special education teacher
&
Creative Life-Skills Educator
Hi, I am an educator and applied arts specialist with a deep interdisciplinary approach. I combine academic teaching (English language, drawing, academic foundational skills) with hands-on tactile arts: textiles (sewing, knitting, quilting), ceramics, and sculpture. I bring practical experience in creating a holistic developmental environment for children and adults through creativity, nature, and emotional support.
Language Proficiency:
Russian, English: Proficient / Fluent (Teaching, curriculum development, emotional and reflective support).
Danish, Spanish: Intermediate (moving to Upper-Intermediate) (Everyday and play-based communication, continuous self-guided learning).
Background
M.A Early Childhood Education
2003 - 2008
ESL Teacher and Instructional Designer for Adults
2011 – 2021
ESL Teacher and Curriculum Developer for Early Childhood
2008 – 2011
Bachelor of Education, Denmark
2024 – Present
I am a highly empathetic teacher and curriculum designer who has learned by doing, through hands-on work and continuous study for over 15 years.
Earlier, I pursued an M.A. in Early Childhood Education, and I am now studying teaching and facilitating learning through creativity and playful learning in Denmark. I combine my love for children, my experience as a mother, and my passion for arts and crafts to help children learn and thrive.
Outdoor Education for Early Childhood, University of Stavanger
2005
Certificate of Training – Guide for Sports Tours
Irkutsk Regional Center for Children’s and Youth Tourism and Local Studies (Ministry of Education)
Issued Apr 2007
My approach to education is built on the belief that every learner is unique and deserves an environment tailored to their individual strengths, sensory needs, and pace. By combining advanced training in special pedagogy with the principles of creative freedom, I design learning spaces where inclusion is naturally integrated, not forced.
My expertise is grounded in modern, evidence-based frameworks, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). I apply educational psychology to look beyond labels, focusing instead on reducing barriers to engagement and protecting each student's emotional safety and autonomy.
Having completed specialized coursework in special education in Denmark, I am continuing my professional development there with advanced, deep-dive studies into inclusive pedagogical practices. This is paired with ongoing international online training to stay at the forefront of inclusive design.
In my practice, I merge this structural knowledge with Process Art. For learners with diverse needs—including neurodivergent children and those with sensory processing differences—uninstructed, open-ended creation serves as a powerful, low-anxiety medium where they possess full agency, completely free from the pressure of standardized expectations.
Directions
SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHING
Developing comprehensive concepts for physical learning and play environments—whether within alternative schools, public libraries, or modern children’s hubs. Every layout is meticulously designed to foster autonomous, self-directed play, ensure seamless inclusion (Universal Design for Learning principles), and maintain an aesthetically flawless, inspiring atmosphere.
PLAY SPACE ARCHITECTURE
When was the last time you walked into a room full of raw materials and just created? Modern life rarely leaves space for pure creation. Even if a job is creative, it is often organized and constrained by someone else. To me, true creativity is an act of absolute free will—it is our actions, organized entirely by us.
Yet, in the routine of our rational adult lives, we often lose the capacity for spontaneous creativity. We freeze before a blank canvas, paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake. We need a gentle nudge to begin.
I design and facilitate low-floor, high-ceiling environments where children and adults can create together in complete freedom—uninstructed, undirected, but deeply supported. My work is rooted in the philosophy of Process Art, a process-over-product approach where the journey of exploration matters far more than the final outcome.
In these spaces, there is no 'right or wrong' way to use a material. Whether through completely open-ended exploration or inside my structural, step-by-step workshops, my core mission is always the same: to protect the participant’s agency and autonomy, offering them the structural support to lower anxiety while leaving them entirely free to find their own creative way.
ARTS AND CRAFTS FACILITATOR (Recreation and Process Art)
Sample Projects
Playful Learning
(In progress…)
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
ESL Lesson Plans with Video lessons
HOW IT WORKS
“Nadia excels at building strong, trusting relationships with children and strives to meet them where they are—both emotionally and academically. I have rarely worked with such an engaged and inspiring student teacher.”
Inge Malene Berg,
Teacher Instructor, Erlev School, Denmark