3rd Graders Have Hearts

On Wednesdays I don't have any lessons at the school here in Gyor, but I go to a little village called Kunsziget (pronounced like Koon-see-get). It's such a treat because the kids there are wonderful. I'm considered to be somewhat of a local celebrity at the school (I'm not bragging...it's true...and actually very awkward). The celebrity status is really just a rite of passage for any native speaker going to teach at a primary school. Since it's Valentine's Day on Sunday, I decided that at the expense of the boys' enjoyment, we would all make Valentines for someone important in our lives. Since last year most of my boys responded to the words, "Today we are making Valentines" with grumpy faces, I waited for the response today, especially when preparing to make Valentines with my 3rd graders. True to their gentle and sweet spirits though, these boys managed to not only not complain, but actually be excited to make Valentines! They colored in the lines, they worked very hard, and my cute story comes in amongst all of this attentive work they put in. Little Adrian came to me and kept asking the perfect spelling for every word he wanted to say. He sat and colored and made sure it was perfect. Then he came and whispered to me out of earshot of the other students that his Valentine was intended for Niki, a very cute girl in the 2nd grade class. Gosh, what a sweet boy. After class, he asked me to come with him while he waited for the 2nd graders to go play outside so he could swoop in and put it on her table. This isn't even the best part of the story...my next lesson was with the 2nd graders, and I was able to watch as Niki walked in to find the cute Valentine from Adrien on her desk. A HUGE smile swept across her face and she was beyond giddy the whole lesson. I hope that we can all take a little time this Valentine's Day week (even if it is a holiday more or less fabricated by chocolate and greeting card companies) to do something for someone that will leave a big, goofy smile on their face for a whole afternoon. P.S. while my example Valentine isn't really in good enough shape anymore to send to its intended receiver, I may as well say it here...Happy Valentine's Day, Mom! I love you!

Sziastork!

Ok, so some of you may have immediately noticed my type-o in the title. The term "Sziasztok" can mean "hello" or "goodbye" in Hungarian. One day however, while walking through Alvin's village, we noticed a family of storks living in a next on a telephone pole. I then proceeded to yell out, "SziaSTORK!" and have a laugh attack for about 10 minutes following. This isn't the point of my blog, though. I've spent the better part of the last 3 weeks saying lots of "hello's" and "goodbye's" here. A big hello was when my sister and her (now OUR) friend Kate came to visit Hungary. I couldn't have enjoyed their visit more. They were even initiated into the Statue-Accosting Association of Hungary while they were here! We made a visit to Vienna and Kaposvar, and even made a visit to my school to see my kids wonder who the heck this girl that looked exactly like Hanna was! I've also had to start saying a lot of the word "goodbye" here already, which is heartbreaking, really. My kids have been a huge part of my life this past year, and saying goodbye was not easy for me. I thought I was going to be able to hold it all together and get through it without tears until the last day of teaching as I was explaining to 1.c that I wasn't coming back (some of the kids still don't fully understand I won't be here in September, which hurts me more). As little Zsofi came to the realization, I saw little tears well up in her eyes as she sat with her chin in her hands and yup, that did it. Suddenly, I had 15 crying kids surrounding me making me realize that I really did have an impact on them. Enough of the sad stuff, though. I got to enjoy so many flowers, chocolates, and my favorite...lots of pictures they colored for me. I will not go home empty handed! I also got to go to an end-of-the year swimming party and watch the kids just have fun, outside of school. I couldn't be happier.

Here is little Zsofi from 1.c. Lili and Mate, enjoying the water.

And now I have a couple weeks to just enjoy Hungary! Alvin and I have already started aimlessly wandering around Budapest, along with hitting up sites on our "list". Here we are, climbing up Gellert Hill in Budapest! I'm happy to know Hungary isn't done with me yet! Nor will it be in July when I leave...I think I'll be back soon enough :-)

My Dream Bedroom

This week, I decided to put my 2nd graders' creativity to the test. I'm having them draw their own "Alom Szoba", or Dream Bedroom. I've been blown away by the results. It astounds me how amazing kids can be at such young ages. Here are a few things that I've seen included in their Dream Bedrooms:

1. A popcorn machine
2. Swimming pool
3. Trampoline
4. A fingerprint sensor on the door instead of a key
5. Security cameras
6. A "Sumo floor"...the skinniest kid in the class drew this one.
7. A hockey rink
8. A pizza bed..."So I can eat when I sleep!", says Laura.
9. Stacks of money
10. Lego tower
11. A chair which brushes your teeth, feeds you, and gets you ready in the morning while you sit and watch a movie.
12. Weights..."To get fit!", yelled Bogi (a tiny little girl)
13. This is what I could gather: Remi wanted actors in his room who would act out different scenes in Harry Potter whenever he wanted.
14. Giant teddy bear
15. A beach

Nice, eh?

