Designing Instructional Activities: Differentiated Instruction

Taking risk is the key of success because risk supply opportunities to explore our talents. In the video I watched accorging to Chris, considering childrens' particular strength when planning instruction is essentiala and I agree with her idea. The idea seperating students according to their levels also help to the Instruction . When they observe the students' ability, the task which they will prapare for students will be done according to their level. Otherwise, same task may cause students to be confuse. During supporting their students to take risk, they expect them to explore themselves in some ways such as their strangeness and weakness .Thus not only students but also Instructor will know that which subject they are good at. Without taking risk the Instuctor does not discover the students' talent. Also if Instructors encourage learners in which area they are good at, they may be more willing and enthusiastic about it. Determination is the most important issue on students. When they are quit determined and confident the rest will come and continue easily.

I was in the high school and I had a teacher who built on my strengths. She encouraged me to develop my language skills and she helped me by correcting my mistakes teaching me in different ways and perspectives.She was young and we all actually loved her. Every time even if I do mistakes, she encouraged me to try my best and do the better. This kind of Teachers make me feel safe and powerfull. Thanks to her I loved to interest in languages . She was as if telling stories about a girl who managed to be a teacher and her background was full of failure . Although these what she experienced she could be a teacher but this all was according to her. Eventually before we graduated, she told us that everytime she talks about the unsuccesfull girl actually was she . İnspiration of her story is quit enough for everyone to try the best.

If I will be a teacher, I will suppose my students to take risks as even taking may have a negative results, it may result in advantages and have pozitive  results. Without taking risk, the acchievement that students expect is impossible . Taking risk is safer than not taking because you can not know wheater you will achieve or not. Thus it affect being open-minded also. I would recommend my students to taking risk if they want to be rewarded .

My Teaching Phlosophy

Collabrotion

Collabrotion covers the most important part of our department.
I watched the EDpuzzle collaborative teaching video which I found so usefull.  I think there's a huge benefit to professional collaboration. Sometimes students are very complex. In the clasroom it is needed to be a positively focused, consistent group around the child who can brainstorm and problem solve. There are several benefitions that I want to focus on. One of them is that it helps to define issues clearly. When you have a trouble on a topic and you do not know what is missing on your teaching, the others can define you the problem you have by their observations.Between teachers it builds cohesion and strengthen professional relationships. In 2012 when I was in prep school, we we e working with peers or big goups. In that time, as we all have different ideas,  on purpose our teacher was giving us topics which we may discuss with each other . It was beneficial because during the discussion we were also learning some different perspectives that we have never think about it  and also different knowledge about that topic .During this time we had a chance to meet each other closer.On department we have some presentations and for that we have to meet eachother to work on it . Because sometimes we do as individual but sometimes it changes into as a group presentation so we need to meet and exchange our information . For this process, firstly individually we work on topic and  then we meet several times to search about our topic widely  then discuss that which informations are more important and which are not to present for the limited time. After that we present one by one eachother and we give to the presenter some feedbacks to correct her/himself. It helps us to see our weaknesses and thanks to this duration we know what we should improve about ourselves. To solve collobrator problem we should ponder well so that to find the best thing.Thus I loved the idea that ‘Collaboration pushes teachers to think more’ . This is said in EDpuzzle video. When we think about our weaknesses, we may not find any error in our work, yet, in collabration owerthrows it. As a observer they surelly find something to advice you. The things that I do not now yet and they will taught me by my collabrator make me benefited .Actually I prefer to work on individually. Why ? Because sometimes when you have a assignment from your prefessor, your collabroter(s) may not be disciplined and coordinated so in this situation you get angry and lose your inspiration on that work. Thus I just can say that my weaknesses is prefering working individual. I HATE irresponsibility. What are my strenghts? My strenghts are being ambitious and getting things I want . It is necessary for me If I care/ want to do something I try my best till I will get / do it . Students by participating more and more team work or group project can improve their collaborative skills. To develop our collaborating skills, we should spend our time to come together with our groups which we work together to be a effective member firstly we have to respect eachother and listen the other members ideas . Secondly it is important explaining our own ideas clearly . In order to transfer our collaborative experience during our academic career, we should recognize what we worked during collaborative work.While transfering what I know about being a collabrator to my teaching career, I try to get their attention by enjoyable tasks. In my opinion, I would supply them to love the lesson when they will discuss about the task they should talk about. If I give them a subject that they do not not anything about it , they may feel confuse and affair of speaking or sharing their ideas-opinions . Thus it should be apprpriate their age and from the daily life . I need to provide them to enjoyabla work. It would start the easiest part to work hard, what I mean is step by step. (No one learnt the Past Perfect before simple past) After the first collabrotion, I would ask them to meet all and their opinions about collabrotion . The last thing that I tell them would be the importance of this group work and its contribution. Loving it or not  depens on them :)

