Table Of Contents  
 
KATA HUBAI
FULLBRIGHT EXCHANGE TEACHER
AN INTERVIEW WITH JOSH GLUCH
  
 

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 by Senator J.William Fulbright from Arkansas to promote international good will through the exchange of students and professionals in the fields of education, culture and science.

The program offers grants to study, teach and conduct research for U.S. citizens to go abroad and non-U.S. citizens to come to the United States. It has become the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world.

This year, our own Mr. Ryan Smith applied and was accepted into the Fulbright teacher exchange program. He is at present teaching English in Budapest, Hungary.

Here, Josh Gluch talks with Ms. Kata Hubai who came here to teach at Cardinal Newman from Budapest as Mr. Smith's Fulbright exchange partner.
 
 

How did you get involved in the Fulbright Program?
This is my seventh year of teaching and I just found I needed a change to be just as good as I used to be at the beginning. In my Hungarian school I did everything, I mean those things Julie Meyer does here with the student government, and things for the school magazine. I had no free time and I wanted to show my school that they can do new things. Also, I was a college student here, an exchange student for a semester. I like being here and have many US friends so I also wanted to come back because of that. Fulbright is basically the only teacher program that lets you travel. It is a really good program. I haven’t heard of any other similar exchange programs within Europe. We can exchange ideas about the differences of education systems. The US pays attention a lot to cultural differences and promotes differences in general. It’s a good move on the US educators` side, wanting to be open to new ideas. They have this exchange with Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the UK, France and Hungary in Europe. There is India and Mexico too. It’s basically a year exchange that you can do. I saw other programs but I don`t know too much about those. There was an orientation in DC of the classroom exchange program at the end of July, before I came here. That’s how I met all the other people participating in the exchange.

There were many procedures and there were many people who wanted to get into the program. First you filled out a 30-page application, then you were observed and had to do a personal interview. If you complete this whole procedure and your country approves, but there is no match for you in the US, you can’t do the program because you don`t have an exchange partner. It’s a direct exchange so if your profile, personality, experience, subject taught does not match somebody’s from here, you have no place to go to. I mean for example I applied last year and they didn’t find me a match. It’s basically three people every year from Hungary so I am one of those three. Mr. Smith and I are a great match too. He was involved in many things here. We are both young, we are both adventurous. Usually those who apply for the Fulbright have to teach in English, and you know most of the teachers who teach in English are English as a Foreign Language teachers. There are only very few bilingual schools where they teach other subjects in English too. So anybody who comes here is basically a foreign language teacher. And that doesn’t necessarily qualify them for teaching literature. I am lucky because I had a double major at home so I am a Hungarian and English teacher, which makes me more qualified here. And Mr. Smith was interested in foreign language teaching. Probably that`s why someone in the State Department thought we would be a good match.

Have you found life here in the United States difficult to adapt to?
This is my second time applying for the exchange program, but I was here for college for a semester, so I have many friends in the Midwest and the East Coast. I keep visiting them. This is my third time in the United States for a longer time. I like it here in general, there are many things I enjoy. For example, you have extraordinary customer service compared to what is going on in Europe. Your very polite way of asking how you are and helping and smiling at the customer is an exceptional American thing. And then there are many other things that relate back to politeness and optimism and happiness too. You don’t hear people complain as much. I mean they may complain to each other, but not out in public. I believe in Central Europe, I don’t believe it is a bad thing living there, but listening to people complaining every day can be wearing. Also, I don’t drive and have never driven a car; I don’t have a driving license. Coming here to Santa Rosa has made it impossible to get around on my own. I can’t learn to drive so fast and I can’t spend money on a car right now. I can`t really use public transportation. I can ride a bike, but not always. So that’s a very complicated and different thing. At home I live in the capital city of two million people, and in the city center, where you can get around. Night life: there is a huge variety of theaters, museums, places to go to experience culture. Simply because this is not a capital city, a big city, it’s a very different experience. And I don’t feel like going out to the theater every night simply because I’m so exhausted too. But it’s a different pace of life and it’s nice to slow down.

How does the school system, specifically Cardinal Newman, compare to that at your home?
First of all, we don’t have many private schools at all. So a school being public or private does not qualify the value of education or the level of students or their intelligence. About 95% of schools are public schools. There is a different way to make a difference. The school I am from provides one of the highest qualities of education in the city. So it ranks very well as far as getting students to college or university. It is a science oriented school, so us language teachers, we always feel we have to compete with the sciences. And then, nobody pays for the students` education there, so again it’s completely different. Now I’m learning a lot about Catholic education too. Also, if I teach someone, I teach them for four or six years, so I am with the same students for a long time. And if there is a grade level, say, I teach sophomores there, it’s tenth graders and we have 120 tenth graders, then they are put into four different classes. Students stay with that same class the entire time and they can’t choose. We have a very strict curriculum and students basically have to take every subject all the time: foreign language, literature, history, mathematics, science. That class is always together with the same people too. And if you have an English teacher, you will probably have that teacher for four or six years. A personal relationship can be developed in that amount of time. If you can get on well, it will be a fruitful relationship. If not, you know you have to get through it; you have to survive with the same people for years. Here, you switch teachers a lot. Sometimes I am wondering if the relationship is different and if I have the same relationship with my students. I will probably be more experienced at the end of the year as far as how I feel. We have 45-minute lessons only at home and the students have seven of those every day, but 15-minute breaks, so there is no rushing from one place to the other. They have their own classrooms and the teachers have a faculty room, so the teachers go around to every classroom, but I wouldn’t have as much stuff to carry around as here. Here, I feel, in five minutes, it’s impossible to run back, grab your stuff, and return to another classroom. So I feel a little bit stressed out for the lack of time. I’m used to 15 minutes when I can set my mind and 80-minute classes are way too long, so I have to get used to that too. Basically, the whole idea of education is different. For example, somehow Hungarian students from better schools feel entitled to know as much as possible because they are required to be the smart kids and university is a prestige thing. Here, I believe students must be convinced why something must be learned. It’s not enough for me to say ‘Because I say so.’ I have to explain and be more practical here and relating to their own interests and preferences and how they will benefit from everything I teach. It’s not enough to say this is important and highly recommended to know. So it’s an extra effort for me. It’s natural for you guys but I have to get used to it.

Anything you would like to add?
I’m happy to be here. I keep learning day by day. I have many issues, such as getting used to the idea of giving detention. They don’t have those at home. It’s often a power game with the students and they keep testing me. If I survive this year with all the sophomores, I will be very strong. I don’t really teach anyone else, I have the drama to co-teach with Mr. Hamilton, but apart from that I see sophomores only. But it’s also fun. Hopefully it will work out and I’m very optimistic.