So here is a summary on what I am doing nowadays if you just join as a reader at this point 🙂
I’ve been working at the school since September 2024. Before that, I worked in language schools and gave private lessons, but based on the positive experiences I’ve had, I can say that maybe I should have moved into public education sooner. I simply wanted to teach something other than English, and I was also looking for a more predictable and stable workplace.
Teaching history in English turned out to be an ideal choice, since this is the other subject that truly interests me besides language, so it felt like the perfect combination. Interacting with the kids and teaching them new things makes the job exciting. On top of that, I’m also studying at university, which is quite a challenge alongside work—especially in terms of knowing how to balance my focus between the two. But I’ve more or less figured that out by now.
Still, just because I teach history doesn’t mean I’ve completely left language teaching behind. I still have to support students in acquiring the language, because in this case, language is a tool for learning history—and if they don’t know how to use this tool well, they won’t be able to properly learn the material. So in my classes, I often explain grammar structures or work on vocabulary development.
There were also times when I had to substitute for English classes. In those cases, I quickly adjusted to the pace of the lesson and we either practiced what they were working on or continued with the material. If something wasn’t clear to them, I explained it thoroughly and from different angles. What makes me feel good at the end of such classes is knowing I was able to give them something extra or help them understand something they hadn’t before. Over time, I’ve developed a good rapport with the kids—they’ve gotten used to my methods and teaching style, and I’ve also learned a lot about their individual strengths and abilities.
Another factor that makes the environment enjoyable is the colleagues—the whole teaching staff, really. I built good relationships with everyone right away, and they’ve all been incredibly helpful.
In the future, I aim to teach more effectively and improve continuously, because I believe that just like in many other fields, there’s always room for growth in this one too.