My SUPERTEACHER

This is the brief profile of my superhero teacher. In my opinion as many of us know, student life is inevitably stressful and teachers are the role model for many students. Teachers are as our family members because from the primary school to University we spend our most of time with them when we compare them with our family, thus teachers should help them to decrease their stress on eveything and concern about lesson that they teach .Teaching skills include ability to ask questions, to write good assessments and to manage the classroom. They use their own practical knowledge to make the correct decision in conflicts, simplify the problems and find solutions for students. Also teachers have to understand  and realize background of  students to solve their probem easily. Now I will explain the answer of '' Why did I create such a hero? '' step by step.  First of all, able to deal with everthing, teachers should be intelligent. Therewithal, they should think before they move, I mean, they they should able to emphaty. Moreover, when we think, not only as studenst also human beings have some problems during their life and as a role model, teachers should help them when they have problem thus why I chose this hero is that this HERO has this characteristics. Why I chose The ears for gear is as these ears can hear everything even from very far away so for my perspectif they are for the student’s problems which may be far away and theacher can hear them.The Cloak makes theachers invisible and this is useful for crib& copy so that students would not tend to copy. Springs will help them to not coming late even if they had some trouble while coming the classroom. Because they can jump very highly so there is no way even in the traffic. The Watch helps teacher to see and understand the events clearly. Lastly, The Medicine bottle protect student from suffer, when they have any wound then it will heal immediatelly. Our Superhero teacher should be known as savior, no ? :)

Personal Statement Do I still want to be a '' Teacher '' ?

   To tell the truth: No !

Actually I want to tell you my decision. Hopefully you will understand me:)
For me in this world, the most importan tthing is ''RESPECT''. This is the first rule, you should be respectful of older people. However, in my opinion, to respect  everyone shoul not be the hardest thing but we see it everywhere. To illustrate, in our life; at schools for each level;  primary, highschool, univesity.. students' personality has differences .The deep of this issue actually comes from their family education and backgraund. I witness so many event when I was at the primary school and high school . when my friends argue with our teacher unjustly I always take to task them seriously because from my childhood I do emphaty.Thus, when my friends make fun of teacher or argue with any of them, I was always thinking like If this teacher was my mother or father.. I even do not want to think about this situation but this is in our life. Do you remember the event you have been in the classroom ? Of course, you remember. This is the most important reason why I do not want to be a teacher. I do not think that I can be calm down if I face to face some event like I have saw. As I am a nervous and moody person, I think this work is not appropriate for me.

Now, then let me tell you about why I chose this department '' English as a Language Teacher ''.
First of all before the exam which we apply for the University. I was in English department class in the High School. Okay, you will ask why I chose this department.For a little bit background for this is that as I mentiont above that I hated history then my biology was not good and I was hearing about how phsics is hard to learn I was afraid of studying the mathematical part and as I do not have any tendency to learn history I did not  chose the verbal class and from my teenages I tend to speak English to communicate with my foreign friends from dance school they were from America and also I was not afraid of making grammar mistakes during my speaking. When I was at 9th class, I was the only person who loves English and at the end of the year I decided  to study what I like. From 10th to the end of 12 I thought that I am going to study on translation and interpretation . after the high school we applied for  the University exam and my score was not enough to study translation and interpretation then I did not know I am going to do but I was determined that I am not going to prepared for the exam again and my father insisted me to study this department and he told me the prestige of Middle East Technical University. Then I decided to come here to do my best.


On the other hand, I am a good adopter what I mean is I can teach very well with some clues and certain ways to remember the knowledge.However again I say no one can predict my mood.It is not known when I am gonna be nervous  and I can laugh when I argue with someone. Thus being a teacher might be little risky for me . Who loves a moody teacher ?


The other part that why I do not want to be a teacher is that working under the government schools need to give an  exam again and there I do not want to make my knowlegde stable or I do not want to loose my knowledge. Here '' METU '' is not an easy University to graduate when we compare with other Universities. The highest position in the government schools is again being a teacher or the director of the school.


Last part of my story continious .. As an advantage of my bilingual mother tongues, I want to use them in my life. After my birth my mother taught me Romanian, she spoke with me untill 5 just Romanian after that my father starts to talk to me Turkish.English is also in my life and it will go on and also I satrted to learn İtalian and I go to Italy every summer since 2 years and I have to try to talk Italian there  because really almost no one speaks English. Actually it is not hard to learn it as Romanian  and Italian languages are sister languages. In my first year on departmant I started to take German course and this is the fourth semester that I take it and also I am succesfull on it . For these reasons I want to be in communication with people to use them and I think this is an advantage for me to working as ambasadors . I mentiond above that I give importance to prestige.

