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Focused Tutor in English & Russian (Novice to Advanced Levels)
Joseph S.

5.0 (201 ratings)

1,195 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $65
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Response time: 5 minutes

About Joseph

Bio

I have a passion for teaching and a passion for Eastern European history, culture, and language. I currently teach Russian to K-8 students at the Academy of Math & Science in Phoenix, Arizona. I have previously taught Russian at the secondary level in the Scottsdale Unified School District and at the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive Program in Middlebury, Connecticut. I have also taught at the post-secondary level at The Ohio State University, Middlebury College, and the University of Toronto....

I have a passion for teaching and a passion for Eastern European history, culture, and language. I currently teach Russian to K-8 students at the Academy of Math & Science in Phoenix, Arizona. I have previously taught Russian at the secondary level in the Scottsdale Unified School District and at the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive Program in Middlebury, Connecticut. I have also taught at the post-secondary level at The Ohio State University, Middlebury College, and the University of Toronto.

I have a Masters Degree in Slavic Languages and Literatures and a Bachelors Degree in Russian. I am a certified Arizona teacher with experience teaching in a variety of settings and to a variety of ages. I make ample use of technology in my lesson plans, realizing that the internet provides a great opportunity for immersing oneself in another culture remotely.

I love to assist students in achieving proficiency in Russian, especially after the initial stages of uncertainty. It is a real pleasure to notice my students' progress as they gain fluency and confidence and find new opportunities for growth and learning.

Contact me immediately to begin Russian lessons or to inquire about other tutoring needs. I look forward to providing my services and being of assistance to you.

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Education

Brigham Young University
Food Science ' Russian
University of Toronto
Masters
Harvard University
Graduate Coursework
  • Licensed teacher

Additional Languages

Russian

Policies

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Art History

Art History

Taught a college course on Slavic and East European Art and History. Published an article of literary analysis based on the geometric patterns created in the visual representation of poetry in Vladimir Nabokov’s “The Gift.” Presented at many academic conferences on similar topics. Completed Art & Civilization courses at an A level in undergrad.
Chess

Chess

I am the chess coach at the Academy of Math and Science — Desert Sky in Phoenix, AZ. I train 30+ students each year to compete in chess tournaments throughout the valley. I play regularly in online tournaments and have my own YouTube channel for chess instruction.
English

English

I am a foreign language instructor at a K-8 charter school. I assist in reading intervention and ESL teaching. I encourage all students to make connections between languages and use vocabulary and grammar to demonstrate their knowledge, argue persuasively, and create unique literary works. I have a Masters degree from the University of Toronto, where I was also employed as a research assistant. I have published several academic articles and reviews in the field of literary analysis and served for nine years as the editor of the Tolstoy Studies Journal’s annotated bibliography. I am very well-versed in MLA, APA, and Chicago style formatting.
ESL/ESOL

ESL/ESOL

I have tutored students of all levels, assisting with pronunciation, reading/writing, vocabulary learning, and conversational practice. At the K-8 level, I have led corrective reading courses for English language learners at the Academy of Math & Science in Phoenix, Arizona.
European History

European History

As a lecturer at The Ohio State University, I taught classes on Central and Eastern European Literature and Culture alongside Russian language classes. These courses included extensive contextual readings on European history and biographical information about the lives of authors. As a research librarian at the University of Toronto's Petro Jacyk Central & East European Resource Centre, I assisted many patrons with personal research projects on European history, provided support for genealogical queries, and maintained materials and presentations related to Central and Eastern Europe.
Film

Film

As a lecturer at The Ohio State University, I taught a course entitled "Introduction to Slavic and East European Culture." As part of the course requirements, students were to watch a Czech, Polish, Russian, or Ukrainian film from a pre-approved list and submit a film review that provided a cultural connection to the course material. In my Russian courses, I use Russian cinema for extracurricular language assignments. As an undergraduate at Brigham Young University, I completed a course on Russian film.
Literature

Literature

I have taught a course on Slavic and Eastern European Literature and Culture at The Ohio State University. I led the Russian poetry club at Middlebury College. I taught courses on the Russian Novel, the Russian Short Story, Nabokov, and Russian Symbolism at the University of Toronto.
Proofreading

