Katalin Pongo

Learning Commons Specialist – Middle and Upper School

‘I never wanted to become a teacher.’

Katalin Pongo’s opening remark comes as a little bit of a surprise, given that she seems to have an inexhaustible enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and putting the Learning Commons at the heart of SIS. However, as someone who has been a communicator from an early age, it’s not so surprising that her journey has taken her to her current position.

Katalin hails from Nyíregyháza in north-east Hungary, where her father worked as a technician in a radio station. From an early age, she would occasionally accompany him to work, making a studio and microphone a natural part of her growing up. When, in 2004, her father established his own commercial radio station, Katalin had already developed a passion for media, serving as a news anchor on a Sunday radio show, as well as hosting a TV game show.

Not wanting to side-step academic study, Katalin enrolled at University. Her father persuaded her to remain close to home where the local university offered a degree in communications – but with the requirement to combine it with another field. ‘I had developed a passion for literature and language already, she recalls, ‘so I chose linguistics as my complementary field of study, and part of that was training in the teaching of language. I guess that’s where it started.’ (Though the seeds were obviously there, given that 9-year-old Katalin had requested on her own initiative to make a visit to London and live with a host family despite speaking little or no English at the time.)

SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE

That spirit of adventure obviously endured in Katalin, and mixed with the elixir of love. When, six months after the decision to ‘stay at home’ her partner had an opportunity to take up a scholarship abroad, she unhesitatingly bought into the adventure – moving to Japan.

She spent 10 formative and exciting years in the country. She added to her teaching experience among Hungarian ex-patriots. She gave birth to her daughter. She learned the language – to the highest level.

But the Japanese adventure came to an abrupt end in 2011, with the tsunami and consequent emergency at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. ‘Apart from the fear of radiation spread, water was scarce, there were planned power outages every day, and there I was with a young child to bring up. We quickly decided we needed to leave.’

In the years that followed, Katalin gave more time to her kids as she moved between Hungary and other European locations – working in a nursery in Germany helping them set up a bilingual programme, taking a post in the cultural department of the Japanese embassy in Hungary – all the while deepening her understanding of and commitment to teaching and learning.

BRINGING HER VISION TO SWEDEN

When, in 2017, her then-husband got the opportunity to leave the corporate world behind and finish his PhD at the Stockholm School of Economics, the move to Sweden seemed natural, and is one that Katalin does not regret.

‘The work-life balance in Sweden is so good’ she comments. ‘And everything worked out so well. I quickly had the chance to take on a part-time learning support role at SIS; and after a short while was asked to take on EAL (English as an Additional Language) duties. I joined a wonderfully supportive team, and working in such an international environment among students and staff felt like a really natural fit for me.’

Since joining SIS Katalin has been a major influence in the School. Together with Mmamotlhabi Tlailane, she formulated the vision of the Learning Commons within SIS, as a new approach to the library as a learning space. Together they won the support of the School’s leadership and have been passionately driving that forward.

The move to Norra Latin has created a new level of excitement on that front. ‘The additional space is wonderful and opens up possibilities for us’, she says. ‘It’s been our top priority for the last three years or so, and so exciting to be able to work with our students and engage them in different ways. It allows us to drive home the fundamental belief that I hold dear as an educator: Learning is Fun!’