Dear Hungarian Schools,

If you are going to have a native speaking teacher (English, French, Spanish, Italian...etc) as a part of your staff next year, please make sure that he/she...

1) has a competent mentor/contact/guide what-have-you that speaks the language of the native teacher.

2) is told all relevant information before missing it or showing up late, frazzled and confused (i.e. holidays, school trips, grade deadlines, ceremonies, shortened lessons).

3) is introduced to the necessary people and procedures (i.e. other teachers sharing the native teacher's language, how to make copies, what to do with a student disturbing lessons. Clear answers preferred).

4) receives appropriate help when ill.

5) has the mobile phone number of at least 2-3 speakers of the same language, #1 being the contact teacher.

6) receives appropriate help when there is inevitable trouble managing a classroom and not just the promise to help. For a foreign teacher who is teaching students who do not comfortably speak or understand the language being taught, classroom management is clearly MUCH MORE DIFFICULT than for a teacher whose language is comfortably understood by his/her students.

7) isn't expected to have lengthy conversations or "discussion" with students who can say no more than "my name is," "I'm 10 years old," "I have got two sisters." It is not possible. Simple as that. Grammar exercises are their safety blanket and fluency is a knarled monster from which most students cower in shaking fear.

8) is told grading procedure. Most foreign teachers are NOT clear on how to evaluate students in a different country. Contacts, mentors should go over this policy very specifically and not just wave it off with "whatever you decide to do."

That's it so far.

Any more ideas?