is unique which allows all students to stay engaged all throughout the class. He does his very best to ensure each student gets one on one time with him to ensure they can achieve their very best work. He is also great with keeping each and every student focused…. My favourite aspect of his class is his ability to stay in touch with realistic situations and apply that to his teaching. This made each lesson with him ten times more interesting as it helped us as students to connect our learning to our lives and use it to help better ourselves academically and personally.”
Milica
ENG1W1 and ENG2D student
“This class was suprisinglly fun. I always thought english was boring but in this class that really changed. In this class I have learned how to write better while having fun”
Bernard L
ENG1W1 student
“Mr Wiskin is a great teacher! Many teachers only tell you how to get an A in their class but he goes deeper. Not only does he explain how to get an A in detail, he shows you how to get it. He gives detailed feedback to every student, and gives visualizations for those visual learners. I especially liked his Lego method. You should ask him about it because it changed my perspective of writing essays a whole lot.”
Anonymous
ENG1W1 student
Beyond English: Mental Health, Life Skills & Trust
Support that goes beyond marks, focusing on mindset, stress, and long-term learning skills.
“Hi Mr Wiskin you are so goated! Thank you for always making sure and helping us put our mental health above everything. I really enjoyed this English class.”
Abigail G · ENG2D student
“I enjoyed that you always think about our mental health before anything else and understood that we have other things in life than class. I really admire your way of teaching. Thank you Mr wiskin!”
Lesley · ENG2D student
“Mr. Wiskin truly understands his students’ problems and connects with them. He taught valuable life lessons (e.g., dealing with comparisons) while applying Grade 10 English curriculum. He is not only a teacher but also acts like a parent.”
Nicole · ENG2D student
“Mr. Wiskin is exceptional as a teacher who truly cares about every student. You can just see it in the way he gives himself to each class and each student. I have never met a teacher as eager to help students achieve their full potential.
He wasn’t just a teacher in the classroom. He was a mentor as a person and as a student. He was there for me when I needed him through some tough times and encouraged me to look on the bright side.
I am truly thankful for all he has done for me. His kindness, respect, and generosity towards all students leave a lasting impression on each and every one of us.”
Musa Z. · ENG1W1 student
“My experience with Mr. Wiskin improved me as a person. With his positive environment, I made new friends and learned writing concepts. Thank you for being my English teacher for two semesters in a row.”
Jason T · ENG1W1 and ENG2D student
Hundreds of Students. One Standard.
A broad collection of student voices reflecting consistent teaching values and expectations.
“I had Mr. Wiskin during my first year of high school and he was one of my favourite teachers. He has been an exceptional teacher who helped me understand and appreciate the English language.
His enthusiasm is contagious and he makes every class engaging and fun! Mr. Wiskin is dedicated to fostering a supportive learning environment. He is approachable and is always willing to provide extra help and clarify concepts. He even encourages us to appreciate classics such as Shakespeare, which has deepened my understanding of old and modern literature.
Overall, Mr. Wiskin is an outstanding educator who has not only expanded my knowledge of English, but has also inspired me to continue exploring literature outside of the classroom. I am grateful for his guidance and I would highly recommend his classes to anyone looking to improve their English, reading and writing abilities.”
— Tiff, ENG1W1 student
"One of my most favorite teachers is Mr.Wiskin….Mr.Wiskin taught his classes using many different methods. Powerpoint, movies, group discussion, and Google Docs are a few of the ways that Mr.Wiskin sustained his students' attention. I always found his classes to be fun and engaging. Mr. Wiskin is a passionate and hard working teacher that encourages his students to do the best they can academically. I found him to be a caring and approachable teacher. Whenever I needed guidance or support, he was always there for me. Mr. Wiskin has proven to be there for all students, even those who aren’t in his class. Even though I have taken other subjects, I continue to go to Mr. Wiskin for help because he explains things to me in a clear manner that I fully understand. I feel he respects me not only as a student, but as a person as well."
— KH, Former ENG1P and CHC2P student
"Mr. Wiskin is one of the best tutor that I have ever had. He not only help me to edit my work during classes but also help me edit it during his spare time. He is the tutor who can help you develop your English skills really quickly, and he encourages you to finish all the work by yourself before he helps you. He is a really nice teacher!"
— CW, Former ENG3U tutoring student
“Mr. Wiskin is an amazing English teacher! Having him for my Grade 10, semester 1 class was amazing after I struggled in Grade 9 English. Really recommend him if you want a fun, lively, and passionate person, good luck!”
— Anonymous, ENG1W1 student
“Mr. Wisken provided a safe and welcoming learning environment for everyone, regardless of their abilities. He encouraged us to elaborate on our own ideas rather than simply providing them, which taught us how to truly form and express them. He also enjoyed giving out life wisdom from time to time.”
— Anonymous, ENG2D student
“I had a great time in the class. I loved how much feedback and communication we got; it was a very fun and enjoyable time with Mr. Wiskin.”
— Anonymous, ENG1W1 student
“This class was really fun and I enjoyed learning in different ways with many opportunities to collaborate with classmates. Thank you Mr. Wiskin!”
— Helen L, ENG1W1 student
“Mr Wiskin is a really supportive and helpful person who helped me every time I needed it. I felt that even if I was wrong I knew how to improve.”
— Charles Q, ENG1W1 student
“hi I was a student in Mr.Wiskin’s English class! He’s a really nice teacher. From personal experiences, I would say he’s a very lenient teacher, has reasonable due dates and he’s not pushy at all. Imo he’s good at explaining things and the way he words everything definitely helped expand my vocabulary. He’s really chill and funny too. I think his class was one of my favourites.”
— Aaliyah, ENG1W1 student