Educational Management Team
Hi my name is Dave and I'm the ADOS at Tverskaya. I'm starting my 4th year in Moscow and have been teaching at BKC since the beginning. The school and the city offer great variety. I started here teaching preschoolers and now teach business English to adults. I'm originally from NZ and have been teaching and travelling on and off for almost 10 years.
Wayne mentions above the "hallowed halls" of Tverskaya. Tverskaya is the largest central school where the in-company office and teacher training are located. It's a popular location for lesson planning and meeting other teachers and is supported by a friendly and efficient administration team.
Tverskaya and BKC in general, is a haven for all sorts of interesting people with interesting stories, both staff and students. It's been said that there aren't good or bad places, only good and bad people, I've been very fortunate to have met a lot of wonderful people here.
October 2007, Dave Connolly
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My name is Jennifer and I'm the I Spy Coordinator and ADOS for Very Young Learners (VYL). After finishing my degree I spent two years teaching in St. Petersburg. I went back to the UK to 'get a real job,' but quickly realised that Russia was where I wanted to be. I got my CELTA and have been working for BKC since January 2005. I'd always taught kids and teenagers, but encountered my first class of four year olds in a satellite school here in Moscow. It was scary at first, but an amazing experience as well, and I've been teaching VYL Playgroups and Playway classes ever since. I did the IH YL course and completed the extra assignment to add the VYL age group.
Teaching VYL is a different universe to the rest of EFL. It's challenging, but incredibly rewarding and lots of fun as well. If you're energetic, creative, keen to broaden your teaching experience and try something new, and you're interested in working with young children, please contact me at Borovitskaya.
Jennifer Hillhouse. September 2006
 My name is Liudmila Fomenko and I'm one of the two DOSes at BKC. I have been with the school for more than five years. In that time I've taught all levels of adults and YL as a teacher, I've trained teachers as an IH YL tutor, and have worked in several BKC departments as a YL ADOS , Satellites ADOS and DOS.
I did my DELTA in 2005 and now I'm really interested in doing IDLTM - Educational Management Diploma in the future
BKC is the place where I am able to apply my previous knowledge and experience working in a team of very friendly and professional people - my colleagues from all over the world. We are the biggest IH school and are famous for our old traditions, large number of motivated students, high quality of teaching and unique opportunities for teacher training. We provide very good teacher support and try to make every teacher's life in Moscow as happy as possible.
Liudmila Fomenko, September 2007
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In 2001 one of my first classes in BKC was an elementary group in a small satellite school which doubled as seminary during the day and language school at night. There was lots of religious paraphernalia in the school and those long Winter evenings I used to fight a losing battle with the icons on the wall to maintain the group's interest. One student in particular, Andre, needed little distraction and he must have memorized the view from the window where he used to sit. Given Andre's less than total commitment to his English studies, I was taken aback to meet him again three years later, late for his TOEFL class in the hallowed corridors of our Tverskaya school. Andre sheepishly explained that he needed TOEFL to get a scholarship to an American university. We used to bump into each other a fair bit after that and I helped Andre out with a research proposal he was putting together. Last December I got an email from Andre, now doing post-doctoral work in UCLA in laser technology (or something like that), thanking me for my help and asking why no one on campus spoke as they do on the TOEFL tapes. This little anecdote reminds me that, from icons to lasers, much has changed for me, Andre and thousands of other BKC students in the five years I have been here as teacher, ADoS and now DoS. Not every teaching experience is a success story like Andre's but I have seen plenty of evidence that we do make a difference to many students' lives, turning language learning into a positive and fulfilling event.
Wayne September 2006
I'm Simon and I'm one of two Assistant Directors of Studies at Globus School of Modern Languages. I come from a village called Dinas Powys near Cardiff in South Wales. I've been here since February 2004, and really enjoy working in the school both teaching and in my work as an ADOS. I especially like the fact that Globus is multilingual and multicultural. Throughout the day I can hear Russian, German, Spanish, Italian, French and many other languages spoken in the teacher's room which creates a really international feeling.
I am enjoying life outside of the classroom too, and have slowly been discovering the hidden corners of Moscow as well as the unhidden ones. I've been working a lot though, so haven't explored the country outside the capital as much as I would have liked. This is also because in my free time I like to be with my son, Eddie, who was born in July 2004. He is my youngest student!
