Summer 2021 Educational Services Through Natalya's Classroom

This summer, I am offering the following to families seeking educational services and supplements for their students:

- Private Tutoring in all subjects (Math and Science for K-5 students only on a case-by-case basis). In-person and virtual services available.

-Russian 101 Course: 6 or 12 lessons, 30 minutes each, once a week. If there is a lot of interest, this may be a group class done through Zoom, Skype or Google Meet.

-English as a Second Language Course: Private lessons available

-Want to improve your writing this summer? Taking a college writing course? I will workshop your essays and written work, provide feedback and editorial comments.

-Educational Counseling and Planning: I will sit down with students and parents once a week to review homework, study skills, and good organizational habits. In-person sessions available for local families, or virtual.

Fees

Note: Fees listed below are general estimates and may be subject to change and negotiation., dependent on a variety of factors.

Private Tutoring: An arrangement is made between family and tutor. Typical cost falls between $10-$20 per hour, depending on frequency and number of students.

Russian 101 Course:

- 6 lessons, 30 minutes each: $90 total

- 12 lessons, 30 minutes each: $170

This is roughly equivalent to $15/lesson

For each additional student signed up within a family, I will take $30 each additional student's total cost. For example:

1 student at $90 plus the second student at $60 for a total of $150.

English as a Second Language: Suggested rate of $10 for a half hour lesson and $15 for an hour.

Writing Workshop: Suggested Rates

-Half hour session at $10 per hour

-Hour session at $20 per hour

-Other arrangements may be possible, depending on the length and type of writing project. For example: editing a thesis or larger project may be done over the course of several months and therefore totaled at the end, with an arrangement satisfying both parties.

Educational Counseling and Planning Sessions (by the hour)

-In-person sessions starting at $20/hour

-Virtual sessions starting at $15/hour

$5 off per every additional student from the family

Please reach out by email if any of these services could be of benefit to you or your student!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Email: natalyasclassroom@outlook.com

Natalya's Classroom Students Meet Senator Doug Mastriano

 As part of our Friday co-op session, held on the anniversary of 9/11 a few weeks ago, students made cards for veterans. (See previous post.) The next day, Natalya and several families went to a Freedom Rally in Harrisburg. While there, several students got to hand the cards, made by Natalya's Classroom students, directly to Retired U.S. Army Colonel and Senator Doug Mastriano, Ph.D. and thank him for his service. Senator Mastriano made the students' day by pausing his busy schedule for a few minutes to take some pictures with them, while learning about Natalya's Classroom! We thank Senator Mastriano for his service, both in his capacity as a colonel and a senator, and for all that he has done to preserve our freedoms!

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

Thank you and blessings to you all! Don't forget to like, share, and follow to stay up-to-date on the latest news from Natalya's Classroom!

Natalya's Classroom and Veteran Appreciation

 Natalya's Classroom Co-Op is in its third week already! Check out some photos of what we have been up to. On this day, students learned about the United States of America, the importance of the flag and made cards for veterans, sharing our thankfulness for their service and Bible verses!

"Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other." ~ 1 John 4:11, New Living Translation

It's not to late to register for Natalya's Classroom Co-Op. Please contact me private for more information. We would love to welcome you! Please contact Natalya, Head of Natalya's Classroom at: natalyasclassroom@outlook.com or through a direct message on this page.

International Students Welcome to Learn English with a Native Speaker

 This past week, Natalya's Classroom welcomed it's first international students for ESL instruction - or should I say, международные студенты? Can you guess where our newest pupils are from? That's right - Russia! Pictured: An international student from Russia!

Natalya's Classroom is accepting international and ESL/ELL students for ESL instruction!

The head of Natalya's Classroom and primary instructor, Natalya "Sasha" Carpenter (B.A. in English and Russian Studies) speaks and writes advanced Russian. Thus, it is possible for Russian-speaking students to have little-to-no background with the English language in order to receive instruction from Natalya's Classroom.

