RELO Russia

🎶 TODAY: Join AE Live! 🎤

Don’t miss the second session of AE Live Series 24 at 16:00 and 21:00 MSK Time! In “Photography as Art and Media: Lenses into American Language and Culture,” Conan Kmiecik and David John Bartsch will explore adaptable photo-based activities that bring language to life through visual storytelling. 

Register and learn more here: https://bit.ly/4r1Je3F 

Join via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/96503218412

📚 Teaching Tip Tuesday: Build Speaking Confidence with Routines! 🎙️

Want to help students become more confident speakers? Try using weekly and daily routines! 

Start with short, low-pressure activities like:
• Daily question of the day
• Quick partner talks
• Small group discussions

When students practice speaking a little every day, they become more comfortable sharing ideas. Over time, their confidence grows — and so do their communication skills.💬✨

🔗 Read more here: https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-students-speaking-skills-weekly-routines

✨ Today we celebrate Presidents’ Day in the United States ✨

Presidents’ Day is a U.S. holiday that honors American presidents — past and present — and invites reflection on leadership, history, and civic values.
In English classrooms, it’s a great opportunity to explore:
famous U.S. presidents and their impact
leadership qualities and decision-making
how national holidays reflect a country’s values
🧑‍🏫 Classroom idea: Ask students to choose a historical or modern leader (from any country) and describe: 1️⃣ one challenge they faced 2️⃣ one quality that made them effective 

📍🦡🧀 Culture Share Saturday: Wisconsin

Why is Wisconsin called the Badger State?
In the 1800s, lead miners lived underground like badgers to survive harsh winters!

Wisconsin is in the Midwest,
near the Great Lakes, and is famous for dairy products like milk and cheese.

📚 Fun Fact: Wisconsin was home to the first U.S. kindergarten in 1856. From humble beginnings, it became a nationwide tradition!

Classroom Discussion:
• Does your region in Russia have a fun or interesting nickname?
• What “firsts” can your region claim?
• What are your favorite American foods with dairy? What dairy products do you eat or drink in Russia?

🎬 Struggling with fast speech in English? Your students don’t have to.

Help learners build real listening confidence with interactive videos and quizzes designed to break down fast, natural speech and boost comprehension. Practical, engaging, and classroom-ready — this resource turns listening practice into something students actually enjoy.

👉 Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/UnderstandingFastSpeech

🌟 Keep your English growing — just like your teaching. 🌟

The Advanced English for English Teachers course is designed for educators who want to maintain, strengthen, and expand their English through meaningful, practical practice.  Build confidence using English in the classroom, refine your professional language, and connect with a community of teachers who care about growth as much as you do.
A supportive space to learn, share, and keep moving forward — together. 🤝📚

📅 Biweekly Thursdays, starting February 12 🕐 13:00 MSK | Online via Zoom

👉 Full schedule and registration details: https://amc.timepad.ru/event/3791619/

📸 We’re thrilled to welcome AE Live Webinar presenters! 😊

Join Conan Kmiecik and David John Bartsch for their upcoming webinar on February 18 at 16:00 and 21:00 MSK.

Discover how photography can open powerful windows into language, culture, and media — and spark meaningful classroom conversations along the way.

Register and learn more here: https://bit.ly/4r1Je3F 

Join via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/96503218412

🌟 Course for English Language Learners with AMC! 🌟

Teachers: share the opportunity with adult learners in your community!

Join an English course made for beginner adult learners.
In this course, learners will:
🗣 Practice speaking English 📘 Learn useful everyday words 💬 Feel more confident using English in daily life

The course helps you to learn step by step through simple, practical activities. You will practice English in real situations you can use right away.

🕒 Class schedule (MSK):
• Group 1: Mon & Wed, 10:30–12:00
• Group 2: Mon & Wed, 12:15–13:45
• Group 3: Mon & Wed, 17:00–18:30
• Group 4: Mon & Wed, 18:30–20:00

👉 View the full schedule & register here: https://amc.timepad.ru/event/3809672/

🎙️ Teaching Tip Tuesday: Tone of Voice

Tone matters! Adolescents often notice how we say something more than what we say. Neutral tones can be misread, affecting classroom connection and understanding.

💡 Try This:
Have students read the same sentence in different tones (feel free to have fun here and be serious, silly, excited, sad, etc!) — What changes?
Discuss times when tone affected how a message was received.
Teaching tone helps students communicate clearly and build stronger relationships.

🔗 Read more: https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-adolescents-about-tone-voice

🚀 Motivation Monday with Donita Grissom!

Empowering Educators to Motivate Students returns in 2026! 
Join English Language Specialist Donita Grissom for this exciting series! Learn practical, research-based strategies to create safe, motivating, and supportive learning environments where students stay focused, engaged, and ready to succeed—and where teachers feel calm and confident.

