the path of a novice high school teacher

After observing careers in higher education, last month we turned to secondary school teaching. Edit, an experienced instructor in a religious high school, shared her stories and insights with us about what it means to work with teenagers. This time, I asked Orsi, a young professional who started her teaching career in a school in Eastern Hungary and two years later she joined the country's leading high school, in the capital city, where she has been an instructor of English and Spanish for years. Let us hear her stories and advice. 

Hello, Orsi. Thanks for accepting the invitation. As a start, could you tell us in what kind of school you work and for how long?

Since 2009 I have been working in a state school in Budapest. I feel quite lucky to teach here because it is one of the most prestigious high schools of Hungary with outstanding results (according to the national statistics of the previous year, it was ranked as the second best high school in the country). Since I finished university, I have always gotten employed as a Spanish teacher, so normally I have much more Spanish lessons than English, depending on the demand of the school and my capacity. For example, this year I have got so many Spanish lessons that I had to quit my English group. It was a pity for me but I couldn’t do more, as my working hours were completed totally. 

Have you taught or considered teaching in any other environment, may that be a private or religious school, a language school, etc.?

Yes, for two years between 2007 and 2009 I taught in a religious high school in Debrecen. This Calvinist school was my first work place. I also have experience teaching in a language school, as I worked for K… Nyelviskola in Debrecen in my first year. Besides these I always had a few private students except this school year.

What do you think to be the main differences between these forms of education? 

I think they are very different. Teaching at home is more relaxing because of the atmosphere: being at home face to face with one or two students who might be your friends and sipping your tea while teaching is just perfect. And of course, it's much more flexible because you can choose your working hours (45, 60 or 90 minutes, once or twice a week), and if something unforeseen has happened, you can easily cancel the lesson. Moreover, you can choose your students! It's a big plus! You can always say: no, I don't want to teach this person. Teaching only one or two students is more personal but more demanding, too. I think it would be ideal to work only as a private teacher, but if you have a full-time job and do it as an extra, it's just too much workload. Spending your afternoons, evenings or your weekends teaching is not worth.

I also enjoyed teaching in a language school because of its small groups, well-equipped language rooms, and friendly atmosphere. However, it was a nightmare if I got sick and we had to make up for the cancelled lessons. And probably you don't have the liberty to choose your students and their age. I think it's easier to teach young learners than adults.

Teaching in a public or a religious school gives you frameworks and limitations. Maybe it’s the most difficult because basically you don’t have any liberty: you can’t choose your students, the number of the group, the room, your working hours, the curriculum; nearly nothing. Every new group is a pig in a poke, a big surprise, but this makes it challenging: this unexpected combination of motivated and unmotivated students. 
 

So, then, why did you choose to be a high school teacher, that is, what do you like about being such? 

I think I always wanted to be a teacher. Perhaps because my parents are teachers too, and this model influenced me a lot. But why did I choose to be a high school teacher exactly? It's a hard question; I don't know. I could have gone to primary school because I really like small children. But maybe the only reason is that I went to university and not to a college. After doing my practice in a high school (which I enjoyed!), it seemed obvious to find a job in a high school. And I like teaching there.

Although the most difficult age group is teenagers, I like teaching them. Sometimes they are exhausting and annoying, but at the same time they can be cute and charming. You have to handle and tolerate their misbehavior, tiredness, or boredom, but in the next moment they can cheer you up with a joke, a mischief or an outstanding performance or test result. You can never know what comes next and this makes it exciting. Their mind is very open, like a sponge, which is able to absorb everything. And you can see them growing up, the path they go along during those few years, which are essential, because they turn to be an adult from those little, shy children. I think this is why I prefer teaching in a high school to teaching in a language school, in spite of all the difficulties. A big school is a social place where you can face reality. Maybe it’s far from your dreams, or the ideal, but life is life (nanananana)... :-) 

Hahahahaha. :-) Can you relate to what Edit described as the main challenges of a high school teacher? What is the most demanding for you specifically as a novice teacher? 

I think the most difficult for a novice teacher is to keep discipline, mainly if you are a young woman. At the beginning of your career, when you are only a few years older than your students, they tend to think that you are their friend and they can treat you like that. However, you have to keep distance and make them take you as seriously as another teacher who has many years of experience and respect in the eyes of the students.

I agree with Edit that for a language teacher it is a must to keep your knowledge up-to-date and it's necessary to spend some time in a native environment for time to time. It's not easy to realize these goals without money and, as you all might know, teachers are not really well-paid in Hungary. Low salaries and heavy workload lead to stress, frustration, and burnout, a phenomenon quite common among teachers of the public sector.

