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Thoughts about being an HD teacher
A young person in her twenties is jumping, dancing, clowning, acting, all the while not speaking a word of Hungarian, and talking to the children in English, who don't even know what English is. "Do the children understand this? Jesus, a grownup, why is she embarrassing herself?" - some people might wonder.
It's easy from the outside, of course, and as humans we can quickly fall into the trap of jumping to conclusions at first sight. Yes, an HD teacher jumps, dances, clowns, acts, sings - even if she doesn't have a good voice. But it's no secret that our language school leader Gabi doesn't choose her teachers at random (and it's not a question of who can make a better fool of themselves). If you want to be an HD teacher, be prepared to be far from a traditional teacher. Of course, it is essential to be perfect in English, to love children and the idea of teaching. It is not a disadvantage, in fact it is a great advantage and, one might say, a requirement to have that certain 'flair', that 'magic' that is essential to be able to work with children. Once you have all this, you can start learning. The very first step in a teacher's HD career is the TTC (Teacher Training Course), which plays a crucial role in the career of a teacher candidate, and I write on behalf of all of us that we are not only better professionally, but also as people.
With the help of excellent instructors, teachers from all over the country will learn and practice the ins and outs of this unique method, through brain processes, neurolinguistics, age specificities, pedagogical and psychological additions, which will provide a solid foundation for the future. It's a bit like babies' heads suddenly swelling after birth, as all the information they receive about the world increases the size of their brains. In the five-day training, we learn from morning to evening at the Budapest centre from instructors personally trained by Helen Doron - the creator of the method - who come directly from around the world to work alongside us. Both theoretical and practical knowledge is taught to us in an illustrative way, through many examples and life situations. And teacher candidates don't just sit and watch. The training is practice-oriented, and in addition to learning the theory, every day we gain initial experience of the method through practical exercises, workshops and micro-teaching. We prepare for the daily competitions until the wee hours of the morning, as the tasks become more difficult and our knowledge expands, which we have to present in the presentations.
The best thing is that we not only see the examples presented by TT, but also each other's, and we get feedback and constructive criticism on our own work, which is often eye-opening. Tearing our hair out in the wee hours of the morning, thinking about why Mary is contrary, inventing a game on the brink of hopelessness, presenting it to others with minor panic, the best thing that can happen is to find the solution(s) to the method by listening to the opinions and ideas of 9 people. The "eureka" experience is invaluable. It may take some difficulty, but that's how you really get to grips with the Helen Doron method. That's our TTC. And you need a solid foundation, because then the real work begins.
So what should we expect at the start of our HD teaching career? Everything!
The first few months are spent acclimatising, getting into the rhythm of a busy day, getting used to the system, getting to know the children and their families and learning the process of getting ready for class. Experienced, experienced teachers mentor the newcomers, teaching them all the processes, steps and tasks, and helping them through the initial difficulties with advice and understanding words. Perhaps the most difficult thing at the beginning is learning to prepare for lessons and then to keep the lessons on schedule.
Perhaps the hardest thing is to learn to prepare for classes at the beginning and then to keep the classes on schedule. Because we often spend more than three hours preparing for the day, writing lesson plans, learning songs and dances and putting together boxes. So far so good, but doing 20-25 tasks in 45 minutes is a real challenge. It's worth taking the advice and experience of others, as they have been through the process, done the same thing, and get the most help and support.
But we never sit back, professional development and training never stops, as all our teachers are obliged to attend at least one new training course every year, to learn the basics and methodology of a new course. We call these seminars. Although not as long as the TTC, they are equally useful. We get excited weeks in advance because of the tasks assigned, but we enjoy every moment of preparation, because it is through new knowledge and challenges that we can grow and become more. We always love these sessions, as we have teachers from all over the country, old and new, with whom we can discuss not only the new course but all aspects of being a HD teacher. The best thing is that the teachers at these seminars are also taught using the HD method, so there's a guaranteed relaxed atmosphere, even if you've never met them before.
These training courses are held in small groups, but every year all the HD teachers in the country come together for a long weekend for a big joint conference. Because part of being an HD teacher is also being part of a community, where you go from being strangers to acquaintances through a sense of community of purpose, a commitment to the method, to teaching and a love of children. Conferences can lead to contacts and friendships across the country, collaborations between language schools and joint organisations. Not to mention that as teachers we grow, refresh and motivate ourselves through the experiences, funny stories, tips and ideas of others.
We are lucky to have our Gabi, who takes special care of her teachers. Every year, in addition to the countless training courses, she organises "home courses" for us, which teach us skills that are essential not only in the teaching profession, but also in life.
Through TTC, seminars, mentoring, and a wide range of tasks, we achieve lifelong learning. So, what is an HD teacher like? Yes, she clowns, she dances, she sings... But she does it willingly and happily, because she believes in a method that he has learned and continues to learn from the best, and which not only provides a magical learning experience for the children, but also for herself.
