Košiciach. Jedným z nich bol uplynulý školský rok aj Jonathan Guss. Tento 25-ročný Američan zbieral prvé "kantorské" skúsenosti ako lektor angličtiny na Gymnziu so slovensko-španielskou bilingválnou sekciou, Park mládeze 5. Skôr, než sa vrátil do vlasti, sme ho vyspovedali, ako bol s pobytom u nás spokojný a aké poznatky si od nás odnesie.

Pôsobenie Jonathana na košickom gymnáziu bolo jeho prvé na tzv. plný úväzok. Než k nám prišiel, absolvoval edukačný program pre učiteľov v domovskom múzeu histórie v Oregone na západnom pobreží USA. "Bavila ma výzva pracovať v oblasti vzdelávania, takže som považoval za zaujímavé pracovať so študentmi rôznej vekovej kategórie a učiť naprosto iný predmet," tvrdí Jonathan. "Ja som v roku 2007 vyštudoval Pensylvánsku štátnu univerzitu s titulom bakalára v histórii a filozofii. Vždy som si predstavoval, že raz vyskúšam učiteľstvo, pretože v rodine sa mu venovalo niekoľko generácií. Obaja moji starí otcovia boli učitelia, moja matka a brat stále učia, moja sestra pracovala istú dobu tiež ako učiteľka."

V USA začína byť viac a viac populárne vycestovať po ukončení vysokej školy do zahraničia a jeden alebo dva roky učiť angličtinu. Jonathan mal šťastie, že získal na jeden rok tzv. Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. "Fulbrightova komisia je podporovaná americkou i slovenskou vládou. Poskytuje vzdelávacie a kutlúrne výmenné pobyt medzi USA a ostatnými krajinami po celom svete. Študenti, učitelia a vedeckí pracovníci všetci využívajú výhody Fullbrightových programov. Je to prestížny program a ja som mal veľké šťastie, že som mohol využiť možnosť reprezentovať komisiu a USA. Dôrazne nabádam slovenských študentov, ktorí majú záujem študovať v USA, aby vyhľadali 'Komisiu' na internete a preskúmali ich programy."

Jonathan si pri podaní žiadosti mohol vybrať ktorúkoľvek krajinu. Zvolil si Slovensko. Prečo? "Keď som bol ešte na škole, strávil som pol roka štúdiom vo Viedni a mal som možnosť cestovať po väčšine strednej Európy, vrátane Slovenska. Na základe tejto skúsenosti som si zhruba urobil obrázok, ako sa na Slovensku žije. Chcel som znovu stráviť nejaký čas v strednej Európe a cítil som, že práve turistika, nádherná príroda a priateľskí obyvatelia prispejú k tomu, že Slovensko bude pre mňa aktraktívne miesto." Košice si však nevybral, tie mu boli pridelené. "Ale som za to veľmi rád. Košice sú mesto dosť veľké na bohatý kultúrny a spoločenský život, a pritom dosť malé na to, aby som sa tu cítil ako doma. Som veľmi šťastný, že som mal príležitosť žiť a pracovať na východnom Slovensku. Naozaj som si vychutnal jedinečnosť tohoto regiónu."

Než Jonathan pricestoval v auguste 2009 na Slovensko, o našom školskom systéme nevedel nič. Všetci zamestnanci gymnázia ho milo privítali. "Bolo pre mňa dôležité cítiť sa hneď v škole dobre, lebo presťahovať sa do inej krajiny nevyhnutne vyžaduje sa i prispôsobiť. Ostatní učitelia angličtiny mi poradili, ako pracovať so študentmi a tiež mi pomohli so základnými vecami, ako napríklad nájsť si byt a zohnať 'mesačník' na autobus. Veď čo i len základné povinnosti a úlohy môžu byť zložité, ak sa človek ocitne v novej krajine, kde neohovorí miestnym jazykom..."

Prvých niekoľko týždňov bolo pre Jonathana trošku desivých. Väčšinu života totiž strávil ako študent, teraz sa ocitol na opačnej strane barikády... Tí košickí študenti s ním ale mali veľkú trpezlivosť a tým mu všetko uľahčili. Väčšinou ho počúvali do takej miery, ako mali. Až tak často však do styku neprichádzali. Jeho pracovný úväzok mal 14 hodín anglickej konverzácie týždenne, počas ktorých mal na starosti okolo 200 študentov. "Predpokladal som, že to pre mňa bude výzva a niekedy frustrujúca skúsenosť, a aj bola. Ako učiteľ som sa nezlepšil natoľko, ako som čakal, čo znamená, že je to naozaj niečo, čo je treba zdokonaľovať niekoľko rokov. Teraz viac než kedykoľvek predtým rešpektujem ľudí, ktorí svoj život oddajú tejto naozaj obtiažnej profesii.

Keďže Jonathan na americkej škole ešte nikdy neučil, vymenovať spoločné črty v americkom a našom školskom systéme si netrúfol. Napriek tomu tvrdí, že existuje viac spoločných čŕt než rozdielov. "Môj obecný dojem je, že americkí študenti sú trochu viac individualitami s vlastným názorom než študenti na Slovensku. Zdá sa mi, že študenti tu majú niekedy problém vytvoriť si vlastné argumenty a názory. V americkej škole môže byť ťažké prinútiť študentov premýšľať za hranicu svojich vlastných názorov a nápadov. Takže možno slovenskí študenti by sa mohli od amerických naučiť viac o odvahe, kým tí americkí by sa mohli učiť vziať do úvahy aj iné hľadiská a stanoviská."

Od amerických študentov sa nežiada, aby si vybrali zameranie svojho štúdia tak skoro ako študenti vo väčšine európskych štátov. Mnohí si nevyberú konkrétne zameranie až do 2. alebo 3. ročníka univerzity. V USA je preto možné, aby študenti, ktorí nebudú po strednej škole pokračovať v štúdiu, ju ďalej navštevovali. "Možno by sme to mohli nazvať ako 'demokratickejšie', ale je to i trochu neefektívne," tvrdí Jonathan. "Ďalším rozdielom je to, že vzdelanie v USA je často podporované individuálnym štátom, čo je odlišné od viac centralizovaného systému, ktorý máte tu. To znamená, že väčšina amerických študentov nemusí absolvovať nič podobné ako maturitu. A ja mám pocit, že maturitná skúška nie je najlepší spôsob, ako stanoviť, čo sa ktorý študent naučil." Učitelia v USA majú tiež tendenciu klásť väčší dôraz na analytickú prácu a kreatívne úlohy, než je obvyklé tu.

Podľa Jonathana má každý zo systémov svoje silné i slabé stránky. Myslí si, že umožniť študentom, aby mali viac času vybrať si, čo budú študovať, je dobré. Nevie si vraj predstaviť robiť zásadné životné rozhodnutie v 14 alebo 15 rokoch života. "Na druhej strane by rád videl v USA viac bilingválnych škôl. Americkí študenti majú všeobecne problém s učením cudzích jazykov. Angličtina je medzinárodný jazyk, ale to nie je dostatočné ospravedlnenie. Obdivujem jazykové znalosti študentov 'môjho' košického gymnázia. Niektorí sa učia viacero cudzích jazykov a dokonca i študenti s nižšou znalosťou angličtiny sú na tom oveľa lepšie než je v cudzom jazyku väčšina amerických študentov." Americkí študenti sú podľa Jonathana často a správne kritizovaní, že nemajú mnoho faktických znalostí. "Myslím si, že škola by mala byť obecne zameraná na výučbu študentov – ako sa učiť viac, než dávať im určité množstvo znalostí. Učenie je, koniec koncov, niečo, čo my všetci robíme každý deň."

Jonathanove skúsenosti a zážitky z košickej školy boli takmer výlučne pozitívne. Pracovať so študentmi bolo zábavné a možno aj preto, že mal naprostú voľnosť vytvoriť si svojej vlastné hodiny. V gymnáziu rád spoznal niektorých nových kolegov. Boli z celej Európy a Ameriky, takže sa v škole cítil celkom medzinárodne. A či by si vedel predstaviť, opäť sa k nám vrátiť alebo zostať natrvalo? "Učiteľstvo si vyžaduje istý špecifický typ osobnosti a ja potrebujem vyskúšať iné cesty, než sa rozhodnem, či je učiteľstvo naozaj pre mňa. Pokiaľ sa rozhodnem, že byť učiteľom je moja voľba kariéry, vedel by som si predstaviť, že sa na Slovensko v určitom období vrátim. Študenti tu sú naozaj výborní a bavilo ma tu žiť."

