Spanish with Rachel S.

I have a PhD in Russian and a BA in Spanish. I have taught both languages at many levels, from middle school through to graduate school. As a college student I lived and worked in Moscow, Russia as a security guard at the US Embassy, where I learned lots of unusual vocabulary in Russian related to items that could be picked up by the metal detector. I have also spent time studying and conducting research in Siberia and in St. Petersburg, Russia. I have lived, studied and traveled throughout Mexico, and taught public school Spanish and French for two years prior to graduate school. I am originally from Virginia, and before I started studying Russian in high school, I was planning to be a professional classical pianist. I live in Central Virginia now with my husband and our adorable but very demanding English bulldog, Lou. I am a member and the Conference Manager for the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages, and have taught Russian at the University of Richmond, the University of Virginia, Northern Virginia Community College, and Ferrum College. I regularly publish and present research at conferences in the field of Russian language teaching as well. I am a kind and merciful teacher, but require commitment and dedication from my students. You WILL learn from me, but you have to work too!