I took Tom's "DSLR/M Jumpstart" class this June. Glowing review follows…read more.. But first, a bit about me: I've been a latent photography maven since my early teens, starting with a Polaroid and quickly graduating to my dad's old Bell & Howell 35mm. As things often do, it found itself on a shelf until the advent of the iPhone and ever-present cameras. Discovering that I enjoy taking nice shots, but always knowing I could do better, I finally splurged on a "prosumer" Canon mirrorless. Not wanting to let it be relegated to the same fate as the B&H, I immediately went looking for some classes, and found Tom literally one neighborhood away. I immediately liked his no-nonsense commentary about how good photography connects us to our memories and what we experienced at the time, but also his keen level of humility; I think that's essential to being a good teacher, as hubris stands in the way of connection with students. When I arrived, Tom had a cozy kitchen table set up for three students, with brief handouts at the ready, and a table full of curios just begging for practice. Alas, one student was a no-show, but we had lively chat until Tom decided to get underway. There wasn't a single boring moment in the day; Tom immediately got both of us familiar with the controls on our fancy cameras, then started reviewing the basics of photography. It wasn't a theory class, per se, but he spent as much time as it took going over both how our cameras take photos, and how we perceive them. The room was set up for a simple PowerPoint-style presentation, but it was always in the background as we moved back and forth between our devices and discussion. Just setting expectations: about 75-80% of the class is "ground school" -- we worked with our cameras and settings indoors, practicing a bit on nearby objects, and then venturing outside for some practice. Tom made it fun, setting us up for a bit of a scavenger hunt in his back patio that's clearly designed to get us looking at the objects a little more deeply, and playing with focus and depth of field to achieve artistic effect. By the end of the day, I didn't feel like a "pro," by any stretch of imagination. But I did feel like I had the potential to get there. I haven't switched my camera back to "Auto" mode since the class. I've taken some lousy photos, and then realized what I'd done wrong. And I've taken some amazing shots. My only gripe about the class? It's too short. I left wondering, "ok, what next?" Tom offers a number of other opportunities like photo walks, and I'll be taking him up on them in the near future, but I definitely felt like there could have been a second day. That said, I think that's a good thing: the class achieves a "jump start" for new photographers, and leaves you wanting more.

It has been almost 5 years since I took Tom's DSLR jumpstart class, and the lessons I learned that…read moreday are still in use. The class really helped ignite my ability to properly set up my camera, but also how to adjust setting on the fly. Since his class, I have been published in multiple aviation books, blogs, newspapers, and magazines. Last Year I was an Editors Choice in the 2023 Aviation Week and Space Technology Photo edition Without Tom and his class I would no doubt be plodding away with my camera with the usual mediocre results instead of what I am shooting now. If you want to do more with your photography this one is an easy call. Give Tom and PhotoTrainer a try.

Online booking is easy and convenient. I've had my driver's license since 2015 but never really…read moredrove until recently. Nickolas is very patient, knowledgeable, and explains the rules clearly. After several bad experiences with other driving instructors from other driving schools, I finally found someone who helped me feel confident on the road. Highly recommend for beginner drivers or anyone rebuilding driving confidence!

My son needed a refresher course, so I was able request Ray; after reading the reviews. Very…read morepunctual and very chill - the perfect driver for my son and my nerves. After 2 hours, my son was alot more confident and even thankful for the extra driving experience. Ray took the time to help us go over some tips he suggested.

Despite being Filipino, I never was taught Tagalog growing up. I recently was inspired to learn…read moreTagalog, and I was super pleased to learn there was a place nearby that teaches it! I wanted to better connect with the language associated with my heritage, so I decided to invest the time and money to learn Tagalog. I took the Level 1 hybrid course with Rhya in early summer 2026. Overall, it provided a great foundation for introductory grammar and vocab for Tagalog. By the end of the first course, you quickly become comfortable being able to ask simple questions (like where are you from? what's your name?), answering with affirmative/negation statements, and even being able to ask "how much/how many" with Tagalog numbers right off the bat. The class structure felt perfect, with the small class sizes. The course was very interactive, as we were constantly engaging and practicing the language throughout each course. And of course, it provided a safe space to make mistakes and grow with the language. If we made a mistake, Rhya would walk us through our mistake to help understand where it was and why the correct answer was provided. The class structure was also perfect for my work schedule. There were times I had to travel for work and miss a lecture. Because I was signed up for the hybrid course, I was provided class recordings after each session, allowing me to catch up and not feel left behind. The sessions are definitely catered to working adults, with all courses being offered in the evenings. Each session was 90 mins long each week for 7 weeks. I learned a lot from Level 1, and I'm excited to continue on to Level 2!

