One of Nicolas Balog’s favorite things about teaching in a district like Holyoke is the opportunity to serve in a varierty of roles. Beyond teaching social studies, world history and sociology, he’s coached a number of different teams over the past nine years. One of which was the 2019 high school football team, pictured practicing, which had an especially memorable season for athletes and coaches alike. — Holyoke Enterprise file photo
An endlessly good-natured guy, Nicolas Balog will do just about anything for the sake of school spirit and fostering relationships with his students. One day that may mean kissing a pig for FFA week. Another day it could be getting wrapped in toilet paper like a mummy for homecoming.
Mr. Balog: man of the people
Nicolas Balog has something of a reputation at Holyoke High School. It seems that regardless of a person’s unique interests, he can shoot the breeze with the best of them. Be it cult classics, FPS games or professional sports, he makes a point to connect with others over the things that matter most to them.
It’s not just that he’s a great conversationalist or a particularly personable guy, though. Behind each conversation is genuine care for his students as people and a deep-seated belief that the bottom line of effective education is forming relationships.
Something else you should know about Balog is that he is almost sickeningly modest. When asked about his relational approach to teaching, he brushed it off as simply being “human nature” and “natural part of the job.” Though he makes it look effortless, Balog’s colleagues certainly recognize that his approach is something special.
HHS science teacher Ashley Clayton pointed to a specific example in her nomination of Balog for the 2020 Emerald Awards. When taking some ribbing for being a Cleveland Browns fan, Balog turned the conversation around into meaningful dialogue about character traits displayed by professional athletes.
“It has been my observation that the success of an educator lies in their ability to build relationships with the learners in their care,” Clayton said. “And Mr. Balog is one of the best I have had the privilege of knowing when it comes to building relationships with his students.
Of course, Balog would tell you that he’s really just a “huge nerd” so it’s easy to geek out over movies and athletes and pop culture.
It really doesn’t stop there, though. Balog leverages these shared interests and conversations into a rapport in the classroom. As a result, students respect him, listen to him and find themselves willing to engage with him on topics of social studies as well.
“One of the greatest innovations that I see with Mr. Balog is how well he connects and relates to students,” guidance counselor Angela Powell said in her nomination letter.
Of course, all of that would be meaningless if Balog didn’t have anything to teach the students once he had their attention. But of course he does. Maybe it comes back to being a nerd, but Balog approaches social studies with fervor.
“Not only does he demonstrate a masterful skill set when it comes to building relationships, but his huge heart and passion for his subject matter make his class one that students look forward to each day,” Clayton said.
Knowing how to spark students’ interest, Balog often assigns work that comes across like a game.
“Bing Bing,” as the students affectionately call it, is a game show that Balog hosts in his class before giving tests. Really it’s a review of material that will be on a test, but the “Family Feud” style format appeals to the students’ competitive side.
Clayton pointed out that when students excitedly prepare for Bing Bing, they’re often seemingly unaware of the amount of studying they are doing. The innovative review makes the learning process easy and engaging for students.
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