Day On The Duna

Friday was "Day On The Duna" at Varosliget for the 1st through 4th graders. I went along happily on the 90 degree day and aside from a lot of heat and mosquitoes, it was awesome! It also included the following: food, playing ball, playing tag, food, ice cream, hand holding, food, English games that the kids WANTED to play, a funeral, bumps and scratches, food, running happily, and lots of love. Here are a couple of pictures for you to enjoy!

Zsofi and Lilla enjoying ice cream (what, kids eating? CRAZY!)Oooooh they are so cute waving at the camera!He is so shy, but he pulled his hair out of his eyes, pointed at himself, and said, "Hanna, picture please.""Hanna, too sunny!"

Where is your money?

So, some of you already know that I lost my wallet last week. Yes, I honestly am not sure if it got lost or stolen, but all I know is that I got money out of the ATM, got on the bus with Alvin, and by the time I got home, it was not there. Luckily, there were no charges made on any credit cards, and only (this does hurt, but it could be worse) about 75 dollars worth of money was in there (including the monthly metro pass I had JUST bought two days before! Grrr...). All in all, I am not too incredibly upset, because it could have been worse. It can be replaced, I still have my Passport, my health, and happiness....things happen. Whatever. Anyways, Monday, I mentioned the said wallet-losing to a couple teachers at school. One even noticed I was carrying my cash around in a Ziploc baggie. How barbaric! Really though, I had forgotten about it...until today. I was in the hall, talking to some of my kids...when about 1O kids from 2.a ran up and asked me, "Hanna! Where is your money???" Huh? My money? Were they asking me for money? Did they want to know where it was so they could take it? Well kids, it is in a Ziploc bag upstairs...but I would rather you leave it there so I do not have to venture to the bank again and try speaking to a bank teller about it. Then one kid acted out something falling out of a bag. Ahhhhh. They wanted to know if I found my wallet!!!! I told them no, I did not find my wallet. I made a sad face, just to get the point across. Suddenly I was attacked by hugs and hands petting my hair. Man, I love the therapy that comes with teaching kids!!!

What Hungarian Children Bring on Vacation

Last week at school we explored the English phrases that coincide with "Going on Vacation" in my classes. I even brought in my way-cool American passport and let the kids gawk at all my stamps...ok, they were only slightly impressed. For one lesson, I had the kids plan their own trip and draw pictures in their suitcases of what they would bring on that particular trip, given the elements and activities. Of course, if you were going to the mountains in the winter, you wouldn't bring your shorts and swimsuit...I loved hearing the kids say, "NOOOOO!!!!" when I told them I was packing my swimsuit to go to Mt. Everest. Anyways, as I walked around my classes, I noticed the girls were packing standard items...shirts, shoes, dresses, books, etc. The boys however, always have to be a little crazy. And I love it. Here are just a few things that I saw at any given time last week drawn in the boys' suitcases:

• Spiders
• A British flag
• A snowman
• 16 gloves (yes, specifically...I told Boti that this would come in handy should he be in the mountains and encounter 7 friends with cold hands!)
• Carrots
• TV
• Scorpions
• Hot chocolate (the drawing was of a cup full of chocolate with steam lines, so I assume he wanted an already-made cup in his suitcase should he need it at any time)
• A leopard (as protection, I was told)
• Forks
• Spoons
• A snake
• Beach umbrella
• Beach chair
• Vacuum cleaner
• A rope
• Ice axe
• Water wings and a water tube with a duck coming out the front
• Ninja stars

Let's see if my boys make it past security on their magical imaginary vacations!

What Hungarian 2nd graders are scared of...

