TEAM 3
Ä°rem, AyÅŸe, Merve, AyÅŸenur (2016-2017 Spring)
Hi, I’m Ä°rem. I graduated from METU, ELT department in 2015. I have been working as an English instructor at UTAA since then. I heard about Lesson Study last year from my colleagues who recommended me to conduct this study. Also, I’ve had the chance to see what it really is after 2016 ELT Fusion Conference which was held in our institution and I am convinced that Lesson Study will contribute to my professional development and will also broaden my horizons. Let’s try and see!
Hey there! My name is Merve Arığa. I received my Bachelor’s degree in English Language Teaching from Middle East Technical University in 2013. I have been working as a full-time instructor of English for nearly 4 years. I am also working towards my Master’s degree in ELT at METU. I am currently one thesis away from finishing it. The idea of lesson study seemed rather barren in the first place since I felt like it was so much about preparing lesson plans on paper spending a great deal of time. Then I’ve realized that it is far more about improving instruction literally through working on only one lesson with a focus on the students’ learning rather than teachers themselves, which is the crucial point of lesson study. One other striking feature of it is that you don’t have to struggle by yourself but together with the colleagues getting involved in this demanding process until you think you make the most of the focused lesson. So, let us see how far we will go in creating a perfect lesson to be spread others! :)
Hello, everyone! I have been working as an English instructor since I graduated in 2014 from Hacettepe University, English Language and Literature Department. Currently I’m working at UTAA. I first heard about Lesson Study here in a conference held at UTAA in 2016. Thanks to lesson study, I personally hope that it will be better in the future to know what you could do when you focus on learning process of the students.
Ä°REM
MERVE
AYÅžENUR
Lesson study is an inquiry into the realms of student learning for me. The thing that I like most about lesson study is that it is mainly student-centered and it aims to improve student learning and also teacher instruction. Within lesson study project, I have become many things: first a devoted teacher, then a cautious planner and most importantly, a real researcher. Drawing conclusions from our research, which we can utilize to improve our teaching strategies was a fascinating experience and it has proved that as teachers we can do so much for our students when we work collaboratively.
What does Lesson Study mean to me?
Since Lesson Study embodies multiple professional development activities, it enables teachers to reflect on their own teaching in many aspects. Besides, Lesson Study can also be considered a manifestation of combined forces of teachers being involved in the process. Since this process is also nourished by students’ learning outcomes, both parties gain a benefit from it in the long run.
What does Lesson Study mean to me?
Involving each colour from each party, lesson study is a colourful and collaborative journey thorugh the minds of the students. At the beginning of this journey, you are not sure about where you are going and how you are going to go to your indefinite destination. However, at the end of this never ending journey, you are glad that you have reached a point which creates a great deal of awareness in terms of learning and teaching process for both parties.