What inspired you to work for Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Education (BSME)?
I was drawn to the Hungarian approach to teaching mathematics, which places a strong and explicit emphasis on problem solving, mathematical creativity, and communication. Most of our participants are university/college students at US institutions who are striving to become secondary mathematics teachers. Sharing the Hungarian pedagogy with them and helping them become better teachers is something that I care deeply about.
BSME students
Describe a typical day at work.
I teach mathematics and mathematics education at St. Olaf College, a small liberal arts college in southern Minnesota. In addition to my duties at St. Olaf, I direct the North American Office of BSME, where we focus on recruiting students and working with their home institutions.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Hearing from our BSME participants about their experiences in Budapest. Most of my work is in recruiting the students, so I don't actually work with them when they're in Budapest. But it's rewarding to hear the excitement in their voice when they talk about all that they learned and experienced while they were abroad.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
I'm a former high school teacher and I work with pre-service teachers in my daily work at St. Olaf College. So I'm familiar with the experiences of our potential participants (i.e., pre-service teachers in US institutions), and this knowledge helps me understand how the BSME experience can complement what they're learning in their home institutions.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
Pre-service teachers have a full academic load. Many of them are double majors in mathematics and education, or have a course load that's comparable to those with a double major.
Thus, while students love the *idea* of BSME, they have trouble fitting the study abroad program into their already full academic load. Attracting enough participants into the program has been a challenge, and that's before COVID put a stop on everything!
Market in Budapest
What are some current projects you are working on?
Returning to an in-person program after several semesters of offering online courses only (due to COVID). Making sure that the program can run safely and smoothly during the age of COVID has been a challenge.
What makes BSME special?
As far as I know, there are very few (if any) other study abroad programs in mathematics education. Hungary has a long tradition of excellence in mathematics education. At BSME, participants immerse themselves in mathematical exploration to experience first-hand learning in the Hungarian approach; then they investigate how to bring this pedagogy into their own classrooms.
They observe Hungarian mathematics classrooms and have the opportunity to plan and teach their own lessons to Hungarian students (in English). Above all, participants enjoy a shared experience with others who are passionate about teaching mathematics, forming a rich support network and professional community that will extend beyond their time in Budapest.
Why should someone choose BSME over competitors?
As I wrote above, I don't think there are many (any?) competitors that offer the kinds of experiences that we do at BSME. The BSME instructors are Hungarian teacher scholars who follow their own mathematical upbringing in Hungary and bring a creative spirit to the program. They challenge our participants to take part in creating, rather than just learning, the material. I believe we offer a truly unique experience to our participants.
Bridge in Budapest
What hopes do you have for the future for BSME?
I hope that we continue to grow and attract more pre-service teachers (and in-service teachers) to participate in the program. I would love to see the kind of mathematics teaching that's emphasized in Hungary utilized by our American teachers.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
At BSME, participants immerse themselves in mathematical exploration to experience first-hand learning in the Hungarian approach; then they investigate how to bring this pedagogy into their own classrooms. They observe Hungarian mathematics classrooms and have the opportunity to plan and teach their own lessons to Hungarian students (in English).
Above all, participants enjoy a shared experience with others who are passionate about teaching mathematics, forming a rich support network and professional community that will extend beyond their time in Budapest.
How do you help support participants?
Our wonderful BSME instructors are Hungarian teacher scholars who follow their own mathematical upbringing in Hungary and bring a creative spirit to the program. They challenge our participants to take part in creating, rather than just learning, the material.
BSME students
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To me, meaning travel means immersing oneself in a new culture, a new environment, and meeting and learning from new people. Having an open mind and willingness to learn from those experiences are key to successful study abroad experience.
How is your company handling Covid protocols? What should participants know about your Covid readiness? How are you assisting participants with navigating the new travel landscape?
Please see our "BSME COVID-19 Return Plan" on our website (bsmeducation.com). This document is prepared in anticipation of returning to in-person learning for the 2021–2022 academic year. We are working with many unknowns and encourage everyone to remain as flexible as possible during this time.
The BSME Directors are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Budapest, in Europe, and in the United States. BSME will run in-person only if there is confidence that we can do so safely and anticipate successful completion of the program. Once students arrive in Budapest, they are bound by their commitment to the BSME Community Contract for COVID-19 Safety.
