Works

A three-week orientation program is developed to integrate newly appointed teachers into the team and support existing teachers. The program is implemented each year, 3 weeks before the beginning of the academic-education year. An example of the orientation program (first week) for both English Preparatory and Turkish Preparatory instructors during the orientation period is as follows:

Teacher Trainin Series

Each year, a programme of in-module professional development sessions is prepared based on the results of a needs assessment survey conducted within the college. The sessions are supported by trainers from publishers or institutions that wish to support the sessions, including Oxford University Press and other stakeholders. In addition, the observer's comments and suggestions in the general report are taken into account when deciding on training topics.

VidTips Series

At the beginning of each academic year, the VidTip Series (Video Support Series) is designed to enable instructors to take responsibility for their own professional development at their own pace.

The purpose of the VidTip Series:

• to provide an introduction to different ELT topics to improve the quality of teaching in our program,
• to provide online training that improves the teaching skills of trainers by providing equal opportunities,
• to provide tips and ideas for trainers to deliver lessons more efficiently and effectively,
• to help trainers overcome difficulties they may encounter in teaching to meet student expectations,
• to support trainers to develop better relationships with students,
• to encourage volunteer trainers to develop their teaching skills.
• o create a repository of training videos for sustainable long-term progress,

The VidTip Series consists of short educational videos (15-30 minutes) to be recorded by the Professional Development Unit Coordinator, volunteer instructors, and instructors who want to provide free support to the Istanbul Kent University School of Foreign Languages ​​Professional Development Unit. After each video, instructors will perform tasks to provide proof of what they have learned and set and share their own deadlines.

Sponsored Courses / Conferences

The School of Foreign Languages ​​offers free sponsored courses to its volunteer teachers each year. These courses are generously provided by publishers and other educational institutions. To be considered for this opportunity, tutors must first nominate themselves by sending a 250-word paragraph explaining their motivation for taking the course.

This paragraph should highlight their passion for teaching, how the course will benefit their professional development, and their commitment to applying new knowledge to their volunteer work. The administrative team will review all applications and select one (or more if necessary) tutor who best demonstrates their enthusiasm and potential impact.

Lesson Observations

The professional development of instructors is of great importance in our institution. In this context, teachers' lessons are regularly observed by both the Professional Development Unit and the Foreign Languages ​​School Administration. During the observation processes, various teaching skills of teachers such as lesson planning, classroom management, student interaction, and material use are evaluated. In this way, while the strengths of teachers are determined, the areas where they need to develop are also determined.

In line with the data obtained as a result of the observation based on criteria, teachers are given individual, or collective feedback and personal development plans are created. This process contributes to teachers' continuous development and to providing the highest quality education to our students.