My background was initially in linguistics and second language acquisition, conducting undergrad research with Russian and Korean. I discovered a passion for teaching while volunteering at a language center for immigrants and refugees, and obtained my ESL teaching qualification. Having lived in Moscow since 2017, I first gained experience in a private language school working with primary age and high school students, preparing them for Cambridge exams, IELTS, and YEGE. Following this, I led the Pre-K group as Head Teacher at an English kindergarten for over 3 years. I love encouraging students’ curiosity, especially related to language and STEM, and I aim to make learning dynamic and more self-driven. I find joy in witnessing the rapid progress young students make and their early discovery of special interests and aptitudes. Outside the classroom, I enjoy reading sci-fi and history, experimenting with different cuisines, and exploring the outdoors. I am a poet, hiker, and amateur entomologist, and always eager to share my interests with my students.