Today was a big day for me. I had my final exam and now I am officially a history teacher, besides English. I have to note though that I was lucky because the topic that I picked was relatively easy. It was about medieval towns. I talked about the structure of medieval towns, the local government, social layers, places in the town, and so on.
I also presented my portfolio. As I complete my Master’s degree to become a history teacher, I have put together this document to reflect on my journey into modern pedagogy, student engagement, and personal growth.
At the core of my teaching philosophy is a deep commitment to active learning and critical thinking, heavily influenced by my extensive background as an English teacher and the Anglo-Saxon educational model. I firmly believe that education is not just about transferring dates and facts, but about shaping personalities and analytical skills. To achieve this, I advocate for moving away from passive, frontal lectures and instead focus on creating dynamic lessons where students engage in debates, work in pairs, and rigorously analyze primary sources. My ultimate goal is to inspire my students and guide them toward becoming conscious, informed citizens.
But of course, practise is different. Not many teachers have the time to prepare various tasks for every single class but of course, I will do what I can. I think I will make presentations for most of my classes – I only have to make them once. I will also integrate exercises into these ppts, which will make it a complete material.
So in my portfolio, I have included a diverse range of teaching materials that aim to bring history to life. For example, I developed a methodological plan on Ancient Rome that explores the shift from the Roman Republic to the Principate using visual, textual, and map-based tasks, which is complemented by a detailed disciplinary essay on how the Etruscans influenced Rome. I also created digital presentation materials designed to teach the origins and pillars of Islam through interactive map analysis and source evaluation. Moving into Hungarian and World history, I designed engaging worksheets on the Allied victory in World War II and structured classroom debates focusing on the political program of Miklós Zrínyi, forcing students to understand complex historical dilemmas from multiple perspectives.
What I believe makes this portfolio truly meaningful is the honest self-assessment I provide through my teaching practices. I frequently reflect on the persistent challenge of balancing the sheer volume of historical content with the need for deep, critical analysis and proper time management. Throughout my practice, I have realized the importance of stepping back from the traditional role of a “lecturer” to become a “moderator” who guides student thought processes and facilitates peer collaboration. I even analyze direct feedback from my students, learning to adjust my methods on the fly – from simple fixes like increasing the font size on my presentation slides to refining my overall classroom time management.
Looking ahead, I have clear and exciting professional goals. I have a deep passion for specializing in the history of Ancient Rome, and I plan to deeply explore the Republic, the Augustan imperial cult, and the Roman provincial system. Beyond the physical classroom, I am also preparing to launch my own history blog at historiccrumbs.net, where I intend to write entertaining and educational historical articles in English. Ultimately, this portfolio represents my view of education as an ever-evolving, lifelong journey, where I remain open-minded and learn just as much from my students as they learn from me.
But again, this is just theory. I will see what I can do in practice.
I got four (good) and I was very happy about it.