SJLC (San Jose Learning Center) has a great number of language classes - online, hybrid, or…read morein-class - and a variety of schedules, esp. for busy adults. The instructor that I had, Keiko is great. She is very patient and always willing to help. (The courses can be fast though depending the language and the books being used). The other people there are always very polite and helpful as well. The facility, while basic, is clean and conducive to learning. They seem to use a mix of media (e.g. slides, Quizlet, etc. which is good). FYI - it is near SJC - San Jose Int'l airport and the jets taking off can be somewhat loud at times.

As an adult beginner I initially wasn't sure where to go and tried a few different studios in the…read morearea. This place was tremendously welcoming and I got so much support from all of the staff as well as other students that had been coming for a while. I *absolutely* recommend this place and always look forward to my weekly classes! 10/10, 5 stars

They have good teachers and they have bad teachers. Regardless of the quality of the teaching, this…read moreis not a place for hard core ballet instruction/learning. It's kind of a notch up from places that moms send their daughters to go trot around a studio and have fun. But this is definitely not a place anyone who wants to become accomplished in dancing would come to. My daughter has been here with this school for 3 years. We're staying, FOR THE TIME BEING, because I don't think she's going for anything more than just leisure dancing and getting a nice posture. However, as she is getting older, I am considering moving her to another school where there are better teachers. Before I talk about the bad, let me say that Vinny Jones and Ommi Pipit-Suksun are AWESOME. They are the only saving grace why I am still sending my daughter to this place. There's however one other teacher that is nice but it's a complete waste of time to be in her class. Unfortunately, we are "forced" to take her class. You see, up to a certain level, students must take at least 2 classes per week and so we are stuck with her class. Honestly, at least 5 moms that I have talked to and their daughters (the students) simply hated that class with her. We're simply there to fulfill the 2-class requirement so as to stay being matriculated in the school. This teacher, B.A., is too old and not physically able to dance anymore. So, all lessons are simply "verbal" instructions, without any demonstration of how a dance move should be. Plus, she plays favorites ... If this school cannot offer enough classes with good teachers and continues to force parents to have to take a certain minimum number of classes per week, we are going to have to find another school. We don't have that much money and time to throw away. Just salaried folks here.

My daughter 7yo, did the camp in the sarataga area. She had a great time partner on with older kids…read moreand learning core civic and urban planning concepts. She builds Lego sets in her free time, so it was good to see her apply these concepts. I would recommend this to my circle.

My almost-8yo has done camps here multiple times. He loves solving urban planning problems with…read moreLegos. He always makes new friends, gets to collaborate a ton and it is a great outlet for his creativity as well! Highly recommend this place!

Our daughter has been at Cornerstone for almost 2 years and we absolutely love it. Her Chinese is…read morefluent now, and this is one of the only schools that we toured for the children actually speak to each other in Chinese on the playground, instead of reverting to English. The project based and play based curriculum for three and four-year-olds is truly unique and engaging. The teacher to student ratio is low and the teachers genuinely understand and are invested in each child's development. Unlike many traditional Chinese schools, they also focus on children's social emotional development, and my daughter has matured substantially in this area. Helen and Teresa are wonderful and made time to meet with me anytime I had concerns. Truly, an exceptional environment for Chinese immersion, and in my opinion (after touring nearly every Chinese school) the best on the Peninsula.

Summary: A great immersion school with caring staff. My chicks have been attending here for many…read moreyears. 99.8% of their Chinese ability is from CLF. ( yeah, I will take the .2 %). Their Chinese is not native level but enough to help new student from China in school. ;) We know plenty of kids go to other Chinese schools that have shuttle services, homework hours, extra enrichment options etc. let's be clear. CLF doesn't offer any of that. When you sign up CLF, you are there to learn Chinese. Guess what? Unlike the norm that kids dislike Chinese school and eventually drop out, Most CLF kids stay and continue for many years. My chicks have close friends from CLF kinder days. The same class pretty much grow up together. My chicks love their Chinese school and excited to go. Students learn Chinese though regular activities like singing, performing, cooking, science projects. Last key point: CLF fosters a healthy culture of handwork and effort. Not purely on how fluent/good you are with Chinese. Students who don't have the opportunity to practice at home can equally feel empowered and recognized. On rainy days, you can see teachers escorting the kids with their umbrellas up and down the stairs. Now that is caring!

