WELCOME & DAY-TO-DAY

Sizasztok (hello everyone), in this fourth installment, I discuss my day-to-day, a new approach that I think some people might be interested in. Of course, I also include some recent happenings and updates on my life. I hope you enjoy it!

On Mondays, I typically have one morning class with Mónika’s 8th-grade class. This class is a course on civilizations focused on the United States. Lately, we have been learning about World War I and major cities like New York. I have a few hours before my lesson with Arni and Zoli’s 4th-grade classes. In the class, I spend around 25 minutes with each group. Right after that, I make my way to Arni and Erika’s 3rd-grade class. Once the lesson is over I head to the school canteen to eat with the teachers and students.

Tuesdays are my busiest. My day starts at 8 a.m. for lesson one with the 2nd graders and their teachers, Arni, Otí, and Klaudia. This class typically consists of me teaching vocabulary, basic sentences, or showing photos to explain the U.S. Lessons two and three are with Mónika and Nóra’s 7th-grade classes. Lesson four is with Arni and Mónika’s 6th-grade class. For both, I usually have the opportunity to pick a topic or use their English textbook for engaging activities. Recently, with the 7th-grade class, I had the chance to teach about setting SMART goals and the importance of mapping out one's hopes and future. My last class is with Nora and the other half of the 8th graders for the same civilization course as Mónika’s. Finally, every Tuesday night, I go to Zsolt’s for a family dinner with his wife, Dora, and youngest son, Benjámin. Benjámin and I spend an hour together trying to practice his English as he prepares to take his English exam this Spring. Wednesdays are relaxed. I have a morning class at 8 a.m. with grade 5 and, every other week, a class with Roma students after lunch. Grade 5 has some very proficient students in English, and it’s always a great time as we cover different aspects of American and Hungarian culture.

Thursdays and Fridays are spent at Vajda, the high school. The classes change from week to week, but it is a great mix as I get to engage with every grade. Some classes I most frequently visit include Peti’s 9th grade and 10th, Viki’s 10th and 11th, Klára’s 10th and 11th, and Agi’s 9th grade. The Vajda days especially intrigue me as many of the students can engage in interesting dialogue, where I get to learn a lot about how they see the world, social trends, and banter with them, which really has been a fun experience.

On Saturdays, I usually block out everything. This day is one for rest and some occasional fun. I usually study for the LSAT, work on scholarships/internship opportunities, and read most of the day. However, occasionally, I get invited to spend the evening with my university friends from Szeged and Budapest or other community members. Finally, on most Sundays, I begin with Church, followed by class preparation and more reading!

Now, with all that being said, there are a few things I’d like to note. You may wonder what similarities or differences I have noticed within the educational system. First, learning from and listening to the teachers here about the education system has been really interesting. This past year, Hungary has experienced teachers’ protests and increased tensions surrounding teachers’ pay, evaluations, and workload. Many of these issues may sound familiar to that of the U.S. Recently, I was discussing this topic with my mentor Klára, and I expressed some experiences of my friends teaching in Colorado who have been overwhelmed with class sizes, lack of support, low pay, and faster burnout rates. She expressed a similar issue of demographics, with the teaching population aging out and a lack of incentives for young professionals to join this field.

Next, within the schools, students have to make it to the age of 16, like in Colorado. The structure of the day, however, differs from a Colorado classroom. For instance, class periods are a bit shorter at 45 minutes, with passing periods being either 5 or 10 minutes. All of the Benka and Vajda students have a meal for lunch in the canteen. Now this area is a big difference in general being in Europe. The meals in both schools consist of leves (soup) first, then a dish with some protein and carbs like potatoes, and a fruit or vegetable.

None of this is processed like in the U.S. Moreover, all students have a homeroom and one teacher who serves as their head teacher throughout all of their years in each school. In Vajda, this teacher has some honorary occasions like a Waltz (held in November), which is similar to an American prom but more fancy! The interesting aspect of Hungarian education is that each

student has the opportunity, even in later primary school, to focus on a specific subject more than others. These mainly include the sciences, English, German, and math. From my perspective, it seems European students are under more pressure during their senior year as they need to decide on a subject to study. For instance, if you want to become a lawyer or doctor, you immediately begin studying for that, which is much different from higher education in the U.S.

