the teachers of the future | Merve Oflaz | Teacher, Trainer, Materials Developer

When I read about the main idea of

the 29th ESL / EFL / ELL Blog Carnival on

I was sure what to blog about and wrote this post especially for the carnival:)

I always think that there is a hidden mother soul deep inside me (though I’m not one yet:) and this holy creature usually arises in the middle of the class while caring for my little kiddos (!). I whirl around the class like a mother giving instructions constantly, guiding them throughout the tasks and correcting their mistakes. Sometimes I even act like a bit manic especially while mentoring group activities. Turning into an older person suddenly, I start reminiscing about my years at school and trying to give them life lessons. I’m not even going to mention about the number of panic attacks I can have during the rehearsals before the end of year shows. No matter what happens, I spread my wings over my baby birds:) trying to improve their morale and flow my love into their hearts. When the time comes to fly from the nest (the end of the year for a teacher:), I feel so proud of them but still scared to give them a full responsibility. Doing my best to conceal this whole process from them, I say goodbyes and get ready for the next group of birdies.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Probably, yes:) As teachers we sometimes don’t have the courage to give our students the “responsibility”. Why not giving them more opportunities to help them find out their own skills and interests and express themselves? Do not hesitate a moment longer and let it be! Once you start allowing your students to do that, they begin to discover their own secret gardens.

I’ve been thinking about this since I attended the Third ELT Conference at Bogazici University a couple of months ago. This conference was much more different than the other conferences I attended. It was organized by five great ELT students and it left an unforgettable impression in our memories. These enthusiastic students, ‘the teachers of the future’ did not only made the arrangements but also conquered our hearts by taking care of everyone at the conference and dealing with every little detail. Aysegul Bayram, Busra Nur Ozer (4th year students from Bogazici University – probably they will have been graduated soon:) ), Basak Temel , Buse Aral and Sevim Acikgoz (3rd year students from Bilgi University) performed a miracle as students. I’m sure they will set a good example for other students and of course for us, the teachers as well.

From Left to Right: Sevim Acikgoz, Aysegul Bayram, Buse Aral, ME:), Basak Temel and Busra Nur Ozer

This can look like a “unique” responsibility to shoulder, but I think it is not impossible. You never know what hidden potential your students have, so do not hesitate to give them a chance to go for it. Remember that they are the “future”!. The people of the “future”.

Adem Sahin (an ELT student from Pamukkale University) compiled the best shots of the conference and prepared this great video: