Teaching Philosophy
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
William Arthur Ward
My teaching philosophy centers on creating inclusive, thoughtfully designed learning environments where curiosity, confidence, and intellectual growth can flourish. I see teaching not simply as the delivery of knowledge, but as the design of conditions that help students engage deeply, take meaningful risks, and recognize their own capacity to learn.
I believe that effective teaching begins with intentional design. Learning experiences should be accessible, human-centered, and responsive to learner diversity. For this reason, I draw on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) , accessibility principles, and reflective pedagogy to create courses and materials that reduce unnecessary barriers and expand opportunities for participation.
Across my teaching experiences in Turkey and the United States, and across contexts ranging from middle school mathematics to graduate-level educational technology, I have found that the most meaningful moments often begin quietly: when a learner who was uncertain begins to see themselves as capable. My work as an educator is grounded in making those moments more likely through clear structure, thoughtful feedback, and supportive challenge.
What I Do
Co-design and co-teach online graduate courses at Purdue on educational multimedia and video game design.
Student teaching in Turkey's middle schools, private math tutoring for grades 1-12, and multi-year volunteer teaching in community outreach projects.
Mentoring
Mentor undergraduate research interns, graduate students, and early-career peers on instructional design practice and research methods.
Graduate Teaching
Co-designing and co-teaching online graduate courses in Purdue’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, with a focus on accessible learning design, interactive multimedia, and applied practice for working professionals.
Purdue University, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Co-Instructor, Spring 2026
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Educational Applications of Multimedia
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An online graduate course on the design, development, and evaluation of multimedia-enriched learning resources. Students apply human-centered design and UX principles, engage with Mayer's multimedia learning theory, and practice accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and usability testing as they build their own multimedia projects.
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Assignment redesign: rewrote course assignments to strengthen alignment between learning outcomes and applied practice.
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Accessibility & UDL: ensured course materials met WCAG standards and modeled UDL principles that students were being asked to apply in their own projects.
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Human-centered design support: supported students as they developed personas, conducted user research, and applied UX principles to educational multimedia design.
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Grading & feedback: delivered detailed, formative feedback on student multimedia projects, discussions, and reflections.
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Course administration: moderated Brightspace discussions and supported course operations end-to-end.
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Guest webinar: delivered “Designing Interactive Learning with H5P,” covering interactive content types, LMS integration, and UDL principles. [Slide Deck]
Purdue University, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Co-Instructor, Spring 2025
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An online graduate course on the design of educational video games. Students ground themselves in learning, instructional design, and game design theories, analyze existing educational games, and work in teams to design, prototype, and playtest an original educational game for a real learning context.
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Grading & feedback: managed grading and provided detailed formative feedback on student design projects.
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Course administration: moderated discussion forums and supported course operations.
K-12 Classroom Teaching
(Pre-Service)
Two pre-service teaching placements completed during my B.Sc. in Mathematics Education. These experiences grounded my belief that relationships are the foundation of learning: students lean in when they feel seen, and take intellectual risks when they trust the person in front of them.
Fatih Middle School, Turkey
Student Teacher, Spring 2019
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Lesson delivery: planned and co-taught mathematics lessons in collaboration with the supervising teacher.
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Student support: worked with individual students outside of lessons on both academic and personal challenges.
General Kemal Balıkesir Middle School, Turkey
Student Teacher, Fall 2018
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Co-planning: co-designed lessons and supported in-class instruction across multiple sections under the lead teacher’s supervision.
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Reflective practice: observed, reflected on, and iteratively refined my own teaching, my first sustained experience of what it takes to become a teacher.
Private Tutoring &
Individualized Instruction
Private Mathematics Tutoring, Turkey
Mathematics Tutor, Fall 2016 - Spring 2019
Personalized, one-to-one mathematics instruction across the full K-12 range, from elementary arithmetic through high-school calculus and exam preparation. Many of my students stayed with me for multiple years, long enough for me to see what careful, patient teaching does over time.
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Individualized planning: designed learning pathways tailored to each student’s goals, gaps, and pace.
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Custom materials: created worksheets, problem sets, and study guides aligned to each learner’s needs.
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Technology-enhanced lessons: integrated gamified practice from educational websites (e.g., Kahoot, GeoGebra, interactive math platforms) to sustain engagement and motivation.
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Augmented reality (AR): used AR activities to make abstract mathematical concepts visible, especially for geometry and spatial reasoning topics.
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Exam preparation: coached students through standardized exams and longer-term mathematical reasoning skills.
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Family partnership: collaborated with families to align tutoring with students’ school progress.
Community Teaching & Educational Outreach
Multi-year volunteer teaching and outreach work in Turkey, the foundation of my commitment to equitable access to learning. These projects shaped how I think about designing for learners who are under-resourced, under-supported, or simply waiting for someone to show up for them.
Matematik Cepte (Math in Pocket), Balıkesir University Mathematics Society
Volunteer Teacher, 2015-2019
A university-led, app-based peer-tutoring project. High-school students posted photos of math problems they were struggling with; volunteer teachers responded with photographed, step-by-step handwritten solutions and explanations.
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Volunteer instruction: answered student questions with clear, step-by-step written explanations, helping learners understand the reasoning, not just the answer.
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Accessibility of learning: brought free, on-demand math support to high-schoolers who might not otherwise have had access to tutoring.
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Sustained commitment: volunteered continuously across four years of my undergraduate studies.
Nar Projesi (Pomegranate Project),
Toplum Gönüllüleri Vakfı (TOG) / Community Volunteers Foundation
Project Coordinator & Volunteer Teacher, 2017-2018
An after-school outreach program serving elementary and middle-school students in low-socioeconomic-status schools. As Project Coordinator, I led both the programming and the logistics: designing activities, coordinating a team of volunteer teachers, and partnering with school principals and classroom teachers.
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Program design: planned and led after-school activities connecting academic content with creative, hands-on learning for elementary and middle-school students.
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Team coordination: led and mentored a team of volunteer teachers: assigning roles, running planning meetings, and supporting their work with students.
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School partnerships: coordinated with school principals and classroom teachers to align activities with student needs and school routines.
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Equity focus: targeted schools in under-resourced communities, bringing enrichment experiences that students would not otherwise have access to.