Today in my 2nd grade classes, we talked about what we are scared of. Here are some of their answers. If you sit and ponder the fears of Hungarian children, this might be of interest to you...

• Ghosts
• Mean dogs and cats
• Snakes
• Aliens
• Dying (to ask the word for it, most of them approached me and died on the spot...they had interesting causes of death)
• Getting punched
• No PSP
• No TV
• Water monsters (whatever that is)
• Cat dying
• Black clouds
• Mommy and Daddy
• The dark
• Closet monsters
• Angry Hanna
• No stars...this goes along with Angry Hanna. Angry Hanna = No stars = One less step closer to 10 stars = No candy
• No spaghetti
• Burglars (also some good acting out on this one)
• Global warming (David came and acted this out by saying "Earth...boys and girls are very hot...Earth BOOM! Bye bye!"...yea, amazing kid)

Newest Akos-ism....

(Please refer to last weeks entry entitled "Akos-isms" for complete story...) So last week's Akos-ism was "Welcome to the town center!" The new one for this week? Well, it's an eye-opener for sure...today he said, "We have now arrived at the ski lodge!", with immense excitement. As there was no ski lodge ACTUALLY in sight at that moment in the school hallway, I began to wonder. Last week was the first normal week after the "Ski Week" the week before. "Ski Week" means that all the teachers get to stay in school and teach while kids have the option of going somewhere totally rad to ski all week, or just go to Grandma's house (which is with no doubt, also rad). I know Akos was missing that week. Therefore, there is only one solution to the question of where these new phrases emerged: Obviously, Akos went to Grandma's house that week. They drank tea, made cookies, played cards, watched "Wheel of Fortune", everything. He then met her next door neighbor, who was very busy practicing his lines, as he was about to start his new job as an international tour guide at an exclusive ski resort in the mountains of Kazakstan. As they got to chatting, the neighbor (let's call him Zoltan) learned Akos is a thriving student of the English language (it's true, he's one of my best!). Akos told Zoltan that he'd really love to impress his awesome American teacher with some English. Since Zoltan only knows enough English to give tours of ski resorts, those are the two phrases he taught Akos. Then they ate salami sandwiches as good Hungarians do....THE END.

"Akos-isms"

I seriously have so many fun kid stories lately...I could write a book I bet. So, Akos...he's one of my 2nd graders, and he is just a character. He's always excited and happy, he's kind to everyone, and he just has a good sense of humor. Lately, he makes me laugh on a daily basis because of what I like to call "Akos-isms". Every week, Akos seems to come to my class with a new, totally random English saying that he did not know the week before. Then he proceeds to say them at random times...and they never relate to what we are learning, of course. They are always short and sweet....but they have kick. Most of these sayings are probably sayings he won't say often (or ever again in some cases), but they never cease to make me laugh my butt off. I am starting to think that maybe he has signed up for some "Weekly English Phrases" email list...an email list that likes to play crude jokes on English learners. Here are a few "Akos-isms" for you:

• "Come to my igloo!"
• "Let's have a party at my place."
• "Good game!"
• "Welcome to the town center!"
• "See you later, dude!"

What makes it even better is that he has a little sister who is one of my 1st graders...every once in awhile she'll throw them in there too and tell me Akos told her to say it. Look out for the newest Akos-ism, which will hopefully be coming out next week.

Yet another cute kid story that will melt your heart....

Yup, I have plenty of these ones saved up in my head for rainy days when I need a pick-me-up. Here's just one kid story that happened today: Through the end of this week, I will be making Valentines with my little ones, and it all started today. My personal favorite way to make Valentines is to make "heart people". It is just like it sounds. You cut out a big heart. You make a face on it with heart eyes and a heart nose. You make arms with heart hands...legs with heart feet...you get the idea. Anyways, I made a whole lesson out of it with the kiddos and I was helping them write out notes on the back of their heart people. Most of the kids were making them for their mothers. I was having them write a simple message..."Happy Valentine's Day, Mom! I love you." One of my little ones, Aron...who has a new baby sister (named Hanna actually...he loves to tell me that and he even sent me pictures in the form of an email once). He decided to make his for her, and he wanted to write his own special note on the back. He approached me during class (keep in mind, I didn't know who he was making it for at the time), and here's what he said...