Each year, towards the end, the high school students take a big exam in all subject areas that cover their whole education up until that point, similar to something like an ACT or SAT in the States. This is important for the Seniors as their scores can dictate their university opportunities. The application process is much later than that in the U.S., with decisions coming out in the late spring and summer of the student's senior year. While students receive a free education in Hungary, some, depending on their scores, can receive slight funding for living or other expenses. In contrast, others who struggle or fall behind in university might have to start paying the school to stay.

Some final things I’d point out are: I am very impressed at Benka and Vajda with the number of students learning a second language from as early as second grade! Of course, I have only been able to see these two schools, but I am always impressed at the number of students who can speak to me at various levels. One example of this was just in the middle of March when I was teaching a 2nd-grade class with Klaudia. The topic was seasons and weather. One boy in the class almost hijacked the entire conversation (of course, in a good way) when he began describing in incredible detail what hazards and situations can occur in extreme weather! When I asked him how he knew so much, he simply said he watches YouTube a lot. While I don’t think this is surprising to many of us, it is still crazy to me to think about the spread of the English language and how accessible it is to learn for those with internet accessibility and an electronic device.

In early February, the Central Europe cohort joined together in Miskolc, Hungary, which is just East of Budapest. This was our second official retreat. The city of Miskolc has a deep history. The name “Miskolc” was first mentioned in a historical document in 1210. By the Middle Ages, it was a significant market town and became a center for trade due to its location on trade routes between the Great Hungarian Plain and Transylvania. Tied to trade, some of you may not know, but Hungary is renowned for its premier wine coming from the Tokaj region, near Miskolc, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city itself has a history of wine cellars dating back centuries. In addition, the city became a hub with Greek merchants coming there for the wine.

The 19th century brought significant industrial development to Miskolc, primarily through the establishment of iron and steel works. This marked Miskolc's transformation into one of the major industrial centers of Hungary. Now, following the damage inflicted in World War II, the city underwent significant reconstruction. By 1980, over 200,000 people lived in the city, making it the second-largest city in Hungary. However, in the following decade, the city experienced a quick decline in population.

Moreover, we stayed in a small town outside of Miskolc called Lillafüred, which was up in the Hungarian mountains. Here, we had time to rest and reflect on our experience thus far and how we would like to close out the final half of this experience. It was great hearing all of the experiences from my fellow cohort members and spending time hiking and being out in nature. The highlight, though, had to have been the hospitality from our Hungarian hosts, István and Andrea! István spent much time with us, showing us his guitar skills and teaching us more Hungarian and correct pronunciation. Andrea cooked some of the best Hungarian dishes I’ve had yet here! Every meal had a different traditional Hungarian dish and boy was it finom (delicious)!

One other experience I’ll highlight is at the end of February, my friend Alexa invited me to her 20th birthday party! It was a great time being with my Hungarian friends and listening to traditional Hungarian folk music. This group has been so generous for always inviting me out when they are back in Szarvas and making sure that I feel included!

Now, to close this newsletter out, I can’t believe I am nearing the end of my YAGM experience. To provide a little bit of reflection, I was recently talking with one of my mentors, Marilyn Flachman, about my experiences and discernment. She asked me how I felt about teaching and if it was something I could see myself doing as a career. The simple answer is yes. This year has been so incredibly humbling and a blessing to be able to learn from these Hungarian students and be able to teach. It is something that fills me with energy, hope, and happiness. However, with my academic interests and goals, I envision myself going on to pursue a doctorate and eventually teach in higher academia.

To conclude, after a pretty strenuous graduate application season, I am incredibly excited to let you all know that next September, I will be continuing my education at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies! There, I will be entering their MA program for International Security with hopes of engaging with the issues of artificial intelligence in the international landscape and how global governance can begin to regulate such a technology. Finally, I thank all of you for taking an interest in my time in Hungary and for all of your support!

Best regards,

Connor JL Moore

*All photos and mentions have been approved by the necessary guardians/individuals needed for publication.