Overall, BKC is a bit like Russia itself, vast and sometimes exasperating, especially when you have to fit in with schedules or try to get things done on time. After being here a while, however, and having got to know many students and Russian staff, I can say that I have found them all wonderful people to work with. I hope to be at BKC for some time to come.
Simon Brooks September 2006
I am Olga Goncharova, the ADOS of Kropotkinskaya. I have been teaching at BKC for more than five years and this is my second year in the EMT. I moved to Moscow in the summer 2000 where I completed the CELTA course and got a job in BKC. I taught different levels and ages from five year-olds to teenagers and adults. Having had vast experience as a teacher, I applied for a senior position. Helping teachers is my primary responsibility and I find it rewarding and satisfactory when I share my experience and knowledge with new teachers and help more experienced ones to develop. This summer I finished the DELTA, which is the most interesting and useful course I have ever done. Now I am combining my work and preparation for the DELTA exam, which is in December. As to the future, I am thinking about a teacher training career.
Olga Goncharova October 2005
 I'm Mick Calvett and am a contract teacher and not in administration. I'm the Teacher Representative observer at EMT meetings and my job is to represent the teachers' point of view at EMT as well as to mediate on behalf of staff who feel they haven't been treated fairly or need extra help to solve school-related problems. I've been in Moscow working for BKC since 1997 and previously had been a teacher, senior master, co-timetabler and literacy coordinator in Australian high schools since 1969. I also taught for 1 year in an American junior high.
Mick Calvett September 2006
 My name is Irina and I am Russian. I graduated from Moscow State Pedagogical University and then received all the training available to me to further my development as a professional teacher. Up till now I've been teaching for more than 15 years all possible ages and levels.
An unusual part of my biography is that I lived in Cuba, Havana almost all my childhood, so I love Latin American music and dancing.
Being crazy about all sorts of certificates and diplomas (CELTA, DELTA) I got the advanced PADI certificate and regularly take trips to the Red Sea to go diving. I once dived to a depth of 50 meters and this is a personal best so far. I am very proud of it. Another passion of mine is downhill skiing and tennis. The thing I find most interesting about working in BKC is socializing with people from all sorts of countries. It's great we all get on so well together.
Irina Grekova September 2006
 Hello from Moscow! I'm an American who's been out of the country long enough that I can even forget about 4th of July, in the midst of a Moscow heat wave. Recently British colleagues wished me well on the holiday and I had to think about why they were doing that.
Seriously, I do enjoy the idea of being a cross-cultural educator. Since being certified to teach English in 2003 in Prague, I have lived and worked in the Czech Republic, Mongolia and now Russia. I have returned to Moscow after an 18 year hiatus - I was here as part of an exchange of young football (soccer) players under 16. But sightseeing is not the same as living and working in a city; you have a real opportunity to begin to understand how people live, where they're coming from, and maybe where they're headed.
Russia is obviously going through great changes, and as a teacher, one has the opportunity to make a real contribution. Russians are learning English for a number of reasons. My primary work is to help them prepare for some of the major English proficiency exams. They are highly motivated and yet fun-loving students.
Rob Hyde. August 2007
 Priviet! I'm Margot, senior teacher of four satellite schools - Akademicheskaya, Babushkinskaya, Prospekt Mira and Universitet. I used to be an attorney in South Africa (in Pretoria and Johannesburg), until I realized there must be more to life than being stuck in a job I didn't enjoy anymore. So I decided to become a TEFL teacher - the best decision I've ever made!
I completed my CELTA at International House in Durban, South Africa in 2004, and then started teaching in Moscow. Last year, I moved to Bratislava (the capital of Slovakia), but I missed Moscow and BKC so much that I came back at the end of August this year!
I really enjoy the balance of meeting colleagues from all over the world, and getting to know our Russian students. My best Russian experience has been a train ride on the Trans Siberian, all the way from Moscow to Vladivostok. Along the way, I met so many wonderful, kind, generous people, saw some spectacular scenery and fell in love with Russian trains!
Margot Windisch. August 2007
 Hello there. My name's Mark and I'm the senior teacher for Altufevo, Khimki, Petrovo-Razumovskaya and Rechnoy Voksal. If you find yourself teaching or studying in one of those schools do feel free to say 'hi'. It's always good to get to know new people.