However, at this time, students wishing to study English whose first language is NOT Russian (such as Spanish-First Students), must have a basic grasp of the English language including vocabulary/grammar (at least a primary or secondary school level.) Older international students (teenage and college-age) who do not speak Russian and are seeking to advance their study in English (for the TOEFL exam, for example) should have a foundational understanding of English vocabulary, grammar and its lexicon which can be built upon in individualized tutoring sessions.

BONUS: International Students will receive 1 FREE lesson (30 minutes to 1 hour) to see if they learn well with Natalya and enjoy the lessons enough to continue. (If students choose to continue, flexible costs and scheduling will be discussed, as best fits the student's and teacher's needs.) Practice speaking, writing and/or reading with a native speaker of English!

ADDITIONAL OFFER: Do you want to strengthen your English writing skills? Natalya offers remote editing conferences and feedback to help you improve your essays or other writing, at your own pace. Visit Natalya's virtual Writing Center today! (Especially helpful for high school and university students.)

Interested students or families are encouraged to learn more about Natalya's Classroom and contact Natalya through a direct message on Natalya's Classroom Facebook page or by email at: natalyasclassroom@outlook.com.

Weclome! Добро пожаловать! ¡Bienvenidos! Ласкаво просимо! Willkommen! 欢迎！

أهلا بك!

!Selamat datang! Maligaya pagdating!

Announcing Natalya's Classroom Co-Op: Starting August 28th - Register Today!

 Announcing Natalya's Classroom Co-Op! Learn more about this exciting educational and social activity with 11 students and counting below!

WHAT: A bi-weekly opportunity welcoming both traditional and special needs students to come together for time of fun, educational activities, and fellowship. Natalya's Classroom Co-Op will feature unique activities each week with educational, artistic, musical or service-oriented aims. Potential projects in the queue include: art projects , a fiddle demonstration , Russian culture exploration , Veteran's appreciation activities , visiting a farm or creamery with a petting zoo experience - and more! During the weeks we meet, students will also be working on a long-term goal of putting together Christmas concert and party for December.

WHEN: Every other Friday, 1-3 pm. First co-op starts on Friday, August 28th.

WHERE: Local family homes in the Lebanon-Lititz area.

WHO: Head of Natalya's Classroom, Natalya "Sasha" Carpenter will instruct, with several adult volunteers. There will be at least 2, likely 3+ instructors each week. Special guest instructors or co-teachers may teach, depending on the week's activity.

ELIGIBILITY: Students do not need to also receive private tutoring from Natalya's Classroom to participate in the co-op. They may do either or both!

COST: In order to be available to all families who are interested in participating and to run the co-op in a professional manner, a fee of $10/student plus $5 for every additional student is asked for each week of participation. For example: 2 students participating for the month of September (which includes 2 co-op days) would be a total of $30 for the month. (Note: Possible Field Trip admission fees would be the family's responsibility. Possible extra co-op meetings, to practice for the concert would not incur extra cost.)

If you are interested in participating and have a question about the co-op, costs, etc., please don't hesitate to contact me by a direct message on my page or at natalyasclassroom@outlook.com.

The families in Natalya's Classroom are so excited begin this co-op and we would love to welcome you! Please SHARE to spread the word! To register: please contact Natalya's Classroom on Facebook or by email, as listed above.

Student Success Story: An International Adoptee and the Lesson of the Letter A

Student Success Story: (Note: I received permission to share this story as written.) I love to see my students make progress, however incremental the step or small in scope! It makes all the work, on behalf of the student and teacher worth it! With my background as an adoptee with adopted siblings, I recognize that in order to succeed academically, many adoptees, especially those internationally adopted, often have emotional and spiritual needs which must be met and resolved in order to blossom to their full capacity.

Recently, I was tutoring a student adopted from Asia. They received no education for nearly 9 years while in their country of birth and faced neglect in their orphanage. Now, they have been in the USA several years and they are picking up the English at a first-grade level, beginning with the alphabet. As is common with many adoptees, my student, though very bright and capable, has some developmental delay and does not speak much English (and none of their birth language) having lived for years being neglected and not expected to amount to anything. This can result in extreme frustration, anxiety or lack of desire (a.k.a. "laziness" ;)) when, once home, adoptees are expected to learn. After years of having no expectations to amount to anything or being told they are "not worthy," or "not smart," because they are orphans, these feelings of inadequacy or inability may become learned and/or continue, even when they are home and have every opportunity to grow and learn. Thus, academics can be a struggle, not only because of the lack of education they are trying to overcome or learning disabilities, but also because of this emotional baggage, including a negative or disinterested mindset.

