Fun Facts

I ride a bike everywhere in all kinds of weather. I have been a bicycle rider most of my life, and use my bike to get around town. I love animals, especially cats and dogs. I have been a vegetarian almost thirty years, and love trying food from other countries. My main theme in life is to stay curious. I am always interested in learning about other places and how they are similar to or different from the US. For this reason, cultural discussion is usually part of our lessons.

About Me

I completed a master's degree in nonprofit management, and am currently working on a second master's in European and Eurasian studies at washington-university">George washington-university">Washington University, where I also washington-dc">tutor Kazakh exchange fellows for the Central Asia Program at the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. My bachelor's degree in international relations is from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. I am an English teacher, but also a language learner. I have taken university-level French, Russian, and German, studied Latin and Spanish in school, and have taken classes in Persian and Arabic. I understand how it is for language learners, so I assess the needs of the student and go from there. Due to my experience with Russian speakers, I am especially adept at anticipating areas of difficulty with word order and grammar that are different in Russian and English.

Experience

I received my CELTA (Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English) in Budapest in 2004, after teaching in the Peace Corps in Georgia near the border with Russia. From there, I spent four years at a British language school in Kiev, Ukraine, where I taught all ages and all levels, including absolute beginners and Cambridge certificate courses. I tutored individuals and pairs, adults and children, in my free time. I also have experience teaching in the US, and can prepare students for IELTS and TOEFL.

Approach

The main thing is that I want my students to set the pace for their learning. We can tailor lessons to your needs, addressing your strengths and weaknesses, keeping in mind your individual learning style, whether you prefer learning by doing, listening, writing, reading, or speaking.