Sophie Shen

I am an undergraduate at the University of Oxford studying Philosophy and French. I am qualified with 4 A* grades in A-level English, French, Philosophy, and Art History. At GCSE I acquired 8 A* grades.

I have 4 years of experience teaching children from ages 8-18 with a range of learning abilities including special education needs. My students have been able to consistently achieve their target goals, and go beyond this in gaining lifelong independent learning skills and creative problem solving skills.

My principle in teaching is that learning takes place best in an environment of dynamic conversation, where the student has an equal voice to the teacher and where they feel empowered by the strong bond that is prioritised to create confidence in their own learning abilities.

From experience, students learn best when they are encouraged to either find their own interest in the subject at hand, or encouraged to creatively approach otherwise tedious subjects in a way that allows them to describe things in terms of their own pre-existent interests and channel the energy they have for their passions into more unfamiliar or daunting tasks.

I am a strong advocate for education that first and foremost enables the strengthening of a student’s confidence in themselves, an invaluable factor in the journey towards more ambitious goals in academics, their future career, and in their personal growth. My teaching methods align with this aim in prioritising a student-teacher dynamic of equality, trust, and good humour where the student is engaged and empowered to thrive.