Lifelong Learning Programme

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Teachers Experiences

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TITLE OF THE EXPERIENCE
A Story of Determination
NAME AND SURNAME OF THE TEACHER
Kenan Demir
SUBJECTS TAUGHT
Classroom Teacher - Administrator
YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE
14
TYPE OF SCHOOL
Secondary School
COUNTRY
Turkey
THEMATIC AREA
Identification of students’ at risk
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPERIENCE
While I was serving in Hendek Yeşilyurt Primary School in 2011/2012 Educational Term, there was a student, Mahmut AYGÜN, who had a break in his educational life for health problems before I was appointed to here. Because he was an anomy of Mediterranean, he was treated in Mediterranean University Medicine Faculty by having a break. Mahmut with an innate disorder for seeing didn’t want to come to school anymore. I as school administer and some teacher friends decided to visit her at home. At our meetings with the parents, we learnt that there were so many harms in his immunity system during the treatment of his illness. The family didn’t want to send their child to school for this reason. We achieved our goal of persuading them by saying we would never leave Mahmut alone.
By showing a great tenacity since he came, Mahmut achieved to study his courses which he had a break in. In 7th grade, he got the Certificate of Excellence as a consequence of his great effort. He was awarded with Certificate of Achievement by me. When he started to study at 8th grade, there was a reality, SBS (central examination) for Mahmut and his friends. Because Mahmut didn’t go to course, he used to attend the courses which were opened at the school. Even during the breaks, he was studying in the class, while his classmates were enjoying outside. Because of his visual disorder, Mahmut couldn’t read the writings the fount of which were low. For that reason, he used to answer especially the Turkish questions wrong because of reading them wrong. His teachers prepared special high fount questions for Mahmut. Furthermore, by applying Counselling and Research Centre about that issue, Mahmut’s reports were submitted. So he had the exam in spare saloon. He completed the exam with high fount questions included test booklet and 15 minutes extension.
When the results were announced, Mahmut gained the right to enrol in a very good Anatolian High School by leaving many friends of his behind. But, this time, Mahmut’s financial and health problems became problematic again. Because his parents thought they wouldn’t be able to rent a house in Adapazarı and commuting for 2 hours would cause health problems, they enrolled him to Yeşilyurt High School in our town. Now, he is studying Religious Vocation Department at Yeşilyurt Multi-programme High School. In my meetings with his teachers, I always hear good things about Mahmut. I believe he will be very successful in the future.

Comments on this Teachers Experience

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Date: 2014.05.31

Posted by Gabriela Adomnica (Romania)

Message: Where there's a (teacher's) will, there's a way. Congratulations to the teachers who made it possible! Respect to Mahmut for his will and determination!

Date: 2014.05.30

Posted by Blanca Perez Flores (Spain)

Message: This experience shows a very sensitive case. This is vitally important that teachers support and act fairly to the student , taking into account the personal, financial and family situation.
There are many situations and many students. We must always take into account the capabilities, interests or motivations for learning. This, as has been done in the previous case, the teacher tries to adapt the means at its disposal , including the objectives,
content , teaching methods , classroom organization, assessment ... in order to meet the learning needs of their students, in this case Mahmut . As a teacher I think it is not a simple task at all, since the
balance between what should be equal for all . In some ways you could say that this search for balance is what is
pursues the process of curricular adaptations .
For Mahmut , is useful font enlargement , and extension of time. In this case, teachers have been able to make a good adaptation , since teachers have taken into account the peculiarities of the student. With these adjustments , the student can learn equally.

In Spain more than 98 % of students with blindness or visual impairment are included in regular education. I mean, are schooled in the same classrooms of the same facilities as other blind students and follow the official curriculum of the educational level who are studying. Therefore, these centers have to offer an adequate response to the educational needs of all students, to be a school for all, adopting the curricular and organizational changes necessary.

Date: 2014.05.28

Posted by Ioannis Aivazoglou (Greece)

Message: Children with health problems should be treated with extreme sensitivity in schools.
The young student was aided by teachers and manages through its own to make a superhuman feat in his life.
The student shows that he is a real fighter and will succeed in life.

20 December 2014

Final Partners’ meeting

The fourth partners’ meeting took place in Florence (IT) on 15 December 2014. The meeting had the objective to check the activities carried out since the third meeting of the project and share and assess the in progress results. A special focus has been dedicated to the presentation of the strategies to solve the case scenarios.