The ÇYDD Bakırköy Branch and its graduate students who are now teachers themselves, celebrated Teacher’s Day on October 24, 2019 at the Tarık Akan Cultural Center.

The program started with a moment of silence and the singing of the national anthem.  A teacher herself and a former scholarship recipient from ÇYDD, Deniz Dilara Çatak, together with Emre Yeleser who provided the accompanying music, gave a presentation titled ‘Head Teacher Atatürk’.

ÇYDD President Prof.Dr. Ayşe Yüksel talked about the meaning and the importance of the day that was being celebrated and she thanked everyone who supports and works with ÇYDD.  

Fırat Örüç who was educated by the ÇYDD, who worked with the association in his youth and now a teacher himself, talked about ‘Being a ÇYDD Supported Teacher’. He explained the problems faced by teachers and the education system as a whole.

The guest of honor of the day was Dilek Livaneli.  Livaneli is ‘one of the best 50 teachers of the world’ (Varkey Gems Foundation).  She talked about how she started working as a village teacher and became to be one of the best 50 teachers of the world.  She said, “I didn’t start my work thinking about prizes and gratitude I would receive.  All I wanted to do was to provide a good education and make a difference.  I continuously improved myself and my domain. Each day I thought, ‘what new things can I teach the children’ and I worked on it. I didn’t teach only the children.  I included the family, the whole village.  Despite the difficulties I encountered I didn’t give up teaching new things”.

Another inspiring teacher, Ali İhsan Özmen, Physical Education Teacher at Van’s Mustafa Cengiz Middle School, told the attendees about the success of the girls volleyball team he formed.

The program included the play Hababam Sınıfı presented by the ÇYDD graduate teachers. Students recited the poem ‘Contemporary Youth’ and sang a song titled ‘My Name is Teacher’.  Group Aloha performed.

At the end of the program a group picture was taken.

News-Photos : Nasuh Bektaş