United Kingdom
UK
Matt Mitzel
Teach Enrich Empower
Teaching in Türkiye was truly a Turkish Delight
July 2023: After a long 2 days of travel, I finally reached my final destination- Istanbul, Türkiye- a city I truly fell in love with 3 years prior. This would be my 3rd time entering Türkiye’s largest city- a city that spans both the European and Asian continents. Yet,
this time was a little different...
…this time I would soon be calling Istanbul home as I was due to live and teach English here as a teacher, not as a tourist like the previous times. I took a deep breath as my taxi picked me up, and I observed my surroundings, including the sights, sounds, and smells of this mega-city. I was home.
After receiving my TEFL certificate online in November 2017, I was off to see the world! Little did I know, but receiving my TEFL certificate was the beginning of my new life- a life spent living around the world and using TEFL as a gateway to accomplish this.
After teaching English in Riberia and Barcelona in Spain, I was off to Busan, South Korea and then to my most recent contract- in Istanbul, Türkiye. After coming to a crossroads of where to teach next, I found a position on Dave’s ESL Cafe teaching at an elementary school in Istanbul Already having some fond memories of my times in Istanbul, it was truly a no-brainer to accept this job as there was so much to do/see that had escaped me in my previous trips to Istanbul…not to mention the whole country of Türkiye to explore.
My Istanbul position was a special experience for a variety of reasons. From the beautiful location of the school to the amazing staff of other native English teachers and super friendly Turks. But the most meaningful aspect was the fact that I had my own class- albeit with a Turkish co-teacher- but it was a class of 5-year-olds that I would be with for the duration of the school year. In previous positions in Spain and Korea, I was tasked with floating around many classes, sometimes seeing certain classes only a few times a week. Here in Istanbul, I really got to know my students on a whole new level and got to watch their growth and development.
My TEFL certificate was truly tested as I gained valuable experience of how to control a class on my own and grow myself as a teacher.
As a homeroom teacher, I had the freedom and flexibility to administer the school’s curriculum in a way that satisfied all the needs of my students’ abilities.
One of my funniest memories of my time spent in Istanbul was the fact that you, as a teacher, were not EVER allowed to use Turkish in the classroom. On the last day of class, I tried my best to use some Turkish that I had picked up in my year there and all my students were in shock and playfully exclaimed- “Mr. Matt, YOU CAN SPEAK TURKISH!?” I’ll never forget the look on their faces…this is one of the many experiences that have solidified to me that teaching English abroad is an enriching experience for all those involved- you as a teacher and of course your students. My first piece of advice- GET OUT THERE AND FIND YOUR CLASSROOM, wherever in the world it may be.
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