ESL Teacher Maxim Achkasov

Contacts
165 Gorkogo st., Kiev Ukraine
Telephons:
(8-044) 229-00-96
(8-068) 357-13-04
(8-067) 602-11-69
URL: http://english4real.com
E-mail1: elst@i.ua
E-mail2: english4real@gmail.com
Mail: POBox 76, Kiev 209,
Ukraine 04209

"Teaching is more than a job or career.

It is an integral part of my identity, of what it means to be me."

Maxim Achkasov has been actively involved in teaching since 2002. He has two degrees (B.A.,
M.A.) from the University of Manchester, Great Britain. He is also awarded with the Certificate of
Educational Studies in the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages, INTESOL
International TESOL Training, Great Britain, and several other certificates, related to the field of
teaching. He is the author of a number of articles.

Details

Year and nationality: 1978; Ukrainian;

Marital status: married;
Children: two.

Education

December 2008, Russian as a Foreign Language, Moscow State University courses;

26th July 2008, Teaching Knowledge Test, Language and background to language learning and
teaching, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations;

26th July 2008, Teaching Knowledge Test, Lesson planning and use of resources for language
teaching, University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations;

26th July 2008, Teaching Knowledge Test, Managing the teaching and learning process, University
of Cambridge ESOL Examinations;

July 2001 to January 2005, INTESOL Certificate, Accredited by the College of Teachers, Great
Britain, INTESOL International TESOL Training, 4 Higher Downs, Knutsford, Cheshire WA 16 8AW,
England;

July 2001 to October 2005, Master of Arts in the Issues of Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies,
The University of Manchester, Regents Theological College, London Road, Nantwich, Cheshire,
CW5 6LW, England;

August 2001 to June 2001, Bachelor of Arts in Applied Theology (degree with honors), The
University of Manchester, Regents Theological College, London Road, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5
6LW, England;

August 1998 to July 2000, First year of studies is finished with distinction, was awarded with
scholarship for the following year; Second year was completed with the distinction in academic and
practical spheres, was offered to continue studies in Regents Theological College, Great Britain,
Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary, Gamarnika St., 57, Kiev, Ukraine;

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ESL Teacher Maxim Achkasov

September 1996 to December 1999, Diploma, Accounting Specialist, The Kharkov Institute of
Economics and Finances, Ukraine.

Teaching experience

From April 2007 till now, Language Studio “English for Real”, Gorkogo St., 165., office 4, Director,
Teacher of General and Business English;

From July 2005 to April 2007, A number of Private Language Schools and Business Entities in
Kiev, Freelance / Part-time teacher of English SL;

September 2002 to August 2005, Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary, Gamarnika St., 57,
Kiev, Teacher of Systematic Theology, Apologetics, Hebrew; Academic Dean of Bible and Theology
Department.

Non-teaching work experience

August 2005 to February 2006, OCI / ЕААА (Overseas Council International together with Euro-
Asian Accrediting Association), researcher and writer;

October 1996 to August 1998, Local Professional Fire Station 84, PGT Panteleymonovka,
Gorlovka, Donetsk district, Ukraine, First year fire-fighter; Second year fire-brigade commander.

My teaching style

I think that my teacher style firstly is more like a performer. If my class is interesting and exciting, I
feel satisfied and more than happy. I like seeing people talk and enjoy their time when we are
together. I want each student to experience and feel every lesson as an event.

Secondly, I consider myself as a teacher with good organizing skills. I try all students to be clear
about the educational process. I help them to understand their purposes in their studies, where
they are now and how we together can reach the main aims by the means of correct and suitable
educational strategy. They are regularly checked with variable appropriate tests and provided with
clear feedback.

Thirdly, though not lastly, I am 'a partaker‘. I like taking part in the educational process myself from
time to time. I believe this is something what helps to relaxen the atmosphere in the class and to
make students feel at easy, and with doing this to apply all their communicative skills with one
another.

Personality

Patient, caring, trustworthy, loyal, responsible, self-disciplined, honest, positive, with a sense of
humor, able to get along well with others, have strong work ethics, dependable, punctual (‘never
late’) person, enthusiastic, likable.

My strengths are:

My greatest strength is that I am able to make lessons interesting, dynamic and live. I also
consider myself being a well organized person. Keeping everything going well is one of my
secondary and probably most favorable.

My weaknesses are:

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ESL Teacher Maxim Achkasov
I love people and sometimes it is quite difficult to be demanding or strict to them. Sometimes I have
quite a number of good ideas to use in the class so I am not very happy when I run out of time.
Lastly, I think I’m too demanding of myself - too much of a perfectionist.

My mission purposes are:

- To create the best possible atmosphere and learning environment for the students to reach their
highest goal in educational process;
- To use my creative skills, particularly in the fields of discussions and analytical thinking, to
enhance and inspire the lives of my students;
- To dedicate my heart of compassion to the teaching profession, always nurturing and
encouraging my students;
- To create a classroom with a challenging environment so that every student will reach his or her
maximum potential intellectually and socially;
- To share my optimism and generally sunny disposition with everyone I meet, especially my
students;
- To continue to grow as a teacher and as a person, taking advantage of professional classes and
seminars, eventually earning my administrative credential;
- To value my students, to show them respect, and to build their self-esteem in some way every
day.

I believe that:

- Every student, regardless of socioeconomic or ethnic background, deserves the same quality
instruction and challenging learning experiences;
- Every teacher should be a role model;
- Modern technology is one of the most useful ways to teach English;
- Each student should be challenged to develop critical-thinking skills and become a lifelong
learner;
- Students should be stimulated and motivated so that they’ll want to stay longer;
- Students should be treasured, respected, nurtured, praised, and encouraged.

On the way to become a teacher

My interest in teaching dates back to my teenage years. Since I was 13 I had a growing passion to
dedicate time to education and development teaching skills. From 14 till 17 I was a teacher
assistant in a Sunday School. From 15 to 21 I regularly took sermons in a local church. When I
finished the first year of Theological Seminary in 1998 I got the highest average mark and was
given a full scholarship for the next year. Before I finished the second year, I had been proposed to
go the Regents Theological College (Great Britain) to continue studies there. In 2001 I got
Bachelor’s degree (hon.), and within the following year finished all subjects for M.A.

In 2002 by a “beautiful coincidence” Jean Binns, the senior tutor and director of Regents English
Language Centre, advised me to take INTESOL course. Now back in Ukraine, I‘ve been teaching
for more than six years (the first three – systematic theology, apologetics and hebrew, then –
English as a Second Language), for over a year I run Language Studio “English for Real”. In 2007,
with the help of Lynda Hazelwood, the director of INTESOL Studies, I started franchise INTESOL
Ukraine. I say, “I can surely admit that being in front of the class is both enjoyable and enlightening
experience, providing one with continually fresh and variable perspective on the world I live in.”