Okrem práce lektora videl Jonathan v Košiciach väčšinu typických turistických atrakcií. Mal možnosť spoznať toto mesto aj inak, než typický turista. "Mojim najobľúbenejším spôsobom, ako mesto 'okúsiť', je sedieť vonku na káve na Hlavnej ulici a sledovať ľudí, ako riešia svoje veci. Myslím, že Hlavná ulica má jedinečné čaro a atmosféru, ktoré sú trochu odlišné od miesto, kde som žil. Mojim obľúbeným obdobím návštevy Hlavnej ulice boli Vianočné trhy. Som vďačný, že som mohol spoznať naozaj fantastických ľudí. Myslím, že značná časť života tu sa orientuje na domov, rodinu a priateľstvá. Stretnutia a rozhovory s ľudmi, možnosť navštíviť niektoré domácnosti a nadviazať nové priateľstvá boli pre mňa nezabudnuteľnou a jedinečnou slovenskou skúsenosťou."

Okrem Košíc Jonathan navštívil mnoho krásnych miest po celom Slovensku. Medzi jeho hobby totiž patrí príroda a turistika. Mal vraj to šťastie, že mohol vidieť Slovenský raj, Vysoké Tatry, Malú a Veľkú Fatru... Nezabudnuteľná pre neho ostane Terchová. "Pohľad na miestne hory mi doslova zobral dych," tvrdí. "Mal som možnosť navštíviť aj mnoho dedín v rôznych častiach krajiny a naozaj sa mi páči, že každý malý región, každá dedina, má svoju vlastnú jednoznačnú charakteristiku a históriu. To je niečo, čo v USA nemôžte nájsť." Medzi pekné spomienky určite zaradí aj slovenskú kuchyňu. "Nie som veľmi vyberavý v tom, čo jem. Chutím mi väčšina jedál a slovenská kuchyňa nie je žiadnou výnimkou. Obzvlášť si vychutnám čokoľvek s bryndzou. Kyslú kapustu som zo začiatku nemal rád, ale postupne som si k nej našiel cestu. Teraz mi veĺmi chutí. Tiež slovenské pivo. Bude mi smutno, až navštívim krčmu v USA a neuvidím Šariš na nápojovom lístku..."

Jonathana teší, že sa naučil pár nových vecí o miestnej kultúre a ľuďoch. Keď sa rozhodol prísť na Slovensko, bol to pre neho viac nápad než realita. Teraz má pre neho Slovensko a obzvlášť Košice konkrétny význam. Žiť v novej krajine ho naučilo niečo o sebe a jeho kultúre. "Niektorí Američania by povedali, že nemáme žiadnu kultúru, alebo sa nám ťažko definuje. No život v inom prostredí a stretnutia s ľuďmi z iných kultúr sú dôležitý spôsob, ako sa naučiť oceniť miesto a tradície svojej domoviny. Na záver by som sa rád poďakoval všetkým, ktorých som v Košiciach stretol, obzvlášť mojim študentom a kolegom v škole, že boli súčasťou tejto pre mňa jedinečnej a nezabudnuteľnej skúsenosti."

ORIGINAL INTERVIEW

First of all, tell us something about yourself. Your name, age, qualifications, status, professional experience, hobbies.

My name is Jonathan Guss. I am twenty-five years old. For the past year I have been teaching English at the bilingual Spanish Gymnázium in Košice (Gymnázium Park mládeže). This has been my first full-time teaching experience. Before I lived here I managed the education program at a local history musuem in Oregon (on the west coast of the U.S.A.). I enjoyed the challenge of working in education so I thought that it would be interesting to work with a different age-group and teach a completely different subject. I graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2007 with Bachelor´s degrees in History and Philosophy. I have always assumed that I would try teaching at some point because there is a long history of teachers in my family. Both of my grandfathers were teachers, my mother and brother still teach, my sister worked as a teacher for some time as well. My favorite hobbies all involve being outside: hiking, mountain-biking, running. So, if you see me somewhere in the forest, I am likely to have a smile on my face. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to get out and explore some of the beautiful places in Slovakia. I feel lucky that I´ve been able to see Slovak Paradise, the High Tatras, and the Fatras, just to name a few.

