waiting for godot .. and summer

My kid learner just can't wait for the summer to come. Summer means sunshine and freedom for a kid. And no English classes. :-) As a farewell to the classes and a welcome to the vacation, we decided to make a poster about some of the things that might await her in the following months. 

First we selected and cut some pictures, typically from magazines and commercial material (see what all that crap is good for?). Then we collected a couple of words and phrases connected to and inspired by those images (because it is also about the associated feelings not just objective reality). We arranged the photos on the colorful paper and prepared labels to accompany them. Of course, we turned to her favorite tools: sticky notes. After putting everything in place and fixing them there by glue, we admired our work for a little while. Children like to comment what they like the most (and least :-).

Which do you think she liked the most: being with friends, bathing, hiking, or visiting exhibitions?

Obviously, the exhibition. :-) Check where her pencil was (accidentally) caught. Well, she's a future scholar. ;-)

Happy holidays, kids!

the path of an international school teacher

This is already the 5th piece of our monthly interview series which offers us to gain insight into the diverse career paths one can pursue with a sound English knowledge (and most often, a degree in English studies). First we took a look at university jobs, from the perspective  of an experienced instructor and a beginner lecturer, then we turned to high education, through the lenses of an older teacher in a religious school and a younger educator in a state school. This time it is my pleasure to introduce Bogi, a high school teacher assistant, and her peculiar institution, which is a private American school. Let us see what she has to tell us. 

Hello, Bogi. Thank you for your time. As a short introduction, could you tell us where you work and for how long you have been there? 

Hello, Anna! Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I feel honored that you chose to write about me in your blog. To answer your question, I currently work at a Budapest-based international school as a High School Teacher Assistant. I have been working here for almost two years now, and I really enjoy being part of such a great community that my school has.

What is special about your institution? What is the difference between your school and a regular state school?

As ours is an international school, as opposed to a regular Hungarian one, the list of differences between the two would be pretty long. First of all, the language of instruction at our school is English only, and most teachers and students do not even speak Hungarian. Our students are usually used to traveling and moving from one country to another because of their parents' job, so they are very flexible and open-minded. These families rarely stay in the country for too long, so our school always have a lot of students coming and going each year. 

That must be pretty challenging for the teacher as well. Before this school, have you taught in any other environment?

I have started my career at this school right after I graduated from university at the age of 23, and I have immediately fallen in love with international teaching and the atmosphere that it comes with it. For this reason, I'm sure I would enjoy teaching abroad at an international school, and it doesn't really matter in which country. But I know it has to be an international school, as I really appreciate the diversity and open-mindedness international schools offer. 

Sounds great indeed! How is the education of an international school  structured as opposed to a local, let's say, regular, school? 

As far as I can see, education at our school is all about emphasizing critical thinking skills, inquiry-based learning, and creativity. We think developing the whole child is really important, and we encourage tolerance and cross-cultural understanding. All these values that we share make our education system unique in its own way, and I think this is how our form of education differs from others -- in its vision and values. 

What do you like about being a teacher here? 

I love the fact that students here are all global citizens, they love traveling, they are very open and curious about other cultures, and most of them speak multiple languages. Also, I feel like I've become a member of a very caring community since I got here, which is yet another reason to like the school. The cherry on the cake for me is that people here always thank you for everything you do. I find it a very nice custom, as it makes you feel appreciated at your workplace. I have to tell you, it was kind of new for me. I had to get used to being thanked for doing my job all the time. I like it! :)

No wonder! :-) But let's be realistic and talk about the tough cookies as well. What are the main challenges for you, and what do you think are the main challenges of state school teachers? 

The main challenge for us is that our classes change a lot every year. We always have a number of newly-enrolled students, and sadly, we need to say good-bye to many of our students at the end of each year. It's quite hard to keep up with this always changing environment, and it's also not an easy job to make a bunch of students who do not know each other that well into a community. I believe teachers at my school do a very good job with this matter. 

In state schools, teachers face very different difficulties. They need to deal with a growing number of students in one classroom, they have financial issues, and the administrative work of teachers takes up a lot of their time. Of course I can only say these things based on what I hear from my colleagues, and I'm sure not everyone has the same problems, but I know for sure that we (I and my teacher friends working at state schools) almost never complain about the same issues. 

