I guess that everyone probably wants to hear about school, so I will oblige. Szerb Antal Gymnazium (check out the website and video of the school by clicking on those words) is just on the edge of Pest, the eastern half (East the Danube River that is - Buda is on the west side) of Budapest. It is about a 5-10 minute bus or car ride from my house. As the video will show, the school is quite handsome. It originally had a manor house for a rich aristocrat at the end of the 19th century, but the school itself was formed into a teacher's college and later a gynazium. A longer history of the school, in English, can be found on the website (see: school history). A gynazium is like a liberal arts high school, different from the trade or technical schools, sort of like Wheaton to Edison.
Students at Szerb Antal (Szerb Antal was a famous Hungarian writer), even though it's a public school, have to apply and are hand-picked for their test scores, work ethic, and interests. So I guess you could compare it to something like a magnet school in the US, but not quite so elite. Hungarians follow the traditional European educational model, administering rigorous tests early to determine certain aptitudes. Students can choose a career path based on those results - which usually leads to an education in trade school or a gynazium. To me, this feels like the direction in which the US is heading, what with our recent reliance on test scores and creation of programs like Academies at Wheaton. The European model is quite traditional, but it seems we are only just finding out about it (this is obviously a debating point- feel free to comment).
Therefore, in my opinion, the students are in general attentive and hard-working at Szerb Antal. The testing system in well-established and it requires a lot of knowledge, skill, and most likely fear for the students. Many of our students seem to get pressure from their parents, who stay quite involved, and many of them are taking extra classes at night, in lieu of afterschool activities like sports or clubs, which schools do not offer in Hungary. The traditions also seem to follow the old methods established in earlier more stringent days. However, the government has direct control over the school system and has recently made reforms to give students and parents more options. These options, however, just seem to confuse the whole system, some students have a 4-year program, others 7, some more language, others 2 languages to study. It's quite confusing for the students, so you can imagine how confusing it is for me! For example, in my school we have from 7th-12th grade. But only some classes start at 7th, there is a whole contingent that comes in at 9th. And each different type requires certain needs based on their program, usually about what their second or third language is, and that's where I come in.
So let's get to the fun stuff, the everyday teaching. Classrooms are generally small in size and class size in the school. For language classes they usually divide up a bigger class, of say 30 students, into two -15 student classes. That larger group of 30 students is one class. They have classes like in US elementary schools. One class will take most of their classes together and the teachers go to the classes, instead of students coming to them. Each class also has a "Form Master/Teacher" who takes care of all the discipline, parent communication and other class issues. From what I hear, Form Teachers are like den mothers or fathers and usually form quite a bond with their class. Obviously, I am not a form teacher, but I do have a huge range of students that I teach.
I teach four different classes, three 10th, one 11th, English classes three times a week (for 45 minutes - every class is 45 minutes with a 15 minute break - which is great, except there is no designated lunch time). So I know those students quite well. Then I teach 6 other classes once a week, either "oral class" or "culture". So basically I have 10 different groups that I teach. Needless to say, learning names, especially in the oral and culture classes has been difficult.
Another English teacher asked me if I had a "favorite group". Well, for one, I don't believe in playing favorites, but secondly, and this is true, I like each group for different reasons. There's a talkative group with a lot of attitude, a silly group, and a lower group who are charming for their can-do spirit despite their skills. I think if you can't find something to like in even the toughest class maybe teaching is something you shouldn't do.
So everyday brings new adventures and challenges. I like that many classes laugh at my, um, brilliant jokes (unlike some friends who shall remain nameless... you know who you are!)! I have really taken the role of getting students to communicate orally. Hungarian students, in general, are a pretty outgoing bunch, but when speaking another language many of them become shy and reserved. So if I can help alleviate that fear, then so be it! I've told them that since I am learning Hungarian, which is known as a notoriously difficult language to master, they can definitely learn English. Sounding like a simpleton in Hungarian, I mean, um, making mistakes - it's all just part of the process, right?
So in conclusion (you never thought I'd get there, did you?), everyone at school has been great. My fellow English teachers are a wonderful, helpful, and professional bunch, despite the fact that I can trounce them at bowling at our monthly meetings. The students have been welcoming, diligent, and very flexible in adapting to my style of teaching. The other teachers and administrators have been great as well, especially patient in my learning Hungarian. The teacher soccer team has been a great, albeit early (start time 7 am - yikes!) way to start Monday and Thursday. My Hungarian teacher is the best. So I can't recommend Hungary enough. A great work environment plus a cool place to check out great food (see - chicken paprikas), drink (see - tokaj), and spas (ooh spas! that will probably be my next blog...).
Until next time - keep sending those comments and questions. Viszontlátásra! Viszlát!
