Łukasz graduated from the Jagiellonian University with a degree in History, specialising in 20th century history. From the beginning his research has been concentrated mostly on the Far East and the involvement of European empires in the region. He currently researches the part British Commonwealth Occupational Forces played in the occupation of Japan. In his own words:
Teaching
Probably my greatest passion. I knew I wanted to be a teacher since primary school. It was always more a question of what will I teach. I believe that every class and every pupil is different and you just can’t stick to one method and one plan and expect the same results. Teaching for me is about adaptation. Identifying strengths and weaknesses of my pupils and trying to come up with the best possible approach to help them improve. I try to encourage my pupils to seek knowledge on their own and view me only as a helping hand in their quest.
History
For me history is not about facts and dates. Of course they are important, but we can’t reduce history to just that. Specially on a school level. Not everyone is passionate about history, and I get that. So I concentrate on the teaching skills that studying history can greatly improve and develop such as:
- critical thinking,
- ability to see things from a different perspective,
- debating,
- finding the truth,
- identifying causal links, and using historical examples to predict possible outcomes of situations.
Other interests
In my free time I’m a blend of a hiker and a nerd. As far as hiking goes I just love mountains, despite my fear of heights. Lying on a beach was never my thing. When I’m outdoors I just feel the need to walk and see new places. When I stay at home I prefer to read books (fantasy and s-f novels, history, and lately philosophy) or play games. I’m a big fan of strategy and role playing games because they can be effectively used to teach history. Either through reenacting political and military struggles or by letting students to go back in time and experience the life people once led.