ABOUT EA | Evergreen Academy

WELCOME!

Welcome to Evergreen Academy! We hope that you will have a positive academic experience at our school. If at any time you have any questions or problems, please contact a teacher or a staff member. We are here to help you.

OUR MISSION

Evergreen Academy's staff and faculty are committed to providing excellent English language instruction for non-native speakers and helping our students meet their goals. Our instruction is student-centered, uses effective methodologies, and provides students with opportunities to experience English through cultural immersion. Evergreen Academy's staff, faculty, and students are held to high expectations to ensure a successful program.

ACCREDITATION & APPROVALS

Evergreen Academy is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) for the period December 2019 through December 2028 and agrees to uphold the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency for English language programs and institutions in the U.S. For further information about this accreditation, please contact the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation, 1001 N. Fairfax St., Suite 630, Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 665-3400, www.cea-accredit.org.

CURRICULAR PHILOSOPHY

The curricular philosophy of the school is to systematically provide effective lessons, practice and reinforcement which allow learners to meet the daily needs of society. Our goals and objectives work on the basis of implementing, amending, and expanding a progressive ESL curriculum in service of learners’ academic and personal needs. Successful completion of the highest academic levels provides students with the necessary listening, speaking, reading, writing, and testing skills to successfully participate in all English-speaking environments.

OUR TEACHERS

pcolker@ea.edu

Phil Colker

Phil Colker has been an instructor at Evergreen Academy since 2018. He holds a BA in Social Science from James Madison University, MS from American University, and TESOL certification from Northern Virginia Community College.

Phil loves to see the joy on his students’ faces when they grasp a difficult lesson. After 20 years of teaching at six different institutes in the DMV, Phil knows that students benefit most when lessons are learner-centered, communicative, and fun. He has made an outstanding contribution to the academic achievements and personal growth of his students here at Evergreen Academy.

efilimonova@ea.edu

Elena Filimonova

Elena Filimonova has over 25 years of experience teaching in several different countries, including Oman, China, Belarus, Ukraine, Spain, and Sweden. She holds multiple MAs, in International Education and Pedagogy, from Stockholm University and Belarus State University, respectfully. The award she is most proud of is being named Russia’s Online English Teacher of the Year in 2019 by leading online Russian education company Dist-Tutor.

Elena is a competitive chess player, coach, and participant of various chess tournaments. She also plays the guitar, dances - performs regularly onstage, and is currently learning Spanish and French. Not only does she teach English, but she also teaches German and Russian.

mkroetch@ea.edu

Michael Kroetch

Michael Kroetch is an ESL instructor with over 17 years of experience in the field. He has a Master’s Degree in English Literature and has taught English language learners of all ages and skill levels, in Germany, Malta, Spain, and Russia.

Michael lives in Burke, Virginia with his wife Maria and their three-year-old daughter, Roza. He is also an accomplished artist whose past exhibitions include the prestigious Alex Gallery in Dupont, Washington, DC (see his work at www.michaelkroetch.com).

akorsakava@ea.edu

Alena Korsakava

Alena Korsakava has been teaching languages to students of all ages for over 14 years. She has taught English, Italian, Russian, and Belarusian in Belarus, Italy and the USA, respectfully. She studied at Minsk Linguistic University and moved to the USA in 2013 with her husband, their daughter and son.

Some other hobbies of Alena’s include camping, hiking, and kayaking. Her family loves the outdoors and spending time in nature together—especially in the summer. She also loves reading books and watching movies in different languages.

mgideon@ea.edu

Miriam "Sharen" Gideon

Miriam Sharen Gideon is from Bangalore, India, and she holds a Masters in English Literature and a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources Management. She has over 15 years of experience in Learning and Development, conducting behavioural skills and language training. While in India she facilitated training programs for multinational IT companies in India.

In addition to training in the corporate sector, she has also trained International and Indian university students in English language proficiency and

professional development. She is an expert on experiential learning techniques and relishes any opportunity to mentor, coach and instruct English Language Learners.

In her free time, Sharen loves to read, watch movies, and spend time with her family and friends.