Hello, and welcome to my page!

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for English & History lesson plans :]

About me

World traveler

I have been moving around most of my life. Originally from Kaliningrad, Russia, I moved to the United States when I was fourteen years old and lived in four different states since. I also had an opportunity to live and work in Brazil in 2016, which made me fall in love with the Latin culture and Romance languages. I now live in Spain working as an English language assistant in Madrid, and I am absolutely loving the experience.

Interests & Expectations

My professional background is in Brand Marketing and Strategy, but I've always loved coaching and training. At Indiana University and then my job as a Brand Manager, I volunteered mentoring and training young people, so high school felt like a natural next step.

I quickly found out that teaching teenagers is very different from professional adults who are eager to learn, but it's even more rewarding when you get through to them and get them engaged. It might take more effort to gain their trust and respect, but you can make more lasting connections and impact on their future.

Máximo Trueba

Experience at the school

I’ve had a wonderful time at IES Profesor Máximo Trueba, and I look forward to joining the school again next year. The kids are happy to be there, and the teachers are very welcoming and excited to work with language.

Máximo Trueba is in a good neighborhood outside of Madrid called Boadilla del Monte, so the expectations from LAs are a bit higher here compared to the average school in the community of Madrid. While at other schools the LA might be expected to conduct a fifteen minute activity prepared by the teacher, we typically prepare the whole lesson and have control over the class for an hour. While that takes more prep work outside the class, it is also an opportunity to choose our own topics and connect with the students on a deeper level.

Teaching experience

My students range from ESO3 through Bachillerato, averaging about 15-17 years old. I teach English to ESO4 and B1&2, and History to ESO 3&4. In English, I typically choose a subject and prepare all new material, while in History I go by the textbook. I'm very happy with this age group as we can cover interesting topics, ask tough questions, and have an active discussion.

My goal is always to make the contents interesting and relatable, encourage critical thinking, and inspire lively participation. I want the kids to walk away with a new perspective or expanded point of view. I chose Careers for my Final Project because the students are starting to apply to universities and think about the future. Learning about different careers and professional requirements like resumes and cover letters is very important and relevant to them.

Highlights: Connecting with a difficult class

I have one Bachillerato class that was very difficult to manage during my first semester. Even though they listened fairly well when I was presenting, there was always loud chatter in the room, participation was low, and overall discipline was very poor. Despite me choosing interesting topics and preparing fun activities, I could not control this class and their constant talking was very distracting to both me and other students.

One day, I stopped in the middle of my presentation, waited until everyone quieted down, and had a very candid discussion with them. I told them that I am not here for my personal benefit because I already have a successful career back home, and I could work and travel anywhere in the world. So the time that I put into preparing fun material and activities for their class is solely for them. I don't have to do it, but I still spend time to make lessons more relevant for them. I wouldn't take it personally if they don’t find it useful or interesting, but if that's the case I will simply switch out of their class to students who actually want to learn from their assistants.

They were clearly moved by this and recognized that their behavior was unacceptable. Now, that we have established trust, respect, and ground rules, I have a fantastic relationship with this class. I went from dreading it every week to looking forward to seeing them and having a productive class. It is a wonderful feeling.