How and when did you learn about a possibility to travel to another country and teach English there?

It is becoming more popular for Americans to travel abroad and teach English for one or two years after college. I was lucky enough to receive a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for this year. The Fulbright Commission is supported by both the American and Slovak governments. The Commission provides educational and cultural exchanges between the U.S.A. and other countries throughout the world. Students, teachers, and researchers all benefit from Fulbright programs.This is a prestigious program and I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to represent the Commission and the U.S. in my year here. The Commission also supports opportunities to study in the U.S. I strongly encourage any students interested in studying in the U.S. to look up the Commission on the internet and research its programs.

Which countries could you choose from?

I applied only to live and teach in Slovakia. I could have applied to almost any other country in the world. It is a real privilege being a native English speaker at this moment, as there is a tremendous demand for English teachers around the world.

Why did you choose Slovakia and Košice specifically?

When I was in college I spent six months studying in Vienna, Austria and I had the opportunity to travel around much of Central Europe, including Slovakia. From that experience I had some idea of what life in Slovakia was like. I wanted to live in Central Europe again and I felt that the beautiful hiking, the wonderful natural areas, and the friendly people made Slovakia an attractive place for me. I did not choose to live in Košice, I was assigned to live here. I feel very lucky that this was my assignment. The great thing about Košice is that it is a large enough city to have some cultural and social life but small enough to feel like a home for me. I am really happy to have had the opportunity to live and work in the eastern part of Slovakia. I really enjoy the uniqueness of this region.

Did you know anything about Slovakia before, and about its educational system?

As I mentioned above, I had visited Slovakia previously although I had never been to Košice. So in some ways I knew what to expect from living here, but there was still a bit of mystery that made the whole thing very exciting for me. I did not know anything about the educational system before I arrived.

How did the welcome with the school go?

The school administration and the other teachers have all been very welcoming and helpful. It was important for me to feel comfortable at the school right away because moving to a new country inevitably involves quite a few cultural adjustments. The other teachers in the English department gave me advice about working with the students and they also helped me out with basic things like finding an apartment and getting a bus pass. Even small tasks can be difficult when you are living in a new country where you do not know the language very well.

How was your first lesson, first day, first week?

The first few weeks were a little terrifying for me. I have spent most of my life as a student. Teachers and students share a classroom, but the two experiences are completely different. Teaching involves an entirely different sense of responsibility and is an art in its own right. A first time teacher probably learns more from each class than his/her students. The students were very patient with me though and that made it easier for me.

Did it meet your expectations or any fears?

I expected it to be a challenging and sometimes frustrating experience and it was. I did not improve as a teacher as much as I had hoped I would, but that shows that it is really something that needs to be perfected over many years of dedicated work. Now more than ever, I have a real respect for people who dedicate their lives to such a difficult profession.

What do you teach, how many classes do you have, how many hours?

This year I mostly taught English conversation and American studies. I only taught for about 14 hours per week, but I worked with over 200 students.

How well do the students listen to you?

They usually listen to me about as much as they should. My students are at the age now where they should know that one shouldn´t always listen to the teacher. The students at our school are generally very good and they have been patient with me in my first year of teaching.

Are the students different to those back at your home?

This is a hard question for me to answer because I have not taught in an American high school. I would say that there are many more commonalities than differences. My general impression is that American students are slightly more individualistic and opinionated than the students here. It seems to me that students here sometimes have a more difficult time forming their own arguments and opinions. In an American school it is can be difficult to make the students think beyond their own opinions and ideas. So perhaps Slovak students could learn a bit about confidence from American students while American students could learn to consider other perspectives.

Where do you see the difference between our school system and the one in your home country?

American students aren't asked to choose a focus of their studies as early as the students in most European systems. In the U.S. it is possible for students who won't be continuing their studies past high school to attend the same school as the best students in that area. I suppose you could call that a more „democratic" system, but it is also somewhat inefficient. Here there are gymnáziums with a more specific focus, for example bilingual schools, technical schools, and other career-oriented schools. Many American students don't choose a focus for their studies until the second or third year of university. Another major difference is that education in the U.S. is mostly run by each individual state, which is different than the more centralized system here. This means that most American students don't have to take anything similar to the maturita exams. Teachers in the U.S. also tend to emphasize critical and analytical writing and creative projects more than is common here.

