Classrooms all to themselves? American teachers don’t know how good they have it, says Csaba Koves of Hungary.

Koves is spending a year in Albany on a Fulbright exchange, teaching English and social studies at Calapooia Middle School while Janice Snyder of Albany holds his teaching job in Hungary.

In his country, teachers rotate from room to room while students stay in place, said Koves, whose name is pronounced CHA-bah KO-vesh. Here, he said, “It’s mine for the whole day. I can decorate it.”

He’s also enjoying greater access to technology. At his home school, teachers have to apply in advance to use one of the few overhead projectors, and computers are available only in classroom labs.

Teaching styles are very different, he said. Teachers in the United States place more emphasis on participation and group activities. “In Hungary, usually the teachers talk and the students listen,” he said.

Koves’ students at Calapooia are learning about his world as he learns of theirs. On a classroom bulletin board is a map of Hungary and some Hungarian words and phrases. Students did research projects and discovered Hungarians are responsible both for the ballpoint pen and the Rubik’s Cube.

Last week, Koves whipped up a batch of Hungarian palacsinta, paper-thin pancakes similar to crepes, for the middle school’s foods classes.

It’s not the most famous national dish — that title belongs to goulash — but it’s almost as popular, and quicker to make.

“There are buffets, lots of buffets in Hungary — we call them pancake places — where you can eat pancakes only,” he told the group. “You can fill it with meat. That’s world famous, also.”

Students asked Koves whether he was enjoying the stay in the Snyder home, which is much larger than his condominium in Hungary.

“I don’t know who is luckier,” Koves said of the Snyders. “We have to mow the lawn (here). They don’t have to.”

It can be challenging, living in another person’s home, using her car and doing her job for an entire year, he acknowledged.

But Koves said he’s adjusting to Snyder’s job, and he and his family are enjoying the American experience.

He has noticed many small differences: far fewer smokers, for instance, than at home. More of a tendency to eat out. A spread-out city with fewer options for public transportation. “We have to use the car every day here,” he said.

Koves’ 3-year-old son attends preschool at the Boys & Girls Club and loved the Veterans Day parade. His wife is taking English classes through Linn-Benton Community College. Step-daughter Dorothy, 15, attends West Albany High School.

The family likes to be outdoors “trekking,” Koves said, and they love the mountains, coastlines and waterfalls, none of which are familiar in Hungary.

People have been friendly everywhere. “Everyone is optimistic. Hungarians are pretty pessimistic folks,” he said. “I’m a strange man in my country.”

Hungarian sweet palacsinta

Palacsinta are paper-thin pancakes served rolled or folded into triangles. They can be filled with meat for a savory main course or with fruit, jam, ground nuts, chocolate or whipped cream for a dessert. When they are stacked to form a cake, it is called rakott palacsinta.

Ingredients for sweet palacsinta:

3 large eggs, beaten

2 cups whole milk

11/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. oil, divided

Filling (see below)

Directions:

Combine eggs, a little of the milk, flour, sugar, salt and 1 Tbs. oil to form a thin, smooth batter. Add the rest of the milk gradually during mixing.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in 8-inch skillet. Use a small ladle to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin, even layer, rotating pan as needed to cover.

Cook for approximately 2 minutes on one side and 11/2 minutes on the other, or until pancake is lightly browned. Remove and keep warm while cooking the rest of the pancakes. Add more oil as needed.

Fill with any combination of fruit preserves, sugared ground nuts, Nutella, whipped cream, fresh fruit or pie filling. Roll or fold into triangles. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with a dollop of whipped cream a grating of chocolate, or a fruit, custard or chocolate sauce.

Teen perspective

Thoughts from Csaba Koves’ 15-year-old stepdaughter, Dorothy:

“After spending an awesome week in Washington, D.C., in August I thought it was going to be a wonderful year for me. I was right!

I’ve attended WAHS since Sept. 2. This high school is really different from my school back in Hungary. I often go to football games with my friends, and that’s one of the major differences since we don’t play football in Hungary, and we don’t really go to other high school sport events either.

My American friends, and the students at WAHS, are very kind and helpful. I go to Young Life every Monday, and last weekend I went camping with them. We have visited a lot of places with my family for three months, and among those the coast is the very favorite of mine. I’m glad that I can spend a year here in this beautiful country.”