TEACHER CASE STUDIES

Listen & Learn: Good day, Anastasiia! Thank you for speaking with me today. Let’s begin with your teaching history and qualifications, and perhaps you can tell us why you chose a career in teaching in the first place?
Anastasiia: Certainly! So, my grandmother used to be a teacher, and I always felt inspired by what she did. I think teaching is one of the most important professions in this world. You share with people something that nobody can take away from them: knowledge. So, determined to follow this path, I got my degree in Teaching and Applied Psychology at Donbas Pedagogical Academy. Afterward, I decided to teach English in China. But once people learned that I am a native Russian speaker, they asked me to teach them Russian, too. I stayed in Shanghai, China, for 3 years, where I really honed my skills.

Listen & Learn: That’s an excellent experience! Teaching a language to people who are used to such different characters and sentence construction must have been a challenge at first, but I bet you can teach anyone Russian now. What do you look for in your ideal student?
Anastasiia: I like to work with students who know exactly why they want to learn a language. What is their final goal? Do they want to be able to order food at a restaurant or pass a job interview in Russian? Having a concrete goal helps students to stay motivated and helps me, as a teacher, to be more effective.

Liste & Learn: So, what brought you to Listen & Learn? How did you find us and what attracted you to the company?
Anastasiia: I wanted more freedom in my teaching, both in terms of choosing my students and my work hours. I had a feeling that Listen & Learn could reliably provide this for me, as well as allow me to start teaching in the USA.

Listen & Learn: Does anything stand out as being a particular benefit of working with us?
Anastasiia: I love that I can design my own curriculum according to the student's needs. I like that my students and I can choose the teaching materials by ourselves. Thus, Listen & Learn enables and encourages me to provide an individual approach to any student.

Listen & Learn: And if you had to tell a learner looking for a new language course, why would you recommend them to enroll with Listen and Learn?
Anastasiia: Definitely because they can ask a teacher to design a class specifically for them. Also, if anything happens, they can cancel the class or put them on hold. Oh, and because nobody gives bad marks or undue criticism; only constructive feedback. I believe all the teachers are very supportive and encouraging, not just me.

Listen & Learn: That actually leads me nicely into my next question. What should students expect from you as their teacher?
Anastasiia: Very interesting, interactive classes. My lessons are usually very visual and I like to use a lot of pictures and flashcards. Further, my second major in Applied Psychology, so I try to incorporate my professional knowledge of psychology into my classes. This really helps me connect me with every student to give them an individual approach.

Listen & Learn: It sounds like you really know your strengths and what you expect in return from your students. That’s great! Could you describe your most memorable teaching experience with us for our readers?
Anastasiia: It is absolutely when a student (a complete beginner, initially) was able to hold a short conversation for the first time. Seeing our hard work come to fruition always inspires me to work even harder.

Listen & Learn: I bet! That feeling must be wonderful! Well, thanks again, Anastasiia, I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. Finally, before I let you go, can you tell me a fun fact about the language you teach? Maybe a favorite expression you like to teach your students?
Anastasiia: When we learn verb conjugation in Russian, we conjugate the verb to write -Писать [Pisat']. If you want to say "I am writing," you should say – “я пишу.” But it is a very tricky verb and sometimes students say it in a way that sounds very similar to the verb “to pee” in Russian. They almost say I am peeing, and I cannot help but find that amusing.