• Aron: "How to spell 'I love you'?"
• Hanna: writes it on the board
• Aron, a few minutes later: "Ok, now how to spell 'mine beautiful Valentine'?"
• Hanna, before even noticing the grammar mistake: "That's nice! Who is it for?"
• Aron: "Mine beautiful Valentine sister, Hanna."
• Hanna: melts, then proceeds to give him a hug for being so dang cute
• Aron: awkwardly hugs me, gives me a weird look, then returns to his work
• Hanna: Recovers, then quickly makes sure he writes "my" and not "mine" :-)

How to find a way to Hanna's heart...according to my 1st graders

I have never found myself as swept off my feet and melted into puddles of Hanna as often as I do at school everyday. If I am ever insecure about myself again, slap me, and remind me of these times. Because I have many boys who know just the right ways to my heart. So, here is a list of the ways to impress the heck out of me, as I imagine it would be, according to my 1st grade boys...

• Give Hanna lots of hugs- Hanna loves hugs...anytime, any place.
• Laugh at her jokes- Hanna is funny...really! Laugh at her jokes, and it makes her extremely happy. If you laugh to the point of snot coming out of your nose (which is a daily occurrence in our world), it might make her laugh even more.
• Make her homemade presents- Hanna gets very excited when you work hard on something, and then present it as a gift. She doesn't seem to be the fancy dinner, diamond rings, fancy car type of girl...little things make her happiest.
• Dance, dance, dance- Hanna loves a guy who will dance, even if all he knows how to do is wiggle his butt and jump around like us first graders do.
• Little acts of love- If Hanna is carrying multiple bags, it will make her swoon to the point of melting in a puddle if you take the biggest bag and proceed to drag it up the stairs to your classroom for her. She might even hug you for it.
• Tell her she's awesome- Hanna loves to hear nice things about herself, as most girls do. We tell her multiple times a day how beautiful and kind she is, and it seems to make her incredibly happy all the time.
• Ask her to play games all the time- We like fun adventures, and so does Hanna. She enjoys spending break time playing hide and go seek and helping us fly paper airplanes. If there is an adventure to be had, take Hanna along.

So now you can see why 1) I love my job so much, and 2) a huge part of why I am happy all the time is my students. 1st graders know where its at when it comes to impressing girls!

Catching Butterflies

So, this week, my 2nd graders are learning verbs, along with the phrases "I can", and "I can't". Today, we were working on writing sentences and we were talking as a class about what we can and can't do...I wrote things on the board like: "I can ride a bike", "I can't skateboard", etc. Then I told the kids that they needed to write 5 sentences about what they can/can't do. They had interesting answers like "I can [play] Playstation!", and "I can play the recorder" (I should know, I hear "Hot Cross Buns" being played alllll day in the halls). Then two of my favorite little girls, Flora and Nori came up and wanted to say something about butterflies. They kept saying "I can't...", then jump around and clasp their hands. When I realized what they were thinking, I almost melted in a puddle right there because it was just about the cutest thing ever...they wanted to say "I can't catch butterflies with my hands." I automatically thought about non-kids, like myself, and I ran through my head all of the things we always say we can't do...."I can't be smart enough", "I can't be good enough", "I can't be beautiful enough", etc. It made me really wish we thought as simply as my students, who don't care about any of those things...they just care about catching butterflies in their hands.

Thanks Russia...but not so much...

So, Hungary likes to do this thing where they have designated "work days" on random Saturdays. This means that on several Saturdays throughout the year, the whole country of Hungary goes to work, as if it were a weekday(yes, that's 6 days of work in a week, people!). Being that I'm a foreigner here and do not speak the language, I'm often not notified about these workdays until oh, a week beforehand. So, when I returned from my lovely holiday at home, I (along with my fellow foreign teachers throughout Hungary) discovered there is a work day this coming Saturday...pardon my language, but BALLS! Don't get me wrong, I DO love my kids so much...and if I did have to spend my Saturday working, I'm glad I get to hang with them...BUT I also enjoy my sleep verrrrrry much (especially after a week of being plagued by jet lag). Well, in a seemingly totally unrelated issue, Russia has decided to turn off its gas lines leading to Europe this week in a bold political move. This means that pipelines all over Europe are effected, PARTICULARLY ones in Eastern and Central Europe....how conveeeenieent. If you haven't heard about Russia's shenanigans, enjoy this little read over a cup of coffee... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/world/europe/07gazprom.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&em. How is this related to me having to work on Saturday, you ask? Well, when I arrived to school this morning, I was greeted by rumors that that government might postpone our workday. Of course, I didn't dare belive and get my hopes up, only to be let down later on....yet, I was curious! I came to find that in fact, the government here in Hungary HAS postponed the workday this Saturday because they simply cannot afford to heat public buildings for a whole extra day. Woo hoo! But WAIT...I sure hope the heat in my nice, warm flat holds up for awhile so I don't freeze in this cold, dead winter in Hungary. Oh well, I get to sleep-in Saturday, so I'll worry about that later.