This background is common in adoptees and is the case in my student. Now, we have been working for days on writing, pronouncing and using the letter "A." My student understood the task, had been successfully writing the letter "A" with minimal help from me. They were clearly ready to advance to writing the letter independently, but, when clearly given the task with understandable instructions and encouragement, only proceeded to scribble, acting as though they could not understand, nor do as asked. On the third day with no progress, we set down our work and I kindly but firmly addressed what I understood to be an underlying issue: lack of desire, as work was never expected of them in their orphanage. (Whatever they wanted to do, they did. If they didn't want to do a task, no one made them.)

My student, understanding what I was addressing, shed a few tears. I then followed up with positive encouragement, in understandable terms, expressing my belief that they ARE bright, capable child and how happy I will be when they write the letter. It may be hard, I said, but now that they are adopted and have a family who wants the best for them, it's time to learn and apply oneself.

We then set back to work. After a few more scribbles, which we promptly erased and started over, my student clearly wrote the letter "A" by themselves AND spoke the sound aloud several times! This was huge success! The culmination of 3 days' work had come and was rewarded with many smiles and much praise! I was so proud of them and they were so happy with themselves! Though the experience was not repeated that day, the rest of the lesson went smoothly and ended with feelings of accomplishment and positivity for both the student and teacher.

I share this story as an encouragement to families who may be struggling and as a bright spot of joy! Progress achieved after true effort, no matter how small, is a cause for celebration! Adoptees especially might need to be firmly guided in the right direction and encouraged along the way, but the success that comes after the hard work and understanding of the deeper issues at play is beautiful each time.

Virtual Learning Opportunities Available!

Happy Monday! Today at Natalya's Classroom, I want to share more about virtual learning opportunities I offer for students and families!

When schools closed in March, I was teaching middle school History and English, as well as primary school reading and phonics. I also helped a couple university professors curate remote learning materials. I, along with many families and teachers had concerns about the efficacy of online learning. Now, I have been fortunate to have had the experience of online education from both a student and instructor perspective. While there are some irreplaceable benefits to in-person education, there are merits to virtual learning including:

*Flexibility in scheduling and transportation for students, families, and instructors.

*Ability for students to work at their own pace (especially true for highly motivated students who are developing and pursuing their own scholarly interests.)

*Technology such as PowerPoint, Word, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Edmodo, Google Classrooms and more which allow students and teachers to stay connected and communicate, even from a distance.

As more and more families are considering alternative educational options for their children, I want to make sure that my tutoring services are able to reach a variety of families who are seeking different ideals and goals in their educational plans for 2020-21. That is why, along with in-person instruction (for which I have about 5 students so far), I am offering virtual instruction!

**Examples of Virtual Tutoring Services**

1. Virtual lecturing and instruction through Zoom or similar service: Partnering with parents to teach online, using the chosen curriculum.

2. Worksheet and activity development: Using the curriculum provided as a guide, I can help develop worksheets, PowerPoints or other instructional material for students to use on their own or for parents to utilize in teaching.

3. Reading and Comprehension: If your child needs to practice reading aloud, I can listen and work through discussion and comprehension questions with them, while practicing vocabulary and speech (especially for students with particular ESL/IEP goals) over the computer. This kind of instruction may work ideally, ranging from from half an hour to an hour of instruction, once or several times a week, as needed!

4. Public Speaking and Writing Conferences: For older, more advanced students, virtual learning may be a way to provide the necessary, in-depth public speaking practice or conferencing on longer essays. This is especially appropriate for middle school, high school to college-bound students as it will give them important experience of reviewing, editing, critiquing, developing and presenting their writing!

These are just some of the services that may be offered and of interest to families! If any of these areas are of interest to your student and family, please reach out to me, Natalya "Sasha," today! You can message my page or email me at: natalyasclassroom@outlook.com! I look forward to hearing from you!