October 15, 2010: Friday at last

October 15, 2010: NOTE: I have uploaded all pictures and videos into past blog entries. I am finally all caught up!

Autumn is definitely here. Just take a look at the trees and you'll see it:

View from my apartment window

And if the trees aren't enough in the way of changing colors, here's a picture of a lady with the red hair that I mentioned in a previous blog entry. It seems to be a more common hair color day by day.

Lady with a common hair color nowdays

Classes today went as well as on many other days -- things seem to be getting more routine. However, one of my beginner classes is really struggling. This morning it was really a struggle for most of them to repeat a four word monosyllabic sentence ("Whose books are these?"). It's not that they weren't trying because they did; it's just that they could not repeat these four words after I said them over and over to them. I'm at a loss to decide what to do, because I can't get more basic than that. Also, my last class of the day, my challenging class, showed no or little interest in studying this afternoon so I just stopped trying to teach them and just told them to study their dialog for the last few minutes of class -- I am not going to make the effort to teach them if they can't put effort into learning.

Later this weekend, there will be a party for the parents and teachers of the 9C class. I'm to meet Jermendi Andi at 10:00 on Sunday in Ujpest and she and her husband will drive me to the picnic. Hopefully, the weather will be as beautiful as it is now. And I really look forward to meeting the parents of these students.

Meanwhile, I have a few more miscellaneous observations about life in Hungary:

• Libraries: I learned that although it is possible to read books, magazines, and newspapers at a library, one must pay to take any of these things home to read.
• ISO: I thought I was through with ISO 9000 when I retired from JPL. Today I learned that our school is currently undergoing an ISO certification review. Apparently they audited two of the most respected English teachers but they did not fare as well in the audit as they expected. I'm certainly at a loss to understand why a school would even want to undergo an ISO certification -- ISO is useful for evaluating the processes of a manufacturing firm where ALL the parts are the same and should be treated in the same way. At a school, it's hard to imagine that we're manufacturing students. As I've explained in my past blogs, I have deviated significantly from teaching ("processing" in ISO-speak) the same things in the same way to all of my students since their needs are so dramatically different. In fact it's impossible to teach two classes at the same level the same things in the same way because each class has its own personality and needs to be taught in a different manner -- that's one of the prime reasons teaching is so interesting -- because it's a constant challenge to find the best way to "reach" each student, and what works for one set of students may miss the mark for another set of students with the same capabilities. I guess you can sort of tell my feelings on ISO certification when it comes to applying it to a school. But then again, I'm only a guest here and of course I will comply with anything the school has to say in regard to becoming ISO certified.
• Retirement: I learned that teachers are paid money for retirement, although the teachers themselves don't know the details about this since there are always so many changes in the pay structures.
• Teachers' salaries: From what I hear (of course the people who tell me this may be a bit biased since they are teachers), teachers are among the least paid of all jobs in Hungary. I hear the same issues being discussed here as they are in the US: "Considering that teachers are training the future workers and leaders of the country, they are not paid commensurately with this responsibility." "The work of a teacher often extends into the weekend with the preparation of lessons and grading of papers, yet their salaries are based on a standard workweek of other workers.", etc. If I am paid what the average Hungarian teacher is paid, I don't see how there's enough money to raise a family let alone indulge in any extravagances.

It looks like there's been a change of plans in my autumn break. Jack and Deb have decided that they would rather spend all their time in Venice and surrounding region, so I guess that's what I will do, too. I had originally told them I would like to see Krakow, Venice, or the Adriatic coast of Croatia. Going to Venice will be different than living in Hungary. Amazing how going such a short distance in Europe can bring such a difference in culture, food, language, etc. One of the true advantages of living in Europe.

Well I guess that's all for now.