I wish we all thought as logically as my 2nd graders...

I'm reviewing "winter clothing" and Christmas with my 2nd graders this week and yesterday I was going through flash cards with them. One of my classes was pretty stumped when I held up the card for "gloves". Suddenly little Adam's hand popped up and he exclaimed "hand boxes!" Hmmm...I'm thinking that Adam is pretty smart. Gloves...what kind of word is that, anyways? I might start saying that it's time to get out the hand boxes when it gets chilly.

A 1st grader tells the REAL story of Mikulás

Let me preface this story by explaining my previous understanding of what Mikulás (St. Nicholas) day is here in Hungary: on the evening of December 5th, little children in Hungary put their best shoes out on their windowsill. During the night, Mikulás comes and visits. When they wake up the next morning, the children find their shoes filled with candy and small presents. I had guessed that the tradition of "Santa" coming early was due to the Catholic influence and traditions here in Hungary. Boy, was I wrong! Today I was having a little chat with little Jamie (pictured here) who is a 1st grader of mine, and is half-British...so he speaks fluent English. Along with being my little helper in translating, he is my source of real conversation and information...usually on the subject of puppies, Pokemon cards, and his colored pencils. Today however, he told me the real story of Mikulás here in Hungary:

• Me: So Jamie, are you excited about a visit from Mikulás on Saturday?
• Jamie: Oh yes, very much. Do you know why Santa visits us early here in Hungary?
• Me (very curious): No I sure don't, please tell me!
• Jamie: Well, you see...Santa is quite a large man. It's not easy for him to get around with all that extra weight. He also has lots of elves and Mrs. Claus to take care of. He's a busy man.
• Me: Yes, he's got a tough job!
• Jamie: He does, which is why it's very hard for him to visit the WHOLE world and give presents to EVERYONE in one night. So Hungary (apparently as a country?) called Santa one day and asked him if he could come to us earlier...you know, to make it easier on him. That way, he can hang out with Mrs. Claus, the elves, and get everything done before Christmas Eve when he visits the rest of the world.
• Me: Oh, I see (trying my hardest to contain my laughter). That makes so much sense. What a smart thing for Hungary to do.

DUH! I apologize to all of Hungary for my previous misunderstanding as to why Santa comes early :-) And thank you to Jamie for correcting me!

Hanging out with the offspring of rockstars and diplomats

I think I've mentioned before that the school I teach at happens to be one of the more "exclusive" schools for bilingual education in Budapest. But little did I know I've been instilling knowledge upon the sons and daughters of some quite important people here in Hungary! This discovery occurred yesterday when I was hanging out before class, watching Mate do his daily routine of showing me his best air guitar. He usually ends his performance by spinning around on the ground and waiting patiently for my reaction of shock and awe. I should mention that Mate is one of my first graders, so he's about 6 years old. He also is the only 6 year old I know that comes to school with a popped collar everyday. He usually sports a trendy argyle sweater and has the beginnings of a "faux-hawk" going. I still happen to think he's pretty adorable. Anyways, he was finishing off his daily jam session, and his teacher walked in. She shook her head and laughed. In broken English, she then replied to me, "maybe he gets it from his dad...he's a rockstar." Naturally, I responded with, "excuse me?!" She proceeded to tell me that Mate's dad was part of a popular Hungarian alternative rockband in the 1980s called Sziami. Of course I spent the afternoon Googling Mate's dad and his band from back in the day. Ohhhh, did I come upon a fun discovery! As you will be able to see when you watch this video, I cannot tell which one is the infamous father of my student, BUT you WILL be able to see that this video is just incredible in so many ways. I must ask you to first prepare yourself for the greatness that will follow when you click here. Oh, and if I wasn't "starstruck" enough...another girl came up to me today and said (in her best-rehearsed-3 million times English possible), "My father is a diplomat!" She then looked at me as if I should gravel at her feet and give her 10 gold stars, simply for being alive. Sheesh!

