Tutoring in Montreal: every scientific subject, every curriculum
One tutor for all your child's scientific subjects, in the Quebec curriculum, the French AEFE curriculum or an English-language school. Homework support, catching up on gaps or exam preparation, at home or online, in English or in French.
My name is Ahmed Squalli Houssaini. I have been tutoring mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science in Montreal for more than ten years, from secondary school through to university.
10+
years of experience in Montreal
McGill & Concordia
B.Sc. and M.Sc. in computer science and mathematics
3
curricula: Quebec, AEFE, English
2
formats: at home and online
Subjects taught
From the exact sciences to written method, complete coverage of the Montreal scientific path.
Unlike the large tutoring agencies, you are not sent to a different person depending on the subject or on the week. I cover mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science and the AEFE curricula myself: the student keeps the same tutor from one subject to another and from one year to the next.
That continuity makes the difference. I see the same difficulties recur across courses, a weakness in algebra that penalises mathematics and physics equally, and I fix them at the root rather than at the surface. The follow-up stays coherent, progress builds over time, and you have one person who genuinely knows your child's file.
Coherent follow-up
The same tutor for every scientific subject, without starting from scratch at each change.
Difficulties at the root
A gap in mathematics shows up in physics too. I treat it once, for every subject.
One person to talk to
You always speak to the person who teaches your child and knows their path.
My method
A tutoring session is not for doing the homework in the student's place. It is for installing a way of working that holds once I am no longer there. Here is how I proceed, session after session.
1
Diagnosing the gaps
We start by finding precisely where things break down, often upstream of the current chapter. A student struggling with functions frequently has a shaky base in algebra. I go back to the real cause rather than treating the symptom.
2
Consolidating the foundations
Before moving on, we make the foundations solid. Skipping that step is building on sand: everything above it collapses at the first hard examination.
3
Progressive problems
We work from the simplest up to the real level of the assessment, one step at a time. Problems are chosen to target a precise difficulty, then progressively combined so the student learns to bring several ideas to bear on one question. They learn to see the thread running through a set of exercises, and that each question has a purpose and often prepares the next.
4
Preparation for assessments
As examinations approach, we work under real conditions: papers calibrated on the expected level, time management, clean write-up. The aim is that nothing about the format is a surprise on the day.
5
Building independence
The final aim is not that the student depends on me, but that they can do without me. We install habits of work and of checking that outlast the sessions.
The reflexes I pass on
✓Re-reading. A large share of lost marks come from errors the student spots themselves on a re-read. I teach them to re-read every step, not only the final answer.
✓Validating answers. Checking that a result makes sense, by order of magnitude, units and limiting cases, before moving on. In a multi-part problem, an undetected error propagates and costs every question after it. We cut the cascade at the first one.
✓Reading the logic of a problem. Each question is there for a reason and often sets up the next. Reading that thread means understanding what is actually being asked instead of solving at random.
✓Explaining the reasoning. Being able to explain a method in one's own words is usually the best check that it is genuinely understood. If it can be explained simply, it is mastered.
Across the sessions, the aim is not only better marks, but a way of working the student can reuse in every scientific subject.
Levels covered
Secondary school
Secondary 1 to 5 of the Quebec curriculum, the CST and SN sequences in Secondary 4 and 5, Secondary 5 physics and chemistry, with preparation for the Ministry examination.
CEGEP
Sciences de la nature: differential calculus (201-NYA), integral calculus (201-NYB), linear algebra and vector geometry (201-NYC), statistics (201-337), mechanics and electricity (203-SN1-RE to SN3-RE, formerly NYA to NYC), general and solution chemistry (202-SF1-RE, formerly 202-NYA, and 202-NYB) and organic chemistry. Social Science: quantitative methods (360-300, 360-301) and the differential calculus of the mathematics profile (201-103). Computer science: mathematics for computer science (201-N11), Java, C++ and Linux.
University
First-year mathematics, physics and computer science at McGill University, Concordia University and the other Montreal universities.
AEFE college and lycee
From Sixieme to Terminale, preparation for the Brevet des colleges and the Baccalaureate. Lycee Marie de France and College Stanislas.
Curricula covered
Quebec curriculum
Secondary 1 to 5, SN and CST sequences, preparation for the Ministry of Education examinations. CEGEP, Sciences de la nature: differential calculus (201-NYA), integral calculus (201-NYB), linear algebra and vector geometry (201-NYC), statistics (201-337), physics (203-SN1-RE to SN3-RE, formerly NYA to NYC), chemistry (202-SF1-RE, formerly 202-NYA, and 202-NYB). CEGEP, Social Science: quantitative methods (360-300, 360-301) and calculus 201-103. University: McGill, Concordia, Universite de Montreal, Polytechnique.
