Teaching the Learner

Teaching the Learner is a certified professional development course that I have recently designed and delivered for K-12 teachers working at primary/secondary state schools. The goal of the course is for the participants to be able to identify and use a variety of teaching techniques and frameworks to promote learner-centered language learning for their students. The course incorporates awareness sessions, demo lessons, takeaways, and follow-up practice teaching.

The course is delivered at Izmir Katip Çelebi University. The first one was held between 7 March – 8 April 2022 and future courses will be planned and delivered periodically for teachers from different contexts.

Here are the course objectives:

By the end of the training, participants will be able to…

demonstrate awareness of the learner-centered teaching approach

reflect on a variety of teaching techniques and frameworks in terms of learner-centeredness

demonstrate ability to write learner-centered lesson objectives

plan and teach a learner-centered lesson for their specific teaching context by selecting relevant tools and techniques

Through dozens of articles and via several web sites, I have read teaching techniques, approaches, tool-kits to keep the pace of the new generation and their needs. However, I have never inhaled such a warm, realistic educational air before. What impressed me the most is that both the trainer and the course shed light to the way we haven’t anticipated before. We have gained new terms and strategies which can demolish our own boundaries in classrooms. Teachers and students can construct new bridges.

Başak Çoşkun