On the intro survey I use on the first day of class, the last item asks students to write a question they want me to answer about myself. Here are the questions and my answers from my students this semester:
I have been teaching English for 15 years, so I have a wide
variety of methods and strategies to help you learn English as well as
possible. I understand that students have different learning styles and
different strengths and weakness, all of which I need to be aware of in my
teaching.
- How do you see your relationship with students?
I want to have a respectful, friendly, and happy
relationship with students. Because I am responsible for presenting the content
of the course, organizing the class, and grading student progress, it cannot be
a true friend relationship. All the same, we should work together for student
success.
- Do you think our English will improve a lot in one year?
Yes, it can—a lot depends on the effort and motivation of
the individual student!
- Do you like your job and your students?
Yes, I love teaching and enjoy working with you all very
much.
- Are you happy at Koç University?
Yes, I am very happy for the opportunity to work at Koç.
- What makes you angry in class or outside?
I work very hard to avoid getting angry in class, but it is
upsetting when students refuse to take responsibility for their own learning.
Outside of the classroom, I get angry with the violence and hate in the world.
- Why do you prefer us to call you by your first name?
Good question! I do not have an doctorate degree, so I
cannot be called “Professor.” Some teachers want to emphasize the social
distance between themselves and their students, so they prefer a title like Mr.
or Ms. I prefer to lessen that social distance in a way to help new university
students feel they have entered the adult world.
- Why did you choose Turkey to work?
A loooooooong time ago, when I was an undergraduate, one of
my first roommates was a young woman from Turkey. Later, my husband and I
visited Turkey, and now, my husband is conducting research on Turkish history
for his doctorate degree.
- Why are you working at Koç University?
I applied to work at Koç University because it has an excellent reputation as an English
medium university and it has a strong English preparation program.
I graduated from high school in 1989. Do the math J
I was born in Mount Pleasant, Michigan in the United States.
- Do you miss your family or is your family in Turkey?
I do miss my family. I hope that my sister and her husband
will come visit in January though!
- From which university did you graduate?
My B.A. is in Studio Art / Art History from Oberlin College
in Ohio, and my M.A. is in Applied Linguistics from the University of
Massachusetts, Boston.
- What is your favorite color?
I especially like mixes of blue and green.
I like to read, draw, knit, see movies, and play word games.
No, I have a husband and a cat.
Oui, je parle un peu de français. Mais ça fait
longtemps que j’ai l’habitude de utiliser français.
- Is your main language English?
Yes. I have studied French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian,
and Turkish.
- Do you like to live in Istanbul? Are you happy in Turkey?
I feel very lucky to have the chance to live in Istanbul. It
is one of my favorite cities in the world. In general, I am happy living in
Turkey. Of course, it can be very confusing and frustrating when you are
learning a new language and culture, right?
- How many years have you been here?
I have visited Turkey a few times in the summer. This time,
I have been here for one full year.
- Where do you want to work in the future? What is your dream?
After Koç
University, I would like to work with immigrant and refugee populations
in the United States.