📅 Biweekly Mondays | Feb 16 – May 25, 2026
🕛 12:00 or 18:00 MSK 📍 Online (Zoom)
👥 For K–12 & university English teachers (ESP/EAP welcome)

✨ Because motivated students create powerful learning—and empowered teachers make it happen.

👉 View the full schedule & register here: https://amc.timepad.ru/event/3791640/ 

🇺🇸✨ Culture Share Sunday: Ohio, USA ✨🇺🇸

Did you know that Ohio has played a big role in shaping American life and culture?

💡 It’s the birthplace of inventions that changed everyday life — from the light bulb to the traffic signal.
🎶 Ohio is also a music landmark: Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, celebrating artists who shaped generations.
🥚 At community gatherings, you’ll often find deviled eggs — a classic side dish so common in Ohio that it’s become a local joke!
🌰 And “buckeye” can mean three things: a tree, a person from Ohio, and a famous chocolate-and-peanut-butter snack.

🧑‍🏫 Classroom activity idea
• Show students images of Ohio inventions, foods, and music icons.
• Ask students to choose one and explain why it’s important or interesting.
• Follow up by comparing a common invention, snack, or music tradition in Russia with one from Ohio or the U.S.

💬 Extension: Have students create a short “Culture Card” about their own region to share with the class.

💡 Looking for simple ways to use digital tools in language learning?

Discover the Think–Talk–Write Design — a practical approach that helps students think critically, communicate clearly, and write with confidence, using technology to support independence and literacy.

✅ Read the full article: https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/63_3_p22-27_cx.pdf

✅ Explore the full English Teaching Forum journal: https://bit.ly/ETForum-63-3

🌟Alumni Event 🌟

🎓 Webinar: Creative Technology — Teaching with AI is Teaching AI
🗓 Feb 10 | 7:00 PM (MSK)

How can AI support educators without replacing what matters most?

This session explores the dual nature of AI in the education: as a powerful tool for teachers and as a subject students must learn to engage with critically. The participants will have the room to reflect on creative thinking as an integral part of the teaching process that's irreplaceable by AI.

During the webinar, we’ll also introduce the Pro2Pro learning platform for continued peer learning, experience exchange, and networking.

🎤 Speaker: Jason Cranford Teague (Founder, CranfordTeague Digital Strategy) is known for his books on web design and typography, including Fluid Web Typography and CSS3 Visual QuickStart. Clients include CNN, Coca-Cola, Virgin Group, the Aspen Institute, and more.

👉 Register: https://luma.com/qox2035h

Final day to share your feedback! 🚨

Have your say in RELO programs by filling out the RELO Survey and applying to be a RELO advisor today. Quick to complete, big impact!

📆 Deadline: February 6
🔗 https://forms.gle/Xp9QGuu1R8afo8Rd6

Thank you for being part of our community! ✨

⏰ Last days to apply! 🌟

The RELO Office is offering scholarships for the Spring 2026 OPEN course Introduction to Contemporary English Language Teaching Methods, and this is your chance to join a fully funded professional learning experience through the Online Professional English Network (OPEN).
This course helps teachers learn modern English teaching methods, improve communication in the classroom, engage students, and connect with teachers around the world.

📢 Please share widely! Don’t keep this opportunity a secret—pass it along to English teachers in your networks today.

Apply here: https://forms.gle/H8bVr8KabCkHkBkB6

TODAY! 📚

Don’t miss the Teacher2Teacher Series: Frameworks for Teaching English

Join RELO Russia and the American Center in Moscow for a FREE online professional development series exploring practical frameworks that support effective English teaching.
This series is for teachers of teens, adults, mixed-level classes, and academic English. Come learn about modern teaching approaches that save time in lesson planning and support student learning.

📅 Biweekly Thursdays |
Starting February 5 🕔 17:00 MSK 💻 Zoom

👉 View the full schedule & register here: https://amc.timepad.ru/event/3791542/

✨ Wednesday with Virtual Specialist ✨

Meet Marie van Romburgh, whose Teacher 2 Teacher series Frameworks for Teaching English starts TOMORROW! Marie is an English language educator with extensive international experience, having taught ESL in diverse K–12 and adult learning environments and led teacher training workshops around the world. She holds a BA in English Literature from the University of South Carolina and an MA in TESOL from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

Her specialties include English for Specific Purposes, university-level academic English, educational technology, and teacher development. Marie’s current interests focus on media literacy, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and supporting newly arrived multilingual learners.

📅 Biweekly Thursdays | Starting February 5
🕔 17:00 MSK
💻 Zoom

👉 View the full schedule & register here: https://amc.timepad.ru/event/3791542/

🐈🧶 Fun Friday!

Do you have any experience with cats? They are famous for being independent, curious, and—more often than not—completely disobedient!

In English, we use the idiom "herding cats" to describe a situation where you’re trying to coordinate a disorganized or difficult group of people. 🧠✨
Whether it's a lively classroom or a busy staff meeting, sometimes managing a group feels exactly like this!