Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey’s first president, says “a good teacher is like a candle; it consumes itself to light the way for others,” meaning if a candle should continue to provide light for people, it should remain energized and active. This holds true for teachers, especially in an era where schools and teachers are expected to play an effective role in confronting the many challenges of an ever-changing world. No matter how prepared a teacher is before entering the classroom, he or she is not expected to know everything and to be completely prepared for the challenges he/she will encounter throughout the course of his/her career. As such, there is a need for ongoing in-service professional development with the aim of maintaining a high standard of teaching as well as effectively fostering student learning outcomes.
The Department recognizes this fact and prioritizes faculty professional growth. Professional development, for the Department, involves activities that help enhance the individual knowledge, skills, and other qualities of instructors and professors. The Department ensures the development of its faculty members beyond their pre-employment with the University training with these objectives, among others: 1) to align its faculty’s knowledge of the subject matters regarding advances in the subject areas; 2) to assure that the skills, attitudes and teaching approaches of its faculty are up-to-date with respect to new teaching methodologies, new challenges and opportunities, and new research; 3) to capacitate instructors in ways that they can effectively apply changes to the Department Curriculum, to classroom management, and to their overall practice; 4) to provide opportunities where faculty members can advance themselves as well exchange information and experiences among themselves and others.
Each faculty member is required to attend and participate in all refresher seminars and workshops organized by the Department, the College, and the University. This is one of the grounds for continuous maintenance of employment and contractual status with the Department. At the start of each academic year, each instructor and professor develops and submits a professional development plan (PDP) for end-of-year evaluation of the instructor or professor. Here is the Faculty Professional Development Plan – SAMPLE