Which is a bit odd. I guess then, students -- invariables in education -- are no problem, at least not the major. :-) So, finally, tell us who you would recommend a career in your school to. What is the ideal candidate like?

If you would like to become an international teacher, you need to share certain values that all international schools base their mission and vision on (open-mindedness, tolerance, and cross-cultural understanding, to name a few). 

I recommend that you pursue your career at a school like ours if you are prepared to deal with kids from very different cultural backgrounds, having all sorts of unusual issues (stemming from their lifestyle, their family background, their financial background, their religion, and so on). It helps if you enjoy traveling, as there are many opportunities around the world that you can explore as an international teacher. Once you are in international teaching, you will probably feel like moving abroad and experience new things. If you like challenges, you are the perfect candidate! :)

Thank you, Bogi! It was a pleasure!

not just a dream

Do you ever wonder what happened to the people you'd once sat down with to exchange some ideas and dreams? Do you wonder if they have realized what they were planning or it was just their fantasy? Well, you don't have to wonder anymore, because I am bringing you back together with one of our old TEA guests, Eszter. Six months ago we got to know a young Hungarian vagabond, who was then working in a bar in Scotland. Her goal was to earn enough money to go on a longer trip to South America in the following year. She told us that she was not going to spend her entire life working: half a year of working and half a year of travelling is what she wants. Nice dreams, we might have thought. Well, believe it or not, she is not (just) a dreamer: she made it. I caught her for a catch-up interview the week after she returned from a 3-month round-trip over the Atlantic.

 Hola, Eszter! Where were you in the last 6 months?

Hi, TEA drinkers! Well, it's a long story. I resigned in December, came home for the winter holidays, then in February I flew through London to Havana, Cuba. I spent 10 days there, then went to the indigenous villages of Mexico and Guatemala. After that came Lima and the mainstream Peruvian track, which led me to Bolivia and Northern Chile. Finally, I stayed in Argentina and flew home a couple of weeks ago.

Wow, quite a lot of places! How did you manage to cram this many locations in three months?

Well, yeah, I had to hurry. In Havana I spent 10 days, while in Buenos Aires 5 – these were my favorite cities. In the other locations, it was even less. But, honestly, I couldn't imagine to spend more time in these cities. Except, of course, if I had more time… The capitals are not so nice as, for example, in Europe – which is why I would say I liked Toledo and Madrid, two Spanish cities I visited on my way back, even more than most of the Latin American metropolises. Latin America, I feel, is more about nature, the oases, the lagoons, the endless white soil and horizons, than the urban experience.

And was this what you had expected?

I don't know really what I expected. As for the sights, yes, they were exactly like what I had expected. Next time, however, I will try to move away more from the mainstream and check the less popular places.

You know, I think what I expected was the sensation of freedom, to be able to do what I want. To do different things every day. And this I got perfectly. I loved being with fellow-travellers who share this lifestyle and mindset. I must say, though, that we are a weird minority – because few can afford having a 9-month holiday. 

Probably it is not just about who can afford this but also who wants this. Why did you decide to go on this trip?

Because I like travelling. I want to travel around the world. I started in Latin America because, first of all, I haven't been there, and second of all, I wanted to see Cuba before the Castro regime collapses, because then Cuba loses its charm. I regret, though, not to have stayed longer in Mexico and having missed Costa Rica and Colombia.

Now let's turn to more practical issues. These are all non-English speaking countries. How did you manage with communication?

I learned a bit of Spanish beforehand, acquiring a 100-word vocabulary. I tried to use this as efficiently and creatively as possible. It was important to know certain words and phrases, like I want to get off here, or numbers, directions, meals, while, for example, I couldn't talk about my family in Spanish. I also had a very useful dictionary application on my phone. I must say, these were all necessary but not sufficient, because firstly very little percentage spoke English, and secondly, the Spanish they used was not Castillian but local indigenous variations. So I had difficulties but I always managed somehow.

Also, what was a great help is that I used CouchSurfing. I contacted a number of local CouchSurfers, mostly young and intellectual people, who spoke English. They took me to places and helped me understand local customs. CouchSurfing is a very good way to get to know like-minded locals.

Talking about local customs, how did you feel as a young woman in such distant and different cultures?

I didn't feel it mattered I was a woman. Actually, there were great many (single) female travellers. If you are attacked, it's not because you are a woman. The point is that you just need to follow certain basic rules, like don't go out in the dark alone, avoid certain areas, don't wander around drunk, etc. These countries do have dangerous parts but they have touristic, thus, safe, parts as well.

