Natalia Akimova

"I believe my main task is to develop children's ability to read, write, speak, and understand Russian. In our lessons, we play a lot, because it's through play — riding that wave of positive emotion — that it's easiest for a child to become absorbed in the learning process, often without even noticing it's happening. We run small science experiments, act out mini-plays based on Russian fairy tales, and make crafts tied to our lesson topics — and through this engaging approach, children gradually master Russian. I almost can't call teaching a job — it's something I love doing, something that pushes me to be creative and brings me tremendous satisfaction and joy with every single lesson."