Tutoring & Private Classes

PRAISE

"We love working with Stephanie Sherman and give her our highest recommendation. First, she is a wonderful teacher, combining high energy, high standards and clear curriculum, with joy and warmth that make her a highlight each week for our children.  Second, we see her work validated at school - our school's Spanish teachers have told us how quickly our children have progressed over the several years we have been working with her, and she has been willing to plan her lessons to fill specific gaps left by the school's curriculum.  Our children are very fortunate to work with such a naturally skilled teacher, who also brings strong academic credentials, broad experience and great joy for life."

—Paul, Parent, Spanish tutoring, CA

"Stephanie is a terrific teacher. My daughter studied with her online for a couple of years, and she never wanted to skip a class because the experience was so fun. Having the extra language exposure each week definitely improved my daughter’s knowledge and her enthusiasm for Spanish. I highly recommend her!”

—Danny, Parent, Spanish tutoring, CA

“Dr. Sherman was one of most remarkable teachers in my BA studies because she encouraged me to find my own voice as an artist, by paying attention to the different qualities of each student and giving us the chance to develop those qualities… She cares about her students not only as students but also as people, artists an even colleagues.”

—Melissa, Former Dance Student, Universidad de las Américas Puebla

“I would like to highlight the loyalty that she had with her students at la Universidad de las Américas Puebla, her excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and her group work as well as her individual leadership. She created great dancers and formed a great community of dancers. She has also shown leadership in altruistic activist activities with gender rights, and Mexico has benefitted greatly from her contributions, which I respect. I also admire her consistency and her desire to help others, since she has continued being my mentor after being her student.”

—Ana Karen, Former Dance Student, Universidad de las Américas Puebla

“You are, without a doubt, of the most important professors who has impacted my professional career and who I am as a person. With you I learned about many more authors, about other visions about art: dance, performance, theater, and their crossovers, as well as a more human and inclusive vision, a social consciousness and a Latin American vision of life and our profession.”

—Ricardo, Former Critical Theory Student, Universidad de las Américas Puebla

“The unconditional support, the respectful feedback, and the innovative teaching methodology of yours made us grow.”

—Mauricio, Former Dance Student, Academia de la Danza Mexicana, INBAL

ABOUT

Teaching is my way of changing the world, one person at a time. I have taught students of all ages and levels for almost two decades. My interdisciplinary skills are my superpower. I have native level fluency in Spanish, a PhD in Performance Studies from UC Berkeley (2016), an MFA in Dance from NYU (2009), and a BA in Hispanic Studies from Vassar College (2001). I have been university faculty, teaching in English and Spanish at California College of the Arts, San Francisco State University, San José State University, UC Berkeley, Mills College, University of Texas El Paso, Academia de la Danza Mexicana INBAL, and la Universidad de las Américas Puebla. My experience as a bilingual poet, dancer, and visual artist, as well as my cultural sensitivity, contribute to my hands-on, creative approach. In my classes, we make art and performance, play games, sing songs, and dance as we learn to think, speak, write, and read, and think critically about diverse subjects. I listen to my tutoring students and customize courses for their learning styles. For example, I taught a jazz fanatic Spanish through jazz songs in Spanish. I am excited to work with you and am taking new clients. Book my classes at doctoraphanie@gmail.com.

SPANISH TUTORING RATES

  • Sliding Scale $150 x hour to $75 x hour depending on income. 4 Class Packs.

  • Inquire about a free diagnostic chat.

OTHER COURSES

Have you ever wanted to take a college level course? Here is your chance! I am excited to teach you one of my courses. Inquire within.

  • Spanish (Private tutoring, TutorCorps, Pacific Preparatory, Ollin Center, Meridian Academy Middle School)

  • ESL: (Ollin Center; TESOL Certified)

  • Dance: Contemporary Dance, Choreography & Improvisation (ODC, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Academia de la Danza Mexicana INBAL, la Cantera, Fresh Festival, UC Berkeley, la Universidad Central del Ecuador, CEPRODAC, Espacio Vazio, private classes & much more in San Francisco, Mexico City, Quito, and Boston)

  • Disability & the Arts: (California College of the Arts)

  • Queer & Trans Studies: (California College of the Arts)

  • Performance Theory: (UC Berkeley, Universidad de las Américas Puebla)

  • Essay Writing: (UC Berkeley)

  • Dance Studies: Dance History, Dance Research, Dance Ethnography, Dance Appreciation, Dance in World Cultures (San Francisco State University, San José State University, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Academia de la Danza Mexicana INBAL)

  • Chicanx Theater & Performance: (UC Berkeley)

Spanish Tutoring

Learning language in school or on an app can be uninspiring and isolating. I’m a creative and experienced Spanish tutor, choreographer, bilingual poet, and university professor with a PhD and two Fulbright Awards to Ecuador and Mexico. I teach language as an art, using games and exercises from visual art, theater, poetry, music, dance, and literature. I inspire students’ passion for Latin American culture and build supportive relationships. My enthusiasm motivates students to become fluent; my twin students, taught since 2020, advanced from struggling beginners to the top of their class. Having been in their shoes 25 years ago, I now have native-level fluency that others can't distinguish. Knowing how to learn means knowing how to teach.