A Shout-out to 1.b

So, I know it's "against the rules" of teaching to pick favorites...even though every teacher has favorites. After a month of teaching, I have chosen both a favorite class AND a favorite student. First, I should probably give a short explanation of how schools work here in Hungary. Unlike the United States, classes stay together throughout their primary schooling (through 8th grade). This means that each class does not disband at the end of every year and then get assorted into a new group for the next year...rather, they continue on as a class through each grade. I see positive and negative aspects to this, which I won't get into now. But the biggest reason I can gather for this tradition that has been in place for several decades now is the sense of comradeship that comes with getting to know your fellow 25 or 30 students throughout your primary schooling. Considering Hungary's sad history, which has been constantly filled with uncertainty and isolation, it is understandable that it is part of the culture here to feel the need to work together and to have people to help and count on as they embark on the road of education. There is a huge element of pessimism among people here, where the idea of just "waiting for the next bad thing to come our way", prevails. Therefore, it is important to have this connection to fall back on. Okay, enough of the cultural lessons for today...onto the fun stuff. There are three 1st grade classes at Varosliget Primary School...1.a, 1.b, and 1.c. I have taken a special interest in 1.b. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE all of the 1st graders...but this class is very special in my opinion, and I am happy to know they will stay together through 8th grade. I have never seen a group of kids 1) so well-behaved...it's a miracle, and 2) so excited about EVERYTHING. When we sing songs, it is a straight-up dance party in the classroom...complete with air guitar and mock ballroom dancing. I pull out flashcards to learn new words, and these kids bounce off of the walls. I had the privilege of going to the zoo with the class last week, and they just spent the whole time enthralled with both learning the animal names in English, and teaching ME some names in Hungarian (for a day picker-upper, I recommend looking at my pictures from the day...you can't help but smile when you see these kids). After looking at my pictures, you will notice who my favorite student is...little Oliver. Our little connection started after he had a dream about me one night. He said (translated through his teacher) he dreamed that I was able to speak fluent Hungarian and that he was so happy to be able to get to know me and have me really know him because we could talk (I know, SO cute). Ever since then, he's been my little magnet, and every time I walk into the room he lights up. I cannot tell you the amount of joy this brings me! He used to be shy in class, and now he raises his hand BEFORE I ask a question in hopes that he can answer! It's funny...growing up, there's always that boy you wake up and go to school for. The one you purposefully get pretty for every day. Well, 1.b and little Oliver serve as my motivation on those days where it's a little tougher to get out of bed...on the days when I'm homesick and tired. They are my reason to get out of bed in the morning!

So, Indiana Jones is a parent of one of my students...

This story starts all the way back at the first day of school...I walk into my first ever classroom at 8am, extremely nervous about meeting my first class. I was standing very anxiously in the front of the room while parents dropped off kids, and while other kids sat and stared at me as if I was some sort of alien. Suddenly, I looked to the door and did a double-take. Was it? No, it couldn't be. I could have sworn Indiana Jones had walked into the room...except he had an incredible mustache. Picture this...huge boots laced up with pant legs tucked into the top, an Indiana Jones-esque hat, a leather belt with all kinds of trinkets that seem like things boys from Camp would like, AND to top it off, a huge fur backpack. Soon, I came to the realization that this man was ACTUALLY a parent of one of my students. I started to see him every morning as he dropped his child off (he tips his hat to me everyday too, which I just find to be incredible), and every morning I wondered..."What occupation has this man chosen in life, and what kind of adventures does it entail?!" Last week I came to the conclusion that it is possible that he just likes to dress very rusticly. But today...today was huge in my observations of this man. Today he walked in wearing everything listed above, but in addition to these things he had a safari helmet, AND a ginormous bowstaff sticking out of his big fur bag! So, like I said...I really DO think Indiana Jones is the father of one of my students after all...