In celebration of Teachers' Day, the Graduate School of Education arranged a visit from Mrs. Margaret Pearson, the US Ambassadress, who spoke about schools and education in America. Her visit coincided with Education Week in the USA which began on November 13. Bill Clinton, the US President, had asked that all US Embassies worldwide emphasize the importance the US places on education.
The audience, including student teachers who will work in US high schools for two months through the generous support of the US State Department's Fulbright program, heard about different aspects of the US school system (including regular schools, charter programs, and home-based education). Mrs. Pearson stressed how important teachers are in a student's personal development and how they can open new doors for them.
Since students on the new Masters program are preparing to teach high school and because of their internships in US schools next year, Mrs. Pearson was asked if she had any advice for them. She replied that the US education system encourages students to take risks and that it is therefore all right for them to make mistakes. She said that after making a mistake, it is always possible to start again from the beginning. Such a system, she added, encourages creativity, flexibility and openness to new ideas.
Mrs. Pearson, a senior US Foreign Service Officer, with the rank of Minister Counsellor, has worked in Paris, Brussels and Beijing, as well as in Washington. Since September 2000, she has been the Special Advisor for European Property Affairs, responsible for US input on the development of communal property legislation in Central and Eastern Europe and currently works from Ankara. In concluding, Mrs. Pearson expressed her thanks to Prof. Ali Doğramacı who had invited her to speak at the Graduate School of Education.