It's also true that it's very hard to keep up with the latest changes, not just the ones affecting the language but technological innovations. You should be more interesting than a smartphone because if not, your students will end up playing on their phone during your whole lesson. And to tell you the truth, you have to be a magician to be more interesting than the latest gadgets. Solution (read it with irony): use the smartboard (if you are lucky enough to have one in your school or in your classroom) or other technical wonders and learn how to use them to be able to fascinate you students or at least to maintain their attention for a while, but don't count on the financial help of your school, as there is NO money for trainings. So use your non-existing money and non-existing free time to do so. And never stop learning (lifelong learning)!  If you are smart and clever enough, you will find the solution how to solve your problems. Good luck! :-)

Well, that seems a tough cookie. To end on a happier tone, let me ask a final question: what do you think a high school teacher is like? Who would you recommend a career in high school education to?

I think a good high school teacher is versatile and is able to fulfill many requirements. First of all, you have to be very well-trained and proficient in your subject. Maybe this is the most important, because your students won't respect you if you don't have superb knowledge. Then come the other qualities: you have to be patient and full of empathy, open-minded, sociable, easy-going, extrovert with a good sense of humor, strict enough but not cruel, fair and not biased, and it's good if you have an interesting personality. A teacher might or should serve as a model for the students. And don't forget that your job is far more complex than simply teaching your subject. You not only teach but educate them. I have the impression that nowadays we teachers have to educate more than in the past because parents are so busy with their job that they don't have enough time to the deal with their children and spend time with them. Children spend more time in school than at home. It's a big responsibility that their formation very much depends on you.

I recommend this career to those who want a challenging job and for those who consider that teaching is not just their job but their passion. (And ironically for those who have a rich husband/wife who earns enough to maintain their family).

You spoke from my heart. Thank you. :-)

down

At the end of March, we celebrated the International Down Syndrome Day, which calls attention not so much to a genetic disorder but more to the people who live with this disorder. Their struggles and lives are hidden for mainstream society, which is one reason that worsens their opportunities to succeed. As a person and a language teacher, I decided to join the movement and spread the word, or rather, visibility. I chose short videos for my classes, not only because they are perfectly suitable materials for a multitude of tasks like comprehension, communication, grammar, and so on, but also because they have the power to place the students in a different world, unknown to most. Next to widened horizons and a stronger social engagement, eye-opening discussions and a re-evaluation of every day problems can be fortunate by-products of these classes.

In my class, this was the video we used:

To talk about dreams and watch others talk about dreams is always inspirational. You come to realize how relative things are and that reality is always subjective. Then why not choose to cheer up no matter why you are down?

not trying something is far worse

So far the TEA community had the chance to read 6 interviews with people who had decided to travel the world. We were curious about their experiences, expectations, struggles, and joys while living far from their homeland. While listening to their stories, we wanted to get a realistic picture, both objective and subjective, about what it means to try one's luck abroad. Although it was exciting to read each of the accounts, I felt it was time to systemize what had been shared with us in this topic. In March, thus, I posted a summative article about what we have learned from these interesting discussions. 

This month, however, we move on to another story, told by Marek, an English teacher from Poland, who now lives and teaches in Holland but has seen many parts of the globe already. How did his journeys enrich him and what lessons can he share with us?

Hey, Marek. Thanks for joining the TEA discussion. What kind of tea would you pick if I could take you out for a live interview?

PG Tips! No milk and no sugar, please.

Never heard of PG Tips before. Thanks for the tip. :-) So, let’s get the party started. Could you give us an overview of your journeys?

Uff, I’ve moved a lot, but I still wonder whether too little or too much. I started teaching part-time in Poland, after doing my CELTA in Prague, but as soon as the BA was done and dusted, I moved on. The world seemed too big and too enticing to stay in one place. So I went to Mexico, and, by a stroke of luck, I ended up teaching in Costa Rica. I spent a year there and it was again time to move on. Spain, Hungary, and the UK followed. And now I’m in the Netherlands. If I get a chance, I’d still like to teach in South-East Asia and in South America.

What a record! It seems you are the very embodiment of the “Cosmopolitan,” who not only moves abroad, but migrates from place to place, in search of new worlds. Is there a typical duration, say one year, that you spend in one location? Why? 

It’s been anything between 6 and 12 months, all depending on the length of the contract. Every time towards the end of the contract I’d start getting itchy feet, though, and it felt like it was time to move on although at times it was easy, and times not.