I also cover the Quebec supplements in mathematics, physics and chemistry for students in Seconde, Premiere and Terminale. These are Quebec curriculum courses that College Stanislas and Lycee Marie de France add to the AEFE path, to open direct admission to Quebec universities. They concern only students of the French curriculum: a student of the Quebec curriculum goes to CEGEP instead.
Lycee Marie de France (Cote-des-Neiges), College Stanislas (Outremont) and the other French schools of Montreal.
English-language curriculum
Secondary school mathematics and sciences. English CEGEP courses at Dawson, Marianopolis, Vanier and John Abbott. University level at McGill and Concordia, including introductory computer science such as COMP 202.
A free bank of corrected exercises
Beyond the sessions, I publish two free libraries with no sign-up. Corrected exercise sets, one per chapter, in the format of a real assessment: ten questions marked out of 100, a first part on the fundamentals and a second at examination level, with the full solution to every question on the page. And revision sheets, also one per chapter, to read before doing the set: the lesson boiled down, the traps that cost marks, and the write-up the marker expects.
The catalogue covers the Quebec curriculum from Secondary 1 to CEGEP, SN and CST sequences included, and the French curriculum from Sixieme to Terminale in mathematics as in physics-chemistry. Nothing is gated: the solution is always visible, with no account and no email address to leave. It is written in French, which is the language of your child's classroom.
I travel to you in several districts of Montreal, or you come and work at my place in a quiet, focused setting.
Online
Through Microsoft Teams and OneNote, the same tools the teachers at Lycee Marie de France and College Stanislas use. Digital whiteboard, screen sharing, real-time annotation.
Personalised follow-up
Each session is prepared around the student's level and goals. Notes and targeted exercises sent after every session.
Concrete results
Visible progress from the first sessions. Exam preparation, closing gaps or going deeper, according to need.
Areas served in Montreal
I teach at home in several Montreal neighbourhoods, and online anywhere in Quebec.
Le Sud-OuestNotre-Dame-de-GraceVerdunCote-des-NeigesOutremontWestmountVille-Marie (downtown)Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Elsewhere on the island or off it? Online sessions give exactly the same follow-up, with no travel time.
Rates and the first session
Rates depend on the student's level, the format chosen (at home or online) and the frequency of sessions. Rather than post a single price that would suit few situations, I prefer to discuss it with you and propose a formula that fits.
The first contact is there precisely to pin down the need: the subject, the level, the exam dates and the goals. We then agree a rhythm and a format. Write to me by email or WhatsApp for a personalised quote.
Frequently asked questions
Which subjects do you tutor in Montreal?
Mathematics, physics, chemistry, SVT, NSI, SNT, computer science (Java, C++, Linux, algorithms) and French written method, from secondary school through to university.
Is it the same tutor for every subject?
Yes. Unlike the large agencies, you are not passed to a different person depending on the subject. I cover mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science and the AEFE curricula myself. The student keeps the same tutor from one subject to another and from one year to the next, which allows coherent follow-up and lets difficulties that show up in several courses be fixed at the root, for example a gap in algebra that penalises mathematics and physics equally.
Do you cover both the Quebec and the French AEFE curriculum?
Yes. I teach the Quebec curriculum (secondary, CEGEP, university) and the French AEFE curriculum (college and lycee), including for students at Lycee Marie de France and College Stanislas. I also work with students in English-language schools.
Are sessions at home or online?
Both. I travel to homes in several districts of Montreal, students can come and work at my place, or we hold the session online through Microsoft Teams and OneNote with a digital whiteboard.
Which parts of Montreal do you travel to?
Le Sud-Ouest, Notre-Dame-de-Grace, Verdun, Cote-des-Neiges, Outremont, Westmount and downtown. Online sessions are available anywhere in Quebec.
Do you prepare for the Ministry examinations and the Baccalaureate?
Yes. I prepare students for the Secondary 4 Ministry examination, the French Baccalaureate, the Brevet des colleges, and CEGEP and university examinations.
Do you help at CEGEP and university level?
Yes. At CEGEP I cover differential calculus (NYA), integral calculus (NYB) and linear algebra and vector geometry (NYC). At university I work in particular with McGill and Concordia students, including in computer science, for example COMP 202.
What are your rates and how do we start?
Rates depend on the level, the format (at home or online) and the frequency of sessions. Write to me by email or WhatsApp for a personalised quote and to arrange a first session.
Other questions about how sessions run or about the examinations? See the full FAQ.
Ready to start?
Get in touch to discuss what your child needs and arrange a first session.
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