Our Home
We are located in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, IL. Learn Ahead currently services the areas of Lake and Northern Cook County. Our staff is a group of highly qualified teachers from the Lake County area.
What is a Pre-Fresher Course?
Pre-Fresher Courses are Review and Preview courses in a small group setting. Our classes are limited to 15 students to promote maximum teacher/student interaction. We use direct instruction, group work, interactive lessons, print materials and electronic materials in order to meet all learning styles. During the first part of the week, we'll Review material from math courses taken the previous year, providing mastery of the subject matter. During the second part, we Preview and instruct the more difficult topics in the curriculum of the upcoming school year, especially topics that have caused the most anxiety and difficulty for students. This provides a basic understanding of the material, and increased confidence when approaching the new school year. In our opinion, nothing makes for a more successful mathematical experience than preparation and confidence.
Who are we?
Denis Sheeran, Founder, Faculty Member
Denis has been teaching mathematics in Lake County, IL since 1999. He has taught Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, College Algebra, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and AP Statistics, as well as other Topics Courses. Denis graduated Cum Laude in 1999 from Trinity International University, Deerfield, IL with a B.A. in Mathematics/Secondary Education and obtained his Master's Degree in Educational Leadership in 2005, graduating Summa Cum Laude from Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago.
Faculty Members:
All faculty members are experienced Illinois Certified Secondary Teachers
Carolyn Bielski
Carolyn Bielski has been teaching in Lake County since 1998. She has taught Graphic Design 1, 2, 3 and Graphic Design Art Studio, as well as Photography 1, Art I, Drawing & Printmaking and Advanced Drawing & Printmaking courses. Carolyn was nominated for the Lake Forest High School Distinguished Educator Award in 2007 and 2008. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Michigan in 1994 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She then earned a Professional Certificate in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1998 and a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from National-Louis University in 2001. Carolyn freelances as a graphic designer and paints children’s portraits. She is a member of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals).
Matt Dewar
Matt has been teaching English in Lake County, IL since 2006. He has taught freshman and junior college preparatory English, freshman and junior honors English and he has also taught senior composition. Matt graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lake Forest College’s Independent Scholar Honors Program (2003) and received his Masters Degree (2008) in Curriculum and Instruction from National-Louis University and has completed additional graduate work in NLU’s Masters of Arts in Teaching program. Currently, Matt is doing preliminary doctoral research in curriculum and social justice.
Keith Freedman
Keith has been teaching high school mathematics in Lake County, IL since 1998. He has taught Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and other Algebra Topics. Prior to that, Keith taught sixth grade for eight years. Keith has owned and operated a successful tutoring company, North Shore Tutoring, specializing in mathematics, language arts, and SAT/ACT prep, for over 20 years. Keith received his B.S from Depaul University, his MBA from Indiana University and his MAT from National-Louis University.
Andrea Lemke
Andrea has taught for 10 years in public high schools in Illinois and Wisconsin. She received her BA in Mathematics from St. Olaf College in Minnesota, and a MA in Education from Viterbo College in Wisconsin. Over the past three years, she has taught Plane and Solid Geometry, Advanced Algebra, College Algebra and Trigonometry, and Trigonometry/Statistics. She is also the Assistant Coach for Scholastic Bowl. From 1997 - 2002, Andrea worked in the test prep industry, focusing on developing materials and teaching review courses for the ACT, SAT, and GRE.
Jennifer Snell
Jennifer has been teaching high school mathematics in Lake County, IL since 2001. She has taught Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, and Honors Courses. Prior to that, Jennifer taught for one year at Stevenson High School and for 10 years at Woodlands Academy. Jennifer received her B.A in Math/Computer Science from Barat College and her M.A. in Educational Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University.
