Questions to potential tutors:

1. Why would you like to work as a tutor in a Russian family? List your motivation in descending order:
financial, educational, professional experience, other.

- Professional experience, other (adventure), financial, educational.

2. What age do you prefer to work with? Why?

- While I have the most experience working with smaller children (5 – 10), I have also very much enjoyed
working with youths aged 11 – 15. This is the age when children are becoming most curious about the
world, and are able to recognize and question the social, cultural, and philosophical forces around them.
I feel that my educational experience best lends itself to nurturing the natural curiosity and budding
intellectual capacities that emerge from this time of youth.

3. Have you had any experience working with children (perhaps with younger siblings or remote family,
if yes, what ages)?

- I have helped to plan & run neighborhood children’s classes (ages 5 – 10) since I was 12 years old.
These classes combine arts & crafts, story-telling, games, and the study of quotes to teach children
about basic moral values & virtues including, but not limited to: trustworthiness, generosity,
truthfulness, respect, and fairness. I have also facilitated groups of older youths (ages 11 – 15) where we
study material designed to engage their critical thinking skills by focusing on more intellectual and
philosophical themes, and to see how we may channel our energies & talents into service of the
community.

- On top of this, I currently have 9 little cousins in the family ranging from 2 – 14 years old. I very much
see myself as the fun cousin and I will always spend time playing games & running around with them.
Two of my little cousins are Russian, so it would be lovely to achieve, at least, a rudimentary grasp of the
Russian language so I can communicate with them better.

4. In your family, do you have older/younger siblings, and have you had any responsibilities towards
them?

- I have a sister who is 2 ½ years older. Being the younger one, I am grateful for the things she did in her
role as big sister, but I am also conscious of where I would have liked more support from a sibling. It is
my hope that this awareness will help me fill the ‘older brother’ mentor role to a relative degree of
success.

5. Did you take a TEFL or DELF course?

- I have not.

6. Have you had experience in summer camps, or teaching short EFL or French courses, or with children
from a different culture?

- From the ages of 11 – 14 I attended an annual summer camp at Townshend International School in
Czech Republic. The program was called Transformation For Peace (TFP) and was inspired by the
writings and values of the Baha’i faith. The participants came from America, Germany, France, Slovakia,
Holland, Bermuda, China, Portugal, Britain, and beyond. Very quickly I had to learn how to socialize with
people from different cultures and classes. Thanks to this exposure, I feel I am able to befriend and
relate to almost anyone, regardless of cultural differences.

7. Have you had any experience in a Russian family, if yes, then can we request a reference from your
employers? Was it a positive experience or not so, please elaborate.

- No previous experience working as a tutor for a Russian family.

8. Do you have any untoward habits (e.g. smoking, drinking)?

- I have never drank alcohol nor touched drugs in my life. I have smoked the odd cigar (no more than 2 a
year, if that, and only on special occasions), but I have never smoked cigarettes.

9. Do you have any chronic health problems?

- No.

10. Do you have any dietary requirements or allergies?

- I have no allergies or specific dietary requirements. I am trying to stick to a plant-based diet where
possible, but I will eat anything.

11. What are your plans after this job?

- As of now, I am considering two options; either returning to university to study a masters in global
health, or start training to become a business analyst/project manager. However, I am keeping my
options open and will continue to be seeking opportunities. Staying on in this role is also another option,
provided all goes well and the opportunity is present.

12. Do you have any knowledge of Russian language, if yes, what is your level?

- I have no knowledge of the Russian language.

13. What will you do during your days off (hobbies, interests, etc)

- I will be fitting in my training schedule around my family duties during the week. On days off, I will
most likely be going exploring, hiking, or taking day trips to popular places.

14. Are you going to travel in Russia during your vacation time, and if yes, then what regions are of
interest to you? What Russian cities have you visited already?

- Sochi, Veliky Novgrod, Lake Baikal, St Petersburgh, and Volgograd are all places I would like to visit. Any
vast open landscapes or mountain ranges are of particular interest to me

15. Will you require our assistance in finding a Russian teacher for yourself?

- Yes please.

16. Can you please describe yourself (give us a brief psychological portrait in terms of communication
style, etc)?

- I have always had a love for the natural world, which goes beyond just the core sciences and extends
into the realm of metaphysics, purpose, and questions of an existential nature. The desire to explore
these themes further is what prompted me to study Biology & Philosophy to degree level. I would
eventually like to return to university to study global health and contribute towards the global effort to
solve complex health problems in developing countries.

- I am fond of the Socratic Method when it comes to communication and teaching. This consists of
challenging and scrutinising somebody’s viewpoint or belief until we arrive at the basic foundations or
assumptions that belief is founded on. Not only does this encourage critical thinking & analysis, but also
helps people to understand their own beliefs better, and why they believe it.

- I believe in passion & the strive for excellence when it comes to hobbies or personal projects. I have
found athletic endeavors to be great analogues for developing discipline, excellence, and passion. As
such I train for up to 2 ½ hours and eat up to 6 meals a day as part of my powerlifting regime. I am well
practiced in molding this schedule around my daily obligations, whether that be work or study.

17. When a child is reluctant to study or speak English, what will you do?

- The first thing I would do is try and make the task as relatable as possible. This means knowing all of
the child’s interests and tailoring a lesson or conversation around that topic. If a child can learn
structured around a topic they enjoy, they may have a higher propensity to engage. If that fails and it
has reached the point where the child is distressed, I would say the best course of action is to switch to a
different task for the time being, possibly for 30 – 45 minutes, and accompany the child in something
fun, be that a hobby, sports, some type of game, or even watching (British) TV. After the child’s ability to
concentrate has been refreshed, we can resume the original task.

18. Describe a situation in which you found a way out of a sticky situation caused by cultural differences,
if you have had any.

- I have had no such situation like this in my adult live. Growing up in my hometown, there was a large
population of Irish travelers. When we were 11, we would sometimes get into scraps or little fights now
and then at school. However, after all joining the same rugby club, we discovered a sense of
camaraderie and got on well from that point onwards. I have lots of friends from different cultures,
ethnicities, and social classes, and as such have always celebrated diversity instead of seeing it as a
barrier.