But besides these, I know, after the graduation, English Language as a Teacher will be one of my bracelet that I can use whenever I want. Hopefully you understand me :)

About me :)

Hello everyone! :) My full name is Mihaela Alev Varal. I was born on 02.11.1993 in Romania so as my mother is from Romania, I have dual citizenship and this makes me feel very lucky because I do not have to apply for any visa to travel around Europe. I am currently at Middle East Technical University and studying English Language Teaching because my tendency is on languages and as English is a global language I am proud of learning it . What I like about my studies is not only translating English to Turkish but also Turkish to English. What I dislike about my studies is Linguistics. I was not good at studying linguistis thus thats why I do not like it . As I am an ambitious person, failure makes me feel bad. My home is in Mersin and I have lived here for 15 years. I live there with my nuclear family '' my mother, father and lovely little brother '' . My favorite activities include dancing, playing backgammon, watching documentaries, science fiction and psychological movies, operations, going to the shooting range and riding a horse . I love to say '' bacım '' which means'' my sister'' whom I feel closely . My favorite meal involves sauteed with mushrooms na dmy favorite snack food is salads. The person who supports me me the most is my mother and in my life she helps me anytime for everything she is actually not only my mother but also my best friend whom I can tell everything without hesitating. The best time of the day for me is before I sleep because I listen relaxing musics and then I fall a sleep. My greatest inspiration is my experiences because when I think that what I overcome, I feel more mature day by day. My all time role model is Anna Maria who is my cousin because of her being so strong and resistant . I would like to be as strong as her because I know that I can overcome with each harsh situations .

 17 years old ''little'' brotler :)

When I was little I remember that I was beating my little brother when he was not listening to me. None of my family members have never beat him as he has a heart disease. Thus, I decidet to educate him. Maybe beating him was the wrongest thing but today he is thanksfull to me as being like this . He was not doing his homeworks and he was smartass because what he was prefering my family was taking or doing things what he wants immediately. After some time, he started his disease as make use of so I started to oppose him and give dirrection his personality. My childhood was generally different from the other children because I had to act maturely due to some stuff. I always found school to be fun this is because I was excited to study my favorite lessons and spent time with my friends . The best teacher I ever had was İlknur Altınoğlu as she was not only a fun person but also an authoritarian so she was educating us very well as how it should be because the communication between students and teacher is the most important thing thats why I think in this way anf for her finally I can say that there was no one who does not like her . As an extra information , she was our English teacher. Tehe worst teacher I ever had was my history teacher ( I do not want to even give her name ) because she was just coming to the classroom and '' open your book and today's reading is on the .. page '' then we were reading after then she was asking question even standing up from her chair she was finishing the class without any communication with us and she was also morose. I still hate her because due to her I do not have and tendency on history. The best thing anyone has ever said to me is '' I proud of you and I know I am going to proud of you '' . The worst thing anyone has ever said to me is '' your ambition will kill you '' I felt like I am doing something wrong and I am a bad person as who distrubes people . What no one has ever told me is that your parfume smells badly. I am proud that I have never said '' If only ''. The greatest lesson I learned was geography and I learned it when I was at 11.class High School. In my twenties I hope to achieve that I will graduate with the highest grade I can . In my thirties I hope to achieve the career life that I am planning . In my forties I hope to achieve prestige that I deserve. The goal I have include is being an ambassador. I am worried about my brother's achievement . I am confident that I will reach the possition that I am dreaming. I feel uncertain that If I am going to stay in Turkey or not. I know for sure that my father will continue to say '' I am proud of my daughter '' . I believe that conscience is GOD inside us . I am happy when the people around me are happy at least when they have a possitive energy . It is important to presence respectability people around you. I am interested in latin dances and nigerian dances . What no one realizes about me is that people who do net meet me yet think that I am egotric but when they meet me they confess me how do they think about me befer we met . My destiny is like a movie;you can not even predict .

Do teachers actually make a difference to society?

Do teachers actually make a difference to society ?

Yes I think teachers make so many differences to society. They affect the environment where they are. Not only students but also students' families and their relatives are affected by teachers with their approaches, attitudes, manners etc. In other words, each teacher has their own philosophy of education and it determines how they affect the society. And if the teacher is really an effective and a good teacher, s/he can make lots of possitive differences on students and especially in low educated locals . Due to the teacher is the role model for all of students, they can make raise a number of creative and unique students for society. Teacher should know how to approach to students and also their psychological situation.  To illustrate, if students feel close to their teachers, they take the teachers as an idol day by day .