This will be my fourth year teaching in Russia, so there must be something about the place that keeps me hanging around. Previously I taught in Poland, which is a wholly wonderful country. However, it's Russia that really has its claws in my heart. Enduring the interminable wait for a bus on a dark, dismal December evening - suffering a temperature that can only be described as insanely cold - is an experience that really shouldn't bear repeating. But, for every time like that, there have been countless unforgettable positive experiences. I guess it's the people I've been lucky enough to work with, teach and meet while I've been working here that have made the experience as rewarding as it has been.
Mark Taylor, August 2007.
 Hi, I'm Dan and I'm the Senior Teacher for Kashirskaya, Prazhskaya, Krasno and Troitsk. This is my second time teaching with BKC here in Moscow.
The first time was back in 2005 but I found myself returning to the bright lights of Moscow at the start of the year. Moscow's a fun city and there is always something different going on to catch your eye and keep you on your toes……and the bars are good fun to. I've taught English in a number of different countries, Brazil, Poland, England, The Czech Republic and of course Russia but Moscow has been the only place I've returned to, even with its freezing winters. Before teaching I worked as a musician and sound engineer and still find time dabble over here. Working with BKC is great fun and there is a real sense of community made up of teachers form all over the world.
August 2007. Dan Pringle.
 Hi! My name is Nat. I am the senior teacher for Partizanskaya, Electrozavodskaya and Novokosino.
I have a BA in TESOL and completed my CELTA a few years ago so being an EFL teacher really is what I wanted to do from the start! I like teaching students of all ages and levels and I enjoy teaching Russian students, as they are both fun and hard-working. Last year I taught young learners and very young learners for the first time, and I liked it so much that I decided to do the IH YL course.
Many people ask me "why Moscow?" I think I came in the first place just to do something different and I chose to stay another year as I really like living and working in Moscow. The city has a lot to offer and there is always something to do or some unknown place to discover. Anything can and will happen in Moscow and that definitely makes life more interesting!
Nat Vinadia, September 2007
 I joined BKC seven years ago, and it was a turning point in my career. I graduated from Moscow Pedagogical University where I trained as an English language teacher.
After leaving university I got a job as a language teacher at Baumansky University. I quite liked it there, but having taught technical translations for almost eight years, I was stuck in a bit of a rut in that job.
One evening while I was walking home from another typical day at work, I noticed a BKC advert stuck on a wall. It was like a ray of light! I suddenly realized that I had to get in touch with them and it all went from there. The IH course and DELTA path led me to my current position as the ADOS at Kuznetsky Most school.
I've never regretted a single moment of being a member of BKC staff. I enjoy being involved in educational matters and I highly appreciate the opportunities for career growth and professional development which BKC offers.
Olga Umnikova, September 2007
 Hi, my name is Mauro Baldelli and I'm the senior teacher for Globus 1.
I'm italian and in my language senior teacher sounds a bit like "signor" teacher, which means Mr Teacher....Mr teacher could easily become Mr T, which reminds me of the "A-team".Well I suppose that here at Globus we are a bit like the "A-team group". Like them, we all once were fighting our way through a difficult environment (not Vietnam but University) and then gather all togheter in a place where people need our help. Like the A-team we like fighting against the injustice, in our case, that of the destruction of the tower of Babel. Like the A-team we are all a bit loony but conscious of the seriousness of our actions and, most of all, like the A-team we love it when a plan comes together...especially a lesson plan.
Mauro Baldelli, September 2007
 Hi I'm Clare, Senior Teacher for Molodezhnaya.
I come from the North of England. Moscow is definitely one of those cities that gets under you skin. This is my third time here but this time I haven't left! I finally got to see Moscow in the snow and it's beautiful - until it starts to melt! A winter sports enthusiasts dream! The ice skating is great.
I acquired my love of teaching during the fantastically long university summers, when I taught here in Moscow and in Dalian, China. I then did a PGCE and braved Secondary education in the UK for three years. Now I find my self back in Moscow and this job is incredibly refreshing, particularly in my first contract when I had mainly adult classes!
You meet so many interesting people and the kids are really hard working and driven. There are always things that shock you here but once you have established friendships Russian people are so incredibly generous and kind, particularly when my flat mate broke her knee after only a month here! Come and embrace the Moscow experience and join our exciting BKC team!
Clare Ashton, September 2007
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