Student support team - Tartu International School

Maris Vohla

SEN Student Coordinator, Grade 9 Class Teacher, Estonian FL Teacher

I was born in a little town called Kohtla-Järve that is located in the north-east of Estonia, only 50 km from the Russian border. I spent my childhood there until I graduated upper secondary school and moved to Tartu to study to be an Estonian as a foreign language teacher. After graduating, I moved to London to learn English and to travel. I started working at TIS in 2005 and have remained since then. I have also worked teaching adult learners in a Russian school. Working at TIS is positively challenging and there are never two years that are alike. The positive, friendly, and tolerant atmosphere creates an endearing place for both students and teachers.

Maris was Tartu International School’s Teacher of the Year in 2012.

Kersti Türk

School counsellor

My home town is Tartu, but I feel like a very global person who loves travelling and meeting people from different cultures and places. I have experience in nearly every position in the field of education. My favourite discoveries have been related to people and their individual growth, brain research, lifelong-learning opportunities, environments that support learning and mental health. I believe in relationships. I believe that to love someone means to listen. I believe that good relationships are the bases for everyone’s learning, personal development, and well-being. At Tartu International School I work as a school counsellor and social pedagogue – helping both our students and staff to find ways to take care of their well-being, as well as building social skills, learning motivational techniques, methods of stress management, and self-compassion.

Kati Helmeste-Riet

Special Education Pedagogue

Marii Jõgi

Special Education Pedagogue (temporarily away from school work)

I am from Tartu. I studied special education in University of Tartu and started working part time in the second year of my Bachleor’s degree. I have always enjoyed working with children and teaching them. I believe that every child wants to discover the world and acquire new knowledge, but if not, then a special educator can help and advise teachers, because maybe teaching is not feasible and it needs to be adapted. I have previously worked at Estonian schools, kindergartens and in 2018 I started to work at Rajaleidja keskus. In 2020, I became a leading specialist in special education and speech therapy. I started working at TIS in 2021 which has been an exciting experience. In addition to Estonian, I speak English and a little German.
I love to travel, nature and animals. My hobbies are volleyball, fitness, painting and drawing.

Epp Kama

Math Assistant Teacher

Tartu is my hometown and my favorite place to be. I studied Spanish Language and Literature at the University of Tartu, and I enjoy learning different languages. Through my studies and various exchanges to countries with other languages, I have become fluent in English, German, Spanish, and French. I have always been interested in education, and my experiences in my current master’s program in International Relations have shown me that I would like to contribute to the world through teaching. I first came to the Tartu International School through the University as a volunteer, and I enjoyed the work and the community so much that I wished to stay!