Steven Weeda is American history and American government teacher in Gallup, New Mexico. He teaches 10th to 12th graders. This summer is spending time in Lithuania. He is teaching at Summer Language Institute, LCC. So, I asked him a few questions:

Where are you staying here in Lithuania?

Steven: I am staying at an apartment in Klaipeda.

Who are you staying with?

S.: I live with my family. I have a wife and three children.

How many times you have been here?

S.: Well, it’s my first time teaching in LCC and being in Lithuania.

How did you decide to come here?

S.: My friends told me about SLI and asked me if I were interested in this kind of job. I really wanted to come and teach here. Also, my family hadn’t traveled before. So, it was a great opportunity to come to Europe. What is more, I and my wife want our kids to feel comfortable communicating with people from all over the world. So, all this helped to decide to come here.

What are the differences between teaching here and in U.S. school?

S.: It’s really hard to say because I teach here just only for three weeks, and this is a very short time to see the differences. For me teaching here is fun, and I enjoy doing this. It is new for me, and I learning from this experience. Well, on the other hand, I can see the similarities between teaching here and in U.S.A. Teenagers everywhere are teenagers. The way they come to class, text messaging, and many other things are just the same.

What do you do for fun after lessons?

S.: I visited Klaipeda castle. We often go to sculpture park because it is near to our apartment. Also, we go to the beach Smiltyne. My friend told me where to find amber. It is usually in silt and small wooden sticks after a storm. My kids enjoys searching and finding it.

We had already three free weekends. On the first weekend we were in Nida. Next weekend we were in Kaunas, and last weekend we were in Ryga, the capital of Latvia. The last two days we will sped in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania.

Did you learn any Lithuanian words?

S.: Yes, I really did. Of course just easy ones. I learnt “labas” (hi), “labas rytas” (good morning), “prasau” (please), “aciu” (thank you), “saskaita” (bill). Also, I learnt to count till ten. Maybe my kids learnt more because children always learns new things much faster.

Would you like to come here next year?

S.: Yes, I would, but I don’t know if I could.