Köy Öğretmenleri

BACKGROUND

Schooling rates in rural areas are affected by isolation, lack of materials, turnover of teachers and parents’ lack of interest. An innovative education model is necessary especially for rural schools with multi-grade classes. A student-centered, quality education model can be achieved by developing best practices, supporting teachers and creating a network of teachers who can lead the transformation in rural schools.

PROJECT GOALS

• 300 activities for multi-grade classes will be prepared through workshops and site visits.
• A guidebook on preventing violence at school, increasing attendance rates, creating a sense of belonging etc. will be prepared for teachers in rural schools and it will be shared with more than 500 teachers.
• Training modules will be developed for university students. 45 education faculty students of 3 different universities in İzmir, Samsun and Muş will organize workshops for children in different schools. Manuals and videos on these workshops will be prepared.
• 7 meetings will be organized in Diyarbakır and Şanlıurfa in order to gather multi-grade class teachers and create a local network.
• Peer mentorship program will be developed for teachers. 5 teachers from Şanlıurfa who attended the project last year will be mentors and support 15 teachers who have recently appointed to the region. Project team will regularly support 5 teachers in Bayburt.
• A project office will be opened in Şanlıurfa to provide a co-working space for teachers.

PROJECT RESULTS

• During the year, seven meetings were held in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır and Harran district of Şanlıurfa with the participation of 60 village teachers and experts in the field of education.
• Regular mentoring was given to five teachers working in the multi-grade classes in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır; school action plans were prepared based on needs.
• A peer mentoring system was established among the teachers in Şanlıurfa. In Şanlıurfa, five teachers who participated in the project last year gave mentorship support to 15 newly appointed teachers.
• At the end of the year, ‘Cümbür Cemaat Children Festival’ was organized in Çınar district of Diyarbakır and Harran district of Şanlıurfa with the participation of 200 students. During the festival, children exhibited their theater plays and music performances, and participated in various workshops.
• An Activity Book was prepared with 200 sample practices for improving the quality of education for teachers working in village schools with multi-grade classroom.
• A Guide Book on topics such as working in rural conditions, rural development and classroom management was prepared for teachers working in village schools.
• The Activity Book and the Guide Book were published and distributed to all village school teachers in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
• Training modules have been developed in order to provide education faculty students with experience in rural education. 45 volunteer students from three different universities in İzmir, Samsun and Muş developed and implemented children's workshops in village schools.

“The program made me beat the fear of multi-grade classes. I was afraid because I had no experience. I can say I am more confident and willing to teach multi-grade classes by the end of the program.”  A Prospective Teacher and Participant of Child Workshops

“Before this process, I figured, I had not done it completely right, trying to fully recognize the students’ emotional and mental levels and adapt my teaching accordingly. After this year’s mentorship, I am able to determine what is more suited to their needs and more effective. And the effects have reflected on the students and me and the classroom climate.”  A Mentored Teacher in a Village 

“I have seen children reveal their talent and speak better when they are encouraged. I think this is our accomplishment and I am happy about it. Every challenge we encountered was an advantage for us. KODA has helped us a lot. We have gained great experiences.”” A Prospective Teacher and Participant of Child Workshops