Did you ever feel alone and lonely in the middle of a foreign and constantly changing environment?

Well, only once, in Peru. I was very high above sea level and my body just couldn't handle it. It was hard to breathe, I had constant headache and fever. I couldn't eat. It was then that I felt I need to get out of here. Other than that I always enjoyed being out there and among new acquaintances.

Can you recall one memorable experience then?

It's hard to pick one.  But for example the Oasis of Huacachina, Peru. It was a village for gringos (tourists), a pond in the middle of the immense sand. On one evening we went sand-boarding. It was so weird! I mean, I hadn't seen the desert before. It was amazing. It is not covered with sand, but it is made of sand! So, firstly, this sand experience was totally new for me. Secondly, the oasis, with the pond, the water-bikes, the Cuba Libres, and the sunset, was breath-taking. Then, we had this sand-boarding trip in the evening. We were playing like children, in the sand, in the sunset. The whole desert was our playground. This was complete freedom!

Sounds amazing indeed. Now, after this awesome period of 3 months, what's next for you?

Now I stay in Hungary for a couple of months still, going to concerts like Aerosmith and Rolling Stones, then a bit of family vacation here and there. From September, then, I'd like to get a job in Scotland again, now in a normal bar, not in a country-side hotel. Then in February, my plan is again to go on a bigger trip, either to South-East Asia or to Northern America.

So be it. Good luck! See you in the TEA room next year. :-)

Deal!

thank a teacher

Today is World Teachers' Day. In certain communities there is a whole week dedicated to teachers, calling the period between May 5 and 11 Teacher Appreciation Week. As with similar commemorations (like women's day, LGBT day, Roma day, etc.), one might ask why we need to set a date to appreciate them. Why we need a call to thank a teacher.

Personally, I never had inhibitions about saying thank you. Perhaps because (or as a consequence) I always had close relations with my professors, from elementary to university contexts. In primary school, for example, I had an arts teacher, who I simply adored with a child's enthusiasm. She never could get angry, always having a hidden smile on her face, which I just loved. Only once did it happen that we made her upset to the point that she said: "Now I am angry at you". I just smiled at her and said: "But you are not." And she burst out in laughter -- a laughter I still can recall. We celebrated every single Teachers' Day with her. I remember one present particularly: I made a four-page card for her, with some drawings and her favorite poem, which she appreciated a lot.

In high school, then, I found a different inspirator. This time it was not soft kindness that caught me but some kind of mystical dignity (understandably, since I changed from a child of emotions to an adolescent of dreams). My Hungarian teacher proved to be more than a model for me. She was strict and clever, a strong woman. We feared her in the beginning; many even came to hate her, because she was just not an "easy piece". At the same time, some of us got mesmerized by her strength and dignity, and later by her humor and care, which she opened up for us as the years passed. She was a character. At the end of my studies, I was the one that made her and gave her the class present. She was so touched that, for the first time, we saw her cry.

University was a different context, obviously, but I found my motivators there as well. While in earlier ages, it was much more the personality of the teacher that drew me, in higher education professional factors became more important (while the amiability remained a must). I was largely inspired by my Latin teacher, for example, who showed me how exciting etymology and going back to the origins can be. He had a great influence on how I view languages. Then, I had a writing (or rather, critical thinking) teacher, who pushed my limits in perfection and precision to an extent I had never imagined. The fact that I have great writing skills has a lot to do with him. I remember I used to say before our conversational and writing classes: Now I go change the world. He challenged our thinking so much that I felt his classes opened new worlds for me every time. Those were the days when I thought everything was possible.

In my postgraduate years, when you kind of become colleagues with your professors, my focus shifted from professional matters back to personality. Or rather, to the mixture of these two. I started to appreciate those who, while pursuing their research, remained human and open-minded. Ironically, there are not a lot of these teachers, despite the belief that educators are by definition open and people's persons. I love to share my struggles and successes with my more experienced colleagues and especially appreciate when they return my honesty by sharing their own difficulties and dilemmas too.

Without concluding -- as my story goes on -- I want to express that teaching makes room for amazing connections that change lives. I am grateful to all who gave me a push on my path. Instead of thanking a teacher, I thank all my teachers.

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?