Special Education Teaching

My name is Mehmet Yavuz. I am the Head of the Special Education Department. Our department started its educational activities in the 2009-2010 academic year. The name of the department at that time was the department of teaching for the mentally handicapped. Later, in 2016-2017, it started to operate as a Special Education Department, depending on the change made by YÖK (Higher Education Council). In our country, the internship program is referred to as a teaching practice. This is a unique opportunity for us. Because students take theoretical courses for 3 or even for 4 years. Internship Practice or Teaching Practice is an area where they have the chance to apply the theoretical content that they have acquired during these 4 years. For example, in 4-year theoretical courses, they see how to treat the behavioral problems that occur in children, but they see it theoretically. But in the teaching practice, which we call internship practice, they face real life by working with children with mental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. In addition, there are special methods developed for children with disabilities. They can also experience how to apply these methods during their internship. If our students have a good level of foreign language, they can go to various universities with which we have agreements abroad with exchange programs. There is a Special Education Congress on a national basis. Various universities can arrange this from time to time. Sometimes our university organizes it. Apart from this, we have a Special Education Society. The control of the Special Education Society is entirely up to the students. By doing various activities, students both promote our department on a national basis and contribute to their own education. After graduating from our department, students can work both in the government and in the private sector. Students working in the state can work in special education schools or rehabilitation centers. Those who prefer the private sector can work in private education and rehabilitation centers. We offer our students who will prefer us; a department where they can experience professional satisfaction to the fullest. There are various activities offered by our university for our foreign students. We have various sports and social facilities. In other words, they can think of Edirne as a student city. Apart from this, as far as I know, Edirne is in second place after Rome in terms of the number of historical monuments per square meter. Because it is a city that was the capital of the Ottoman Empire for years. From this point of view, they can think of it as a city where they can visit and have fun for 4 years. I would like to say to the students who will come to Edirne or who will prefer our department: We have a young and dynamic academic staff. These are the people who are open to both teaching and learning. Together with them, we would like to host you for 4 years. I wish everyone success.