Polish educators touring North Georgia:
Highlights of trip are scenery, American optimism, Southern barbecue

From Gainesville Times
Published on: August 27, 2007

By Jeff Gill

Three Polish educators are sampling American life, North Georgia style.

They have toured area schools, sampled Southern foods and visited popular attractions, such as the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

Anything in particular stand out?

"The heat," said elementary English teacher Maja Matoga, laughing.

But never mind the sweltering temperatures. Matoga, Mateusz Pindelski and Marta Zubek say they are too caught up in their daily itinerary, which should keep them busy until they leave the United States on Thursday.

They are visiting the United States as part of an educator exchange program sponsored through North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega.

An American group consisting of graduate education students from NGCSU and members of Rising Stars, a leadership development program for current educators, visited Poland in June.

The program grew out of a visit six years ago to Poland by NGCSU education professor Marlene Anthony and her husband, Jack Tlalka, a native of Poland.

In addition to teaching conversational English in Polish schools, the Americans also "visit some interesting places," such as the Auschwitz concentration camp and Warsaw, the nation's capitol, Tlalka said. A plane ticket to the United States from Poland is equal to about two months of a Polish teacher's salary, he said.

So, "we have had to raise money to help pay for their trip," Tlalka said.

The exchange program is in its fifth year.

Debbie Truelove, who works for Hall County Fire Services, accompanied her two daughters this year on a trip to Poland. One of her daughters now teaches in Dawson County, and the other is an education major at NGCSU.

"I went as a mom," she said, adding that her Polish hosts were gracious though to allow her to participate in all tours and activities.

Pindelski, an assistant principal at a private high school in Krakow, said he has enjoyed the scenery on his first trip to the United States.

"There are so much woods and the national parks -- it's beautiful," he said in some broken English.

Pindelski said he believes that U.S. educators tend to focus more on "what the student wants to do, not what educators want to do with the students," which is more the system in Poland.

For Zubek, the principal of Matoga's school, this is her second trip to the States, but the first one to "reveal the real nature of America and its citizens," she said with Matoga serving as her translator.

The first trip was a visit to see her mother in Chicago. Her mother lives in an enclave of Polish-Americans. Zubek has enjoyed her second trip so far.

"American people are more optimistic and have a more joyful attitude," she said. "They smile a lot."

The trio said they also are enjoying Southern foods. Matoga, who favors fried catfish, said, "All the foods are tasty and delicious."

And Pindelski said, "I like barbecue very much."

From www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20070827/localnews/193074.shtml