Sasha W.

Hello! My name is Sasha Withers. I am a professional educator with a degree in Primary School Education and a specialization in teaching Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) to both children and adults.What sets my classes apart is that I do not just teach from standard books—I write them! I am the published author of the "Karandash" textbook series for preschoolers, as well as a specialized collection of songs, poems, and creative tasks designed specifically for teenagers. My teaching approach is highly interactive and personalized. For young learners, I use an immersive, game-based method filled with songs, crafts, and coloring activities that make learning Russian feel like playtime. For older students and adults, I bridge grammar with contemporary, engaging content.Whether you are looking to support a bilingual child, help a heritage speaker connect with their roots, or start learning Russian as an adult from scratch, I look forward to creating a fun, effective learning journey for you!

Online RFL Tutoring (2020–Present): Six years of dedicated online teaching experience, specializing in synchronous remote instruction for bilingual children and heritage speakers worldwide.Classroom Teaching Experience: Former traditional classroom teacher, which provided me with strong pedagogical foundations in child psychology, group dynamics, and structured lesson planning.Curriculum & Textbook Development: Author of the globally distributed "Karandash" textbook series for preschoolers and a dedicated poetry/song syllabus for teenagers (available on Amazon and SmartStartShop).Digital Integration: Expert in transforming classic teaching methods into engaging online sessions using custom digital kits, audio-visual clips, and interactive games.

My Teaching MethodologyImmersive & Playful:
I use games, crafts, and coloring for preschoolers to make learning natural.
Audio-Visual Integration: Lessons incorporate authentic songs, poems, and video clips to boost memory.
Structured Progression: Every class bridges vocabulary, grammar, and real-world conversation seamlessly.

Lesson StructureWarm-up: Engaging introduction using conversational prompts or catchphrase songs.
Core Concept: Interactive presentation of new vocabulary or grammar rules through custom multimedia.
Practice: Creative tasks, reading, or reading-comprehension activities based on my own published materials.
Wrap-up: Fun review game and goal-setting for the next session.
My Traits as a TutorInnovative: I design and use my own worldwide-published curricula ("Karandash" series).
Patient: I adapt seamlessly to the emotional and cognitive needs of young children.
Passionate: I bring high energy, real native-speaker audio, and music into every session.