Proofreading

I have taught language and literature courses at The Ohio State University, Middlebury College, and the University of Toronto. I currently teach reading and foreign language at a K-8 charter school and have taught at the high school level as well. I tutor many students in writing, helping them draft, edit, and proofread their essays and assignments. I've published several articles in academic journals and served as the bibliography editor for the Tolstoy Studies Journal from 2008 to 2018.
Reading

Reading

I lead the corrective reading program for grades 5-8 at my current school. These consist of lessons twice per week with each middle school class using an established curriculum. I also maintain a classroom library and provide assistance to students looking for books to read. As a grade 3 classroom teacher I have employed phonics-based instruction and reading-for-comprehension strategies. As a K-12 foreign language teacher, I have employed a comparative approach that helps students to better understand their own native language grammar as they learn the target language.
Russian

Russian

Certified Russian teacher for K-8th grade students at the Academy of Math & Science in Phoenix, Arizona. Russian teacher for over 10+ years at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. Places taught include: Scottsdale Unified School District (Scottsdale, AZ), The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH), Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT), Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive (Middlebury, CT), and the University of Toronto (Toronto, ON). Experienced in living, working, and studying abroad in Russia and Ukraine. PhD (ABD) and MA in Slavic Languages and Literatures (University of Toronto) / BA in Russian (Brigham Young University)
Writing

Writing

I have taught writing at the high school and college level. As a lecturer at The Ohio State University I assigned and guided students through the process of composing 5-10 page analytical essays. As a research librarian at the University of Toronto, I taught patrons how to conduct research, compile and cite sources, and summarize the pertinent information in an engaging and clear manner. In my current position as a high school teacher, I apply the guidelines for writing in my standard rubric to the written work of my students.
American History
Geography
Grammar
Philosophy
Psychology
Spelling
Study Skills
Vocabulary
World History

Examples of Expertise

Joseph has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 1 question submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (201 ratings)
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Reviews

Beyond expectations!

My teenage daughter has been taking weekly and sometimes twice weekly lessons from Joseph for a year now. Finding him for her tutor was one of the best things we've been able to do for her. She is preparing for Global Studies/Russian as her college major and Joseph's enthusiasm for and deep knowledge of the language has been invaluable. He surpasses anything we could have hoped for. As a teacher, he uses a variety of methods beyond reading and writing and conversation. He incorporates videos, games, literature and cultural awareness. He gently sets goals that keep her achieving and accomplishing more and more. An effective teacher is one who has knowledge of the subject as well as a true love for both the subject and for teaching others. Joseph has all this. He is engaging and takes his lessons into aspects of the language and culture that make them interesting and fun. My daughter looks forward to every lesson and is thrilled with how far she has come in her language skills. He is a rare find and we consider ourselves so fortunate to have found him.

Paula, 49 lessons with Joseph

Excellent Tutor

Joseph has helped my two boys in 3rd and 6th grade get better grades by helping them write book reports and projects. He has helped my older son in grammar and vocab by helping him study, on his most recent test on correct pronoun usage he got an A. Joseph is always available when we need him.

Ruyi, 377 lessons with Joseph

Patient, thorough and knowledgable

Joseph was on time, communicated well and was patient during sessions. We used him to review lengthy essays, offering grammar insight and flow. He was great and would highly recommend.

kendall, 15 lessons with Joseph

highly recommend

I had a small one-off need to learn to speak just a few sentences of Russian as part of a speech I was preparing to deliver, and Joseph helped me nail it in just a few short lessons. He was prepared, very helpful, and friendly throughout the process. And most importantly, according to the native Russian speakers in the audience, they perfectly understood my Russian, which was the goal. I would recommend Joseph highly.

Matt, 3 lessons with Joseph

Good teacher. Very patient

Joseph taught my son Alex chess today. He was very patient and knowledgeable and explained things in ways an 8 year old could understand. He is clearly a very good teacher.

Ini, 7 lessons with Joseph

Awesome tutor

Dative cases with thorough explanation. Also preparing for additional weekly assignments to fit my schedule. Greatly appreciated him working with me.

Todd, 5 lessons with Joseph
Hourly Rate: $65
Response time: 5 minutes
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