SCHOOLS
/ SCHOOLS
01
Simply English works with a diverse range of schools within Moscow. Some of our schools are public, and some are private. A number of our schools are in the center of the city, and highly prestigious. Other schools are in normal, working class neighborhoods throughout Moscow.
At each school, the classroom environment can be different. Some schools are very traditional, and still use blackboards and chalk. Other schools have smart boards, projectors, and computers in each classroom.
Regardless of the size, location, or style of the schools we work with, Simply English keeps its classes small. We never place more than 12 children in a classroom, in order to make sure each student gets the attention and opportunity to express themselves that they deserve!
For the most part, Simply English uses its own programs and materials when teaching in Moscow schools. These programs begin from first grade, and continue through 11th grade.
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Working as a teacher in Moscow is a unique, fun and challenging experience. At Simply English you will typically work in both public and private school settings. While some classrooms are equipped with just a chalk board and magnets and others have state of the art smart boards, I cannot say that one setting is better than the other. I have found that no matter what school you are teaching in, the students are generally interested in the lessons and are very fun to teach. For some students, I was the first foreign teacher they’ve every met and that made them very interested in my life. It was fun to share a little bit about my life while creating fun and engaging lesson plans. The students and the other teachers you may work with will definitely recognize and appreciate the effort you put into the lesson planning.
One thing that I also like about working with Simply English is the emphasis on speaking and learning while having fun. A lot of these students have previously only learned English through a textbook. As a Native English teacher, I got to provide them with interactive ways to actually practice speaking in English! Most students were eager to participate and looked forward to practicing new words and phrases with me. The class sizes were smaller and I never had more than 20 students which gave me the opportunity to get to know my students personally. The Academic Directors at Simply English are also great and always willing to help tailor lesson plans to meet the needs of my different classes. I also found that with these fun and interactive lessons, it was also important to have a good classroom management plan in place and to provide lots of positive reinforcements for good behavior.
The most challenging yet interesting part of working as a Simply English teacher in Moscow schools would be commuting from place to place. It was interesting getting on the metro and seeing all the beautiful metro stations, but I had to be mentally prepared to squeeze myself into a place on the train during the rush hours. Even though rush hour on the metro could be daunting, I loved not working the typical 9:00 to 5:00 job and being able to go to different places. Although Simply English does offer contracts where you can stay at one school, I think I would still choose the Standard Contract today.
All in all, I loved that I had the opportunity to think of creative lessons for the students and that I could focus on teaching. The diverse range of students I had definitely made every day interesting. I cannot recommend Simply English enough to anyone who wants to teach English in Moscow.
02
/ KINDERGARTENS
As with our schools, the locations, facilities, and approaches of the kindergartens we work with vary greatly. Some of our kindergartens are in large, stately mansions in the center of the city, and cater to the children of influential and famous clientèle. Others are less grand, and are located in suburban areas of the city.
There are, of course, some constants with our kindergarten groups. Our kindergarten classes begin at age three, and continue until students are ready to start first grade. All classes never have more than twelve children in them, and all lesson spaces are brightly colored and roomy- great for the active games and fun physical activities that form the core of our kindergarten programs!
Teaching at a kindergarten in Russia for me was rewarding and challenging experience. The children were typically very happy to see their favorite English teacher walk through the door and were excited to share the English that they knew with me. In Russian kindergartens, I found that the best way to share the knowledge of was English through songs, pictures, crafts, stories, and lots and lots of play. While it was important to make sure my lessons were well thought out, it was also nice to know that I was never really alone while teaching them. There were Russian assistants at the kindergarten who were eager to help with the lessons and children.
These little ones could experience lots of big emotions both happy and sad, so it was important to provide lots of positive reinforcement and to make sure all students were given a chance to participate in the activities. For the most part, the children were happy to learn from a Native English speaker and enjoyed learning the language through interactive ways.
At Simply English, you may work in a kindergarten all day or have just one or two kindergarten classes. Whatever type of kindergarten you work in, it was important to bring your extra pair of shoes! When you walk from place to place, your outside shoes can get quite dirty so it was important to have those inside shoes to keep things clean and germ free in the kindergarten. It was also important to consider the clothing I was wearing. I made sure I wore something neat that I could easily move in.
I found that it takes a lot of energy and a positive attitude to be a kindergarten teacher here and the love from the children makes it all worth it. The smiles on the faces of the children and seeing their progress made teaching kindergarten in Moscow one of the more rewarding jobs that I have had.
03 / PROGRAMS
DRAMA
This course aims to teach children basic concepts of performance, as well as build creativity and storytelling skills at an early age. Children use their bodies, voices, and minds to express themselves in class. They also work on memorization skills, and become comfortable turning a short text or story idea into a dramatization. The aim of the course is to improve students' confidence, creativity, improvisational ability, and fluency.
EXAM PREPARATION
These courses are designed for students from 1st to 11th grade. The programs use Oxford’s Family and Friends series of texts, as well as Cambridge preparatory texts, and are designed to correspond with the Cambridge English Tests for Young learners, as well as the KET/KEY, PET, and FCE programs. For older students we also offer EGE, CAE, TOEFL, and IELTS preparatory courses. While designed to help students improve their test scores on standardized English exams, our academic courses are also meant to be fun and engaging. Each program incorporates cross-curricular materials related to art, science, literature, history, math, social science, and journalism, to keep students engaged, and offer them a chance to use what they learn in a real life setting!
SCIENCE
This hands-on course exposes students to concepts related to the natural world. Each week, students do an experiment as a class, and discuss the results. Teachers introduce new vocabulary, explain materials, and outline the process of the experiment. They also make sure students approach the project critically; children are encouraged to identify a problem, propose possible answers, and make guesses about what will happen next.​
NATIVE SPEAKING/WRITING CLUB
This course explores all different sorts of writing- advertisement, journalism, science fiction, mystery, biography, romance, and the novel. Throughout the year, students create their own story outline, book cover, character in a mystery, newspaper article, environmental charity design, invention, advertisement, biography/auto biography, and personal narrative.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
This course explores vocabulary and grammar concepts from a wide array of exciting topics, while also building classroom language skills in English, and developing both small motor skills and creativity. Students study a new vocabulary cluster each month, and get a chance to explore the topic through hands-on activities, designed to help integrate and further develop listening and comprehension skills. ​
SCHOOL NEWS TEAM
This course allows students to write about current events in their school and daily lives, in English. Each month students choose topics to write about, design news articles and headlines around these topics, peer edit their work, and create an English newsletter to share with their school.