Distinguished Teachers Honored
The University is pleased to announce the recipients of the Distinguished Teachers of the Year Awards for 2012. Asst. Prof. Nedim Karakayalı, Instructor Philip Poole, and Assoc. Prof. Fatma Taşkın were chosen for demonstrating outstanding teaching abilities and for contributing to students' academic and intellectual development. Bilkent News asked this year's Distinguished Teachers for their thoughts on receiving this award.
Asst. Prof. Nedim Karakayalı, Department of Political Science
I am very honored. This is almost a double award since, for me, being recognized as a teacher is already a huge privilege in itself. In fact, I sometimes doubt whether I teach anything substantial. Rather, I see my task as igniting some curiosity and a desire for exploration in my students. My question is often: how can I turn the classroom into an environment for critical and creative reflection? So, I see myself as a kind of environmental planner. The real burden is on the learners. And I think it should be so, because learning is actually a deeply paradoxical process. In a sense, we always learn from others; where would I be without my teachers? But, in another sense, we always learn by ourselves, with our own effort. Without this effort, perhaps no one would be able to teach us anything. So, first of all, I am indebted to my students for taking the burden of teaching from me over the years and yet appreciating me as a teacher. I am also indebted to the extremely collegial atmosphere in my department and at Bilkent University. Finally, as a teacher, I would like to express my great appreciation for the efforts of the Teaching and Learning Committee to make Bilkent an educational center of excellence.
Instructor Philip Poole, Faculty Academic English Program
I learnt my first words of Turkish when I was living and teaching in North London. I was fairly sure then that both activities -- teaching and learning Turkish -- were ones which would present me with considerable challenges. Now I have been teaching here at Bilkent for almost 21 years. In that time I have had the opportunity to see Bilkent grow both physically and in its sense of itself as a leading university. I have also, of course, taught many students in that time and have worked with many colleagues that I admire and from whom I have learnt a great deal. However, perhaps the best thing for me has been the time that I spent in the classroom. I believe that while we all have the capacity to succeed, we may not all do so in exactly the same way, and the process of teaching and learning should, as far as possible, be one in which students and teachers work together to find the best ways for learning to take place. I also think that teaching and learning should be based on mutual respect.
I am grateful to the colleagues from whom I have received help, and I am especially grateful to the many students that I have been happy to call "my students," if only for a semester or sometimes two.
I am most flattered that they should think that that I should deserve this award. As for learning Turkish, the jury is still out, but then, it has only been a matter of 20 years or so.
Assoc. Prof. Fatma Taşkın, Department of Economics
I am delighted and greatly honored to receive this prestigious teaching award.
This award means a lot to me, especially since it is shared by many faculty members, both junior and senior, at the university, whose teaching and attitudes toward the teaching profession continue to inspire me and make me want to move my teaching skills forward.
I would like to thank the past and present students I have encountered over 20 years at Bilkent University. Their intelligence, curiosity and zest for life and learning have made my profession interesting and challenging. It has been an absolute privilege to learn with them. My goal has been to provide them the intellectual stimulus, the respect they deserve, and the encouragement to become the best they can be. It is most inspiring to see students who come to the university a bit unsure of themselves, with many questions about the world, in a matter of a few years gain confidence in their abilities and become individuals who are productive and contributing members of society.
Bilkent University, with its pursuit of excellence in teaching, as well as in research, provides an environment that encourages all students and faculty members to give their best performances. Hence I would like to thank the university for running everything smoothly and efficiently and creating an atmosphere that is most conducive to a great learning/teaching experience. Last but not least, I would like to give my special thanks to my colleagues for nominating me and supporting my candidacy for this wonderful and meaningful award.