Fiona Shepherd MA (Dist), PG DipArts (Dist), BSc, Dip Tchng
Fiona is a NZ qualified and experienced teacher of Mathematics and Statistics. She has been teaching for over 30 years in various positions throughout New Zealand.
Her Masters' thesis was titled "Mathematics as a Secondary Subject: The Girls' View" where she researched girls' experiences of secondary school mathematics.
This research has informed Fiona's teaching practice in that she aims to make the teaching and learning of mathematics fun, creative, collaborative, and relevant.
She aspires to break down any barriers to being successful in mathematics.
Fiona's MA was conferred with Distinction, a grade of A+
Fiona is married to Jerry and has four adult children.
Fiona and Jerry live on a block of land at Queensberry, near Wanaka, appreciating all that this location have to offer. They have two dogs (Nova & Spice), two cats, nine hens, eleven alpacas, and a bee hive from Tiaki Bees.
They both enjoy skiing, renovating, walking their dogs, music, and travelling. Fiona loves to knit in her spare time. Top of Fiona's travel bucket list is a visit to the mountain gorillas in Uganda, her dream since age 16, and to visit the Galapagos Islands to follow in Darwin's footsteps. This is a passion from her BSc study, where Fiona majored in Zoology, alongside her Mathematics.
"Fiona has a fantastic way with the kids. My 8 year old with processing delays has bonded well and loves attending her tutoring sessions. With Fiona’s help she is now meeting requirements. My 11 yr old is also loving the extra challenges Fiona has given him. Being able to continue their sessions under the covid-19 lockdown via web chats has been great and much appreciated." (Parent of Year 4 and Year 7 student)
"Fiona has been an amazing tutor over the past 2 years. She is supportive and committed to her job. Fiona teaches in a fun and creative educational way which fully engages her students in participating and enjoying maths and achieving great results.
Can highly recommend Aspiring Mathematics tutoring." (Parent of Year 8 student)
"Thanks Fiona, you've been such a find - torn between keeping you a secret and singing your praises to everyone!" (Message from the Parent of a Year 11 student).
“We’re truly grateful that you can tutor (our daughter) because she respects you and responds well to your teaching style. I love the look of joy that’s on her face when she walks out of your place, it reinforces that we’ve done the right thing.” (Message from the parent of a Year 8 student)
"Fiona’s been great at helping our boy begin to see himself as a mathematician. (He) goes happily each week and the benefits are really beginning to show. Thanks so much Fiona - we think you’re great!" (Recommendation from the carers of a Year 9 Student)
"We highly recommend Fiona. Her passion for maths & delivery of tuition has exceeded our expectations. Our boys really enjoy attending & have made great progress thanks to Fiona." (Parents of a Year 10 & a Year 12 student).
"I would highly recommend Fiona to anyone looking for a fantastic maths tutor for their child. In only a few sessions we have seen our child’s confidence and understanding grow significantly. Fiona’s friendly nature creates a fun and caring environment, not to mention the fabulous lolly jar! I can’t speak highly enough of the service Fiona provides." (Review from the parent of a Year 7 Student)
“…you are a wonderful maths teacher. You have a wonderful mind that knows how to make maths fun for children but also makes us learn new things. We are thrilled with your teaching ...throughout the year we have learnt so many new things that will have impacts on our futures” (Letter from Year 7 students)
"This is the first year I've really enjoyed maths. Although it has been challenging, thanks to the work you've put in and a lot of studying, I've come to be able to do some of the problems I didn't think I could. ...You've made Calculus really fun this year, and a class I really enjoy coming to, so thank you." (Y13 student)
“For the first time ever, [my daughter] thinks she is alright at maths. She's realistic - she doesn't want to do a maths degree or be an accountant - but she might like to be a scientist and feels confident in her mathematical ability that she could go for a sciencey type career. She knows that basic facts are not her thing, and nor is speed maths and she's okay with that (i.e. she goes " I can't do maths quickly" rather than " I am a failure". And there's a world of difference between the two, as you know)… I'm all about the growth mindset - grateful that my daughter gets to see her developing maths skills as something to be developed, and that she has a little bit extra time to do so, before an exam determines what she can and can't do. I know that you 'get’ [her] and I'm preaching to the choir here, but I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your thoughtful teaching of maths” (Parent Y8 student)
“Thank you for always being so positive and enthusiastic about Calculus. I really appreciated how unjudgemental you were despite my many struggles with Calculus. I can definitely say I'm glad I took Calc...as I've actually enjoyed learning it and being in your classroom." (Year 13 student)