Aoife

I am a fun and friendly teacher from Ireland with a Bsc in Science Education (DCU) and an Msc in Learning and Teaching (Oxford).
I like to think that I’m an approachable teacher and it is important to me that my students feel valued and respected. Only then will they feel free to try their best, really engage with the ideas and of course make mistakes and learn from them.
I have two daughters and one of our favourite things to do as a family is to do science experiments at home. Science is an amazing subject and you don’t need a lab to make it come alive. There are so many things from real life that you can use. I love coming up with new ways to explain or demonstrate ideas and watching my students’ faces when they grasp something that they once thought was difficult.

Tutoring Experience

Since moving to Oxford in 2009 I have taught in a few different schools before settling in a top international school in Oxford. In that time, I have taught sciences to GCSE and taught Physics and Chemistry A level.
I teach both streamed high ability classes aiming for top marks and classes of mixed ability with support needs. As a learning support coordinator with specialist EAL training. I am accustomed to the needs of diverse learners with SEND issues or English language difficulties and I am ready to adapt my teaching styles to support diverse needs.

Tutoring Approach

I put my students at the heart of what I do and I tailor my lessons to suits the needs of each individual student I teach. I view my students as multifaceted and I play to their strengths while supporting where needed. I also understand the importance of challenge and inspiration alongside support and encouragement.

I focus on active learning strategies that encourage deep understanding. I build my students' confidence and resilience while giving them the tools to learn how assess and improve their own understanding

My aim is to build my students’ independence so that they become effective learners that don’t need me anymore. Effectively I work myself out of a job!