Tatyana Salnikova

Teaching Russian is my passion and a tribute to a culture I was born in and raised. I have been told that I am a “born teacher,” but this is not the case. If anything, I was born a learner, and along the way I learned how to teach. In fact, my teaching style and techniques are evolving daily as I learn through professional development, by studying my peers, and most importantly by listening to my students. To me, a large part of teaching is figuring out how people learn. I am passionate about education because I am a constant learner myself. I have a certification of completing training for Prototype AP Russian from American Councils, Washington DC. I prepared many students for Prototype AP Russian. Last summer, I completed Startalk certification, which helped me to improve as a teacher.

I believe that a key element in Russian language classroom is keeping the students motivated. My personal style of teaching brings enthusiasm, cultural elements, and performing arts into the classroom to increase learning motivation. I teach with a encouragement and open personality that helps me to interact with my students as I guide them through their learning process. Teaching my native Russian language enables me to draw upon Russian culture and personal experience as a foreign language learner as I teach my students to effectively communicate and, perhaps more importantly, to gain an appreciation for another language and culture. I apply this principle equally for my elementary, middle school and college students.

My objective as a teacher is to motivate my students toward a level of independence where they develop a desire to learn and think for themselves. To reach this end, I rely upon many activities that involve a total physical response (TPR) by the students. Instead of just reading poetry, for example, my students perform and improve their pronunciation, diction, and public speaking skills. In my quest to develop independent thinkers, I also strive to promote cross-cultural awareness and appreciation. A native of Russia, I try to bring as much of my culture into the classroom as possible. For example, students are introduced to Russian national food, craft, music, and fine arts.

I believe that effective teachers understand what knowledge their students already have, and find a way to tap into that knowledge and build upon it everyday. I believe that my enthusiastic, cultural approach to teaching Russian enables students to acquire language skills in a manner that keeps them interested and motivated, and requires their own critical thinking of discussion points which makes their learning their own. The results I have seen in my students are quite positive. Many see me outside the classroom, and even though they are no longer my students continue to communicate with me in Russian. My students never forget how much I love to teach them, and the passion and energy I devote to their education is often translated into their passion to think and learn, and that is why teaching Russian is my life.

Education: MFA, Russian Language and Literature, Belarusian State University.
MFA, Acting and Directing, State Petersburg State Conservatory.
Skills: Italian, piano, guitar.
Hobbies: flower arrangements, architectural walks.