“…my willingness to learn paired with Bilingual’s extensive training program and support throughout the whole process equipped me with the necessary skills and knowledge to teach the children in my classroom everything they need to know and more.”

Packing up my life into two suitcases and boarding an airplane en route to Hungary has been by far the biggest and most rewarding decision that I have ever made. Whilst it is never easy to adjust to life in a new country, on a different continent than the one you have spent your whole life on, I wouldn’t trade my experience here for the world. 

My biggest doubt coming into the start of the school year was whether three weeks of training and orientation would be enough to prepare me for the job of teaching in the Bilingual Program. I arrived in Budapest with little  teaching experience, and I couldn’t see how I would walk into a classroom a month later and teach 27 children. But my willingness to learn paired with Bilingual’s extensive training program and support throughout the whole process equipped me with the necessary skills and knowledge to teach the children in my classroom everything they need to know and more. 

After almost a year in the classroom with my Grade 1’s, I am amazed not only at the progress that they have made over the last few months but also at how much I have grown and learned as a teacher. This program is designed for the teachers to learn alongside the students. As they acquire language, we acquire experience and understanding about what works best for the students in front of us. My learning as a teacher is still ongoing, and I don’t believe it will ever truly come to an end. 

Just like any occupation, teaching in Hungarian public schools has its challenges and difficulties. The language barrier is something I face daily, but there are people and systems in place to work around it. All that being said, my students make all the ups and downs more than worth it, and I am completely invested in their education and development. I am overjoyed to be able to continue this journey with them into Grade 2 and possibly all the way up until Grade 4. Partnering with various co-teachers on a daily basis aids in taking the pressure off you as you teach as part of a team and not just as an individual. 

If you are willing to put in the time, effort and hard work as a Bilingual teacher, you are sure to reap the benefits of having students who enrich your life beyond what you could ever expect.