What are the positives and negatives of both ? (give examples)

I think that each system has strengths and weaknesses. In general, I think that allowing students more time to choose what they will study is a good thing. I can't imagine making a significant life decision at only fourteen or fifteen years old. On the other hand, I would love to see more bilingual schools in the U.S. American students generally have a lot of problems with learning foreign languages. English is, of course, an international language at the moment but this is not a good excuse. I really admire the students at our school for their language skills. Some of the students are learning multiple foreign languages and even the students with the lowest levels of English are still much better than most American students are in any foreign language. As someone who has come from the American system I am not very neutral about this last point, but I tend to favor analytic and creative projects. On the other hand, American students are often correctly criticized for not having a lot of factual knowledge and this aspect could be improved. Still, I believe that school should generally be focused on teaching students how to learn rather than giving them some particular set of knowledge. Learning is, after all, something that we all do every day. I also feel that graduation exams aren't the best way to determine what each student has learned.

Have you had any negative experiences from school, or positive ?

My experiences at the school have been overwhelmingly positive. The students are generally fun to work with and I have had real freedom to develop my own classes. I have also really enjoyed getting to know some of my colleagues this year. We have teachers from all around Europe and the Americas so there is a real international feel to the school.

Could you imagine teaching in Slovakia for the rest of you life?

I won't be teaching here next year, so I guess my answer has to be no. Teaching takes a very special kind of personality and I need to try some other projects before I can decide if teaching is really for me. If I do decide that teaching is my career choice, I could imagine myself returning to Slovakia at some point. The students here are really great to work with and I have enjoyed living here.

What did you manage to see and experience in Kosice outside school. The culture, sports, etc.

Of course I have seen and done all of the typical tourist things here, but I have had the opportunity to get to know the city better than a typical tourist would. My favorite way to experience the city is to sit outside at a café on the Hlavná and watch people going about their business. I think that the Hlavná has a unique feeling and atmosphere that is a little bit different from other places where I have lived. My favorite time of year to visit the Hlavná was during the Christmas market. I also feel really privileged to have met and gotten to know some really great people here. I think that a lot of the culture here revolves around the home, family, and friendships. Meeting and speaking with people here and having the honor of visiting a few homes and starting some friendships have been the most memorable and the most uniquely Slovak experiences for me.

Have you visited anywhere outside Kosice? Where and what interesting did you see and experience?

As I mentioned above, I have been able to hike in a lot of great places all around Slovakia this year. Probably my favorite Slovak town that I visited was Terchova. The mountains there are absolutely breathtaking. I have been able to visit a lot of villages in different areas of the country this year and I really like that each little region, each village has its own distinct character and history. That is something that you can't find in the U.S. I have also had the chance to travel around Central Europe and to spend time in some of my favorite cities in Europe: Prague, Krakow, Vienna, Budapest, etc.

How did you like the Slovak cuisine? What did you and what didn't you like?

I have to admit that I am not too particular about what I eat. I love most kinds of cuisine and Slovak cuisine is no exception. I especially love anything with bryndza. At first I didn't like kyslá kapusta but I have acquired a real taste for it now. I have also enjoyed Slovak beers; I will be sad to visit a pub in the U.S. and not see Šariš on the menu.

What knowledge are you taking with you from Kosice and Slovakia?

I hope that I have learned some things about the culture and the people here. When I decided to come here Slovakia was more just an idea for me rather than something real. Now Slovakia, and Košice in particular, has a concrete personal meaning for me and I have a much better sense of the place. The people are what give a place its unique character and I think that I have been able to learn a lot from meeting people here, especially my students. Living in a new country has also taught me a lot about my self and my own culture. Some Americans might say that we have no culture or might have a difficult time defining that culture. Living in a different environment and meeting people from other cultures is a great way to learn to appreciate the place and the traditions from which you come.

Are you ever coming back?

Yes, I hope to. Finally, you can write in anything you consider interesting. For instance, stories, which we didn't manage to fit into our questions etc. I would just like to thank everyone that I have met here in Košice, especially my students and my colleagues at the school, for being a part of such a unique and unforgettable experience for me.

Najdôležitejšie správy z východu Slovenska čítajte na Korzar.sme.sk. Všetky správy z Košíc nájdete na košickom Korzári