I see. Although it is not fashionable to talk about the obstacles, like the nostalgia or the emotional price you have to pay, could you tell us a bit about how you coped with these things?

Of course, it isn’t all exciting all the time. It can be quite tough and challenging to live in a different country, far away from home. And a lot depends on your personality. But for me, there is definitely something exciting about the act of moving, getting to know new people, new language, new culture. At the beginning I felt no nostalgia. I was, and still am, doing what I set out to do: teaching and travelling the world. However, the more I’ve travelled, the more I’ve started to appreciate what my homeland has to offer, so I might be quite tempted to head back there at some point. Of course, there are moments when you feel homesick. You also feel that your old life, friends and family back home have, well, moved on, for better or for worse. And you haven’t been part of it. But you can’t have it all, can you? So it’s a decision you have to take for yourself.

True. During your extensive journeys, which proved to be a bigger obstacle, language or culture? 

I think both can be a big obstacle. I’ve been to Latin America, and although I can speak the language and love the people and the culture, there are certain things  I can’t and probably won’t accept (unless I really force myself to). Still, Latin America is much closer to Europe culturally, than China, for example. I’ve never worked there, but have had students from Asia, and they are indeed very different culturally, which makes it really interesting, but also challenging. When I was on the other side of the Atlantic, I did miss many things about Europe (e.g. public transport, general safety, lack of huge class divisions). But similarly now, I miss many things about Costa Rica or Mexico (e.g. the climate, the people, the sun, the beaches, the nature, the food – Mexican restaurants in Europe are not Mexican at all!). You can’t have it all, so it’s a case of your priorities. From a teaching perspective, I think teaching in a completely different culture broadens your horizons and makes you a better teacher, so I’d recommend it to everyone.

Regarding the language, the Netherlands is the second country I work in where I don’t know the local language. You get used to it after a while, but if I was planning to settle here, I’d definitely start learning Dutch because you end up living in an expat bubble. You miss out on so many ‘local’ things.

Do you have any memorable or funny incident related to language or culture?

Yes. Quite a few, actually. In Costa Rica, un polaco is somebody who goes from door to door selling things on credit. So whenever I said I was Polish, people would mockingly say: Y que me vende? (what do you sell) and start laughing. It took me a while to figure out what was going on.

Finally, what advice would you give to someone considering living abroad?

Don’t think too much about it. Just do it! Not trying something is far worse than trying and realizing you didn’t like the experience. At least you’ll know.

Perfect conclusion. Thank you!

My dear TEA drinkers, if you liked the interview or you happen to be in Wageningen, wanting to polish your English, visit Marek's blog.

international roma day

Little is it known that April 8 is a day with a name.

What is there to celebrate, you know?

'Women?'

No, you are late with that.

'Mothers?'

No, it's too early for that. April 8 is your neighbors' day.

'What, my neighbors?'

Yes, it is the day of that Roma family living next to you that you like to, as you say, keep an eye on.

'Hey, I'm not a racist! As a matter of fact, I happen to like them. They are very nice people, despite being gypsies.'

Such a discussion is all too familiar, even in the classroom. It is so due to a well-known popular truth, namely that 'Gypsies are all criminals.' The lesser known truth, however, is that, according to the European Roma Rights Center, the Roma remain the most deprived ethnic group in Europe even today. 

Nevertheless, this day is not about blame, nor is it about rage, we need to explain to our students. It is about celebration. It is about people who, transcending the usual rhetoric of victimization or violence, decided to walk another path, to be the change that helps gypsies and 'whites' live together. This day is about people like László Bogdán, Mayor of Cserdi, Hungary.

Located in Southern Hungary, Cserdi is a small town of 400 people, with a clear Roma majority. Until 2005 the town was known for its high criminality, having a bad reputation in the region. The election of Bogdán as the first gypsy mayor, however, brought a drastic change. Since then Cserdi has become a model town, often referred to as 'the Cserdi Miracle', thanks to Mayor Bogdán, chosen as 'Man of the Year' in 2013. He set up a bio-farm, offered meaningful work for gypsies and non-gypsies alike, educated the youth about the realities of prison life and the importance of education, and made his community accept itself. He flourished the town so much that last Christmas it was them, a small town of 400, that brought donations to the needy of the capital city.

photo: László Laufer

László Bogdán is a great leader for his community and for his country. However great he is, though, he is not exceptional. I am certain, you and your students are also surrounded by inspirational people that help realize the dream that we are united, that we are 'not gypsies but people', to quote Bogdán's other motto.

Let us find these people. Let us celebrate the International Roma Day together!