The Greatness of the Teacher of Teachers Orhan Seyfi Ari

The personal and teaching qualities that made this teacher such a great teacher

“He was one of the greatest teachers of our time. He did not become a teacher. He was born a teacher.” Dogrusoz, Kibris 1999

“We had a teacher… Ari… There was teaching…” Dasci, Birlesik Kibris 2003

‘Teachers Day... Fond memories, on mention of teacher Ari.’ Guvenir, H. Sesi 2004

‘His students made the state and the nation proud’ Atun, Leader of the Parliament 1992

The qualities are many but attainable by teachers that made this teacher, his teaching so great, successful, so respected and loved –a country boy dubbed by the Minister of Education the Teacher of Teachers and a street named after him ~a teacher years after his death remembered, continuing to inspire: the personal and teaching qualities of teacher Orhan Seyfi Ari that made students, parents, colleague teachers -pupils and people happy and proud, and this teacher a socio-cultural leader among teachers, educators and educational reformers, a hero, a truly great teacher.

A poet rhymed one of teacher Ari’s personal qualities as follows...

“His concern -so sincere!.. Greatly respected everywhere!
Years spent to illuminate… More: hearts, his sultanate!”
(Metiner, Birlik, 1993 –trnsltd.)

And, specifically, he emphasised teacher Orhan Seyfi Ari’s honesty:

“As built his honesty a throne, in every heart, that rules!”

Teacher Orhan Ari’s teacher–student relations were based on the whole student –students’ personal circumstances affected their learning ~to teacher Ari this was not a theoretical but genuine concern, and a former colleague, a literary researcher refers to this:

“...his concern for, and help to, his pupils, extended beyond their educational activities and lives…” (Fedai, Halkin Sesi 1992)

Teacher Orhan Ari, in matters of school discipline and behavior management preferred measures of prevention to correction on the basis of pupils’ likes and dislikes –with good familiarity with each student’s details and circumstances, always with a sincere discussion and with particular care about the feelings of the students and not to humiliate them and always with acknowledgement of the abilities and the potential of the