During my professional career, I have had a number of opportunities to gain teaching experience before and after I started my doctoral studies at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures (University of Michigan).
My first official teaching experience was gained at Tartu University, Estonia.
In 1990 - 1992 I taught History of 19th Century Russian Literature, the course-seminar aimed at providing an overview of 19th century Russian literature and detailed knowledge of key texts. My responsibilities included: to lead a discussion section where the programmatic texts were analyzed in the historical and literary context; to organize and facilitate students' presentations on secondary sources of the period under review.
In the same time I leaded course on Introduction to Literary Theory. The purpose of this course was twofold: to give students a basic introduction to poetry and prose, Russian versification, rhetoric (figures and tropes), literary genres, and to familiarize them with complex theory of poetics of prose, poetry, and dramaturgy.
Also I taught Analysis of Artistic Text. This course newly developed by my colleges and me aimed at structural analysis of poetical texts of 19th - 20th centuries of such poets as M. Lermontov, A. Pushkin, E. Baratinskii, M. Tsvetaeva, O. Madelstam, B. Pasternak. The course was based on the methodology developed by Tartu-Moscow School of Semiotics, theoretical heritage of R. Jacobson, K. Taranovskii, and theory of hermeneutics.
At the Summer Language School in Tartu, Estonia I taught Russian as a Second Language to international students. These classes have been designed especially for foreign college students. The course focused on a core curriculum of intensive Russian language training. Topics for discussion, reading, and writing focused on daily life, cultural etiquette, current events in Russia, and both modern and classical Russian literature. I was responsible for preparing the courses syllabi, and materials following the program of the academic department.
In 1997-2000 I taught Russian and Ukrainian languages as a part time instructor in CP Language Institute and Russian & Slavic Language Services, Inc, New York. There I had an opportunity to work with non-typical students and learn about working within small groups.
Following the requirements of the doctoral program in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Michigan, I attended pedagogical workshop and GSI orientation meetings.
During Fall 2003 - Spring 2004, I took my first teaching assignment under supervision of Russian Program coordinator Dr. Snejana Tempest. I taught first-year Russian [Russian 102] , the sequel to Russian 101, at the undergraduate level. My activities included leading the class, explaining new materials, preparing tests and quizzes, lecturing on topics of interest including Russian and Soviet history, literature, films and cartoons, and culture, grading, evaluating and providing feedbacks to students.
In Fall 2004, I completed my second teaching second-year Russian [Russian 201]. This class was concentrated on review and expansion of grammatical concepts first covered during the first-year Russian [101 and 102] courses, focused on verbal aspect, declension, and the verbs of placement. The course also emphasized speaking and listening skills. This class was conducted in Russian.
In Spring 2005, I assumed responsibility for teaching a section of second-year Russian [Russian 202]. This course involves a comprehensive study of the declension of numbers, the use of verbs of motion, the formation and usage of participles and gerunds. Students read and write texts of increasing complexity, discussing Russian and Soviet history, politic, culture and other topics of interest. The course was conducted in Russian. My teaching activities at University of Michigan have included responsibility for the development of course assignments, preparation of discussion materials, and all duties associated with course teaching.
- University Service: Student Curriculum Committee is working on new Graduate Studies Program
- Course Development: From Non-Conformism to New
Imperial Classicism: Contemporary Russian Culture through Literature,
Visual Art and Cinema.
View the syllabus