Inclusive, Critical Thinking & Student-Oriented
My teaching philosophy centers on fostering a supportive and inclusive environment -where all voices are heard and valued- that encourages students from diverse backgrounds to engage in critical thinking, active partipation, and intellectual curiosity.
One core tenet of my teaching philosophy is bridging theory and practice to foster critical thinking. My class activities help students engage with real-world issues, deepening their understanding while encouraging inquisivitiness and interaction.
Through structured discussions, I foster open dialogue by welcoming diverse perspectives. It creates a vibrant and intellectually stimulating learning environment where all students feel heard, respected, and motivated to succeed.
My goal is to not only teach the content but to inspire a lifelong passion for learning and a deep understanding of the importance of active citizenship in a global context.
Student Evaluations
"The Socratic seminar teaching was super helpful to feel engaged and excited to learn more. The professor give a really good job at managing it as well."
"She was hands on. She really wanted us to engage with her and she had many activities planned that were fun that made us actually feel a part of what we were learning."
"The open ended conversations she implemented and supported allowed a very comfortable setting for talking on such dense subjects in global issues."
"She is able to get us to interact and used various ways to engage the class, since it is huge."
"The group projects helped students learn and help teach their peers."
"I want to acknowledge that Professor Ozguler Aktel actually did a wonderful job! She would divide us into groups to apply the class's concepts that we were covering, so that we can comprehend them better and she cared about our opinion so much that, she would give us enough time to express ourselves to the rest of the class about the topics that we were passionate about."
"I enjoyed that the course structure encouraged collaboration and sharing because it made me more invested in what we learned."
"There was enough designated time for classroom discussion. That was the best part."
"I like how Professor Ozguler Aktel provided a platform for us to share important issues that we were passionate about pertaining to Global issues."
"I appreciated that the instructor always made a space for discussion that felt lively and yet still civil."
"She created the space for us to express ourselves freely."
"She cared about everyone's response and she made the classroom really feel like a safe space. "
"[She] helped us teach ourselves and share the knowledge with the class."
"She gave ample time for discussion, which helped students more involved."
She would actively engage in our class and ask us questions in order for us to expand our critical thinking skills."
"She challenged us, but was very open to everyone's opinion."
"[She] made the course challenging "
"I liked having ask the tough questions so we thought about our response."
"The class was simple and well constructed."
"Very clear objectives and instructions."
"They were very clear with what they wanted, and stuck to it so that there was no confusion."
" Everything that was needed for the class could be found in iCollege [the university's digital platform]."
"I enjoyed the tone of my professor when we were provided with videos, announcement posts, syllabus and assignment instructions."
"I liked how Professor used real world examples to help us understand the lectures' concepts better and how she gave us some great feedbacks on our assignments that helped us succeed in her class."
"The class was well structured. The class was asynchronous, the few videos provided to us were concise and clear, and the textbook was an excellent resource. I greatly enjoyed the textbook. I really enjoyed the weekly 'Required and Recommended' charts, where the professor put our deadlines and approximated time needed to complete the assignment."
"She was very passionate about the content and was a good speaker."
"[S]He came off as genuine, and interested in what [s]he was teaching."
"I appreciate how she tries and is always doing her best to help them and others. She is flexible and compassionate when it comes to in person and virtual teaching."
"[She] made sure we had all of the materials we needed, and was always available if we needed help."
"Teaching style was very informative and helped me realize what career path I wish to go down."
"She engaged us in group assignments and it really helped to improve my communication skills."
"Professor Aktel [...] brought vibrant energy to the classroom and always looked to help her students succeed. The final project was planned out remarkably! It built up to a final report with several different steps, all of which was graded (with helpful feedback) that all came in handy at the time of the final report!!"
"She was straight forward and fair."
"She was very kind and open to us and it made me feel more able to be honest."
"She always smiled, laughed, and brought positivity to the classroom. She was very friendly, polite, and helpful in class! We all love Professor Aktel!"
"She was flexible, understanding and supportive when helping her students. I highly recommend her to other students."
"[She was] really nice and understanding of the current Covid-19 crisis."
