TED ELAZIĞ COLLEGE / 9-A
The Inspirational Impact of Teachers : A Conversation with Aylin Kaya
Duru Ağın
80
Inspiration is a state of emotion that invigorates a person ’ s inner world , energizes , triggers creativity , a force that enriches our lives and opens new doors . It is crucial to integrate inspiration into our lives but what is also crucial is from whom we seek inspiration ; by that I mean role model . Role models could be our parents , historical figure or teachers . For instance , if we consider teachers as role models , they influence us and we desire to follow his / her path . When I was thinking about this , I thought about how teachers feel about inspiring someone . I would like to share the response of my Turkish Language and Literature teacher Aylin Kaya , who enlightened me by answering this and another question I had .
- The idea of being someone ’ s role model is thrilling , but at the same time it can be quite intimidating because then you want to be more alert of your actions and behaviour . You know that someone is following you and you don ’ t have the luxury of being wrong . I don ’ t need someone to verbally tell me that I am a source of inspiration because I already know that I am a role model with my chosen profession .
This feedback was really powerful and made me wonder why we see teachers as role models . Is it because of something they do or say ? Is it because , as I said earlier , we are influenced by the path they have chosen and what they have experienced ? So , I asked my teacher whether she used her own experiences in her lessons and whether she shared them with her students . She answered me as below :
- Of course , as teachers , we share what happens to us from time to time in order to have an impact on our students , and literature , which is my subject , is life itself . Not only in terms of science , but also in terms of art , since the material of art is human beings and everything related to human beings . I frequently talk about my own experiences as a student and as a teacher and I can see that this changes their perspective about me and the course .
- Well , that ’ s all my questions . Do you have anything to add ?
- First of all , I would like to thank you for valuing my opinions . In fact , even having this speech is about the fact that I have impressed you , that you like me , that you are curious about my profession and my field . Finally , I would like to add something : let ’ s never give up reading books . I think this is one of the most important requirements of being an individual .
-I certainly agree . Thank you for all of this . Until next time .
To sum up , inspiration comes from different sources . Nature , art , relationships , books and music are just some of the various areas where one can find inspiration . Inspiration can facilitate the process of coping with life ’ s challenges , developing new ideas and achieving goals . Well , what inspires you ?