Our daughter has attended Bayer Ballet for twelve years. Saying we are grateful to the school would…read moremiss the true meaning of what it has meant to us. It's been our daughter's second family. And it is a great family, helping us raise an amazing child. What she has learned--not just about ballet, but, more importantly, about life - she will carry with her throughout her life. I am certain this has made her a better person, and will continue to positively influence all her endeavors. Please continue to raise amazing children, setting them on a path to success and happier and more fulfilling lives.

My daughter has been at Bayer Ballet for seven years, and we are so thankful for the amazing…read moreteachers and staff there. Ms. Inna has been a wonderful teacher who truly loves the kids and cares deeply about their growth. She sees each child's potential and knows how to bring out the best in them, while always being patient and supportive. She also helps build their confidence, which has meant so much to us. When my daughter first started, she couldn't even do an arabesque. Over the years, with Ms. Inna's guidance, she has grown tremendously and is now performing solos, dancing leading roles, and doing very well in competitions. We are also very grateful to the other teachers and to Christina and the staff for their constant support and care. Thank you all for everything you do for the students and families at Bayer Ballet.

Apparently this has not been reviewed in about 10 years, so I'm happy to provide an update: it's…read morestill great! I took a 6 week class and truly loved it. I am not a natural at pottery so I took the class again. I had a different instructor for the first round of classes than the second and both were really talented potters and teachers, clearly masters of their craft, and clearly deeply passionate not only about ceramics but about teaching it. I have since been going to open studio for about 1.5 years and it's such a special place! The kiln techs and instructors are truly passionate and there's even a local celeb potter there regularly as a tech who is an absolute wealth of knowledge and quite truly a master. There are a wide range of skill levels from more beginner (me) to intermediate to highly advanced folks, which is a really lovely blend in studio and everyone is so incredibly kind and supportive. I adore the ceramics community here and have made life friends from it! The studio itself: they have tables if you need to sit, a slab roller and LOTS of molds and patterns for slab building, several clay options (bmix, t2, porcelain), and a variety of glazes that they make in house, as well as commercial underglazes. They provide all the tools you would need, but if you need any specialty tools I recommend bringing your own. The wheels are well maintained electric wheels (and one kick wheel!) and there are options for folks in wheelchairs as well. It's a well maintained and cared for supportive space. I couldn't be more thankful. AND the wheels overlook a beautiful pond! What more could you want? If I could hope for one more thing it would be more glaze options, but they do already offer quite a few crowd-pleasers in the more neutral family of glazes.

I started taking pottery wheel lessons here about a year ago. On Saturday mornings at open studio,…read moreI'm pretty sure there's no where else on the planet I'd rather be. The studio is a great place to spend a four hour chunk of your life -- good light, about 15 electric potter's wheels (I've never had to wait for one), a plaster wedging table, a slab roller, and most of the tools you could ever need. You can choose between three high fire clays (porcelain, B-mix, and brown); each is $16 for a 25 pound bag. With its high fire gas kilns and beautiful glazes that make even slightly wobbly bowls look artistic, it's about as close as the general public is likely to get to a professional studio. Instruction is casual and provided on an as-needed basis. The main teacher is Danny Sheu, who is terrific on the wheel and a great instructor, too. Unlike other pottery teachers I've had, he won't waste time telling you that you have 'an interesting technique' if you're doing it wrong, but he's always happy to show you how to do it right. Just catch his eye if you need help. Beginners might prefer his more structured six week classes, but if you're a quick learner, you can just show up at open studio and ask for a lesson in the basics of centering, opening, and compressing. Some of the open studio regulars are professional or near professional potters, but everyone is friendly and willing to lend a newbie tools and advice. That said, no one is there to socialize, so there's plenty of space and quiet to concentrate on your own project. I consistently come out of open studio covered in clay and beaming. Cheaper and better than therapy any day!