Turkish Teachers End Program, Begin Career

“When I saw the first student entering the classroom, I said to myself, “Ok, now you are the teacher! Be calm and take a deep breath,” said Merve Celen, a recent university graduate from Bogazici University in Istanbul, recounting her experience teaching an English class in Arkansas for the first time. Merve spent the past six weeks in Fayetteville, Arkansas with 21 other aspiring English teachers from Turkey participating in the Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program. She and her colleagues studied education methodology and instructional technology at the University of Arkansas and interned at local middle and high schools under the mentorship of experienced American teachers.

For many of the Turkish participants, the TEA program provided their first opportunity to stand before a class and deliver their own lessons. They taught American students about Turkish culture, religions, and daily life.

The TEA Fellows wrapped up the program and returned to Turkey last week and some have already embarked on their teaching careers, stepping immediately into their first classrooms. The preparation and guidance they received on the TEA program made them better-equipped for their own classrooms: “I learned some practical ideas related to various techniques and activities which I will use in my future classes,” Duygu Safak said, “I saw some interesting strategies for classroom management. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to identify the similarities and differences between Turkish and American education systems. The internship showed me that I like teaching no matter what the context is. I could see once more than I want to be a teacher, and that I can achieve it no matter who is my student.”

IREX wishes the Turkish TEA Fellows the best in their teaching careers.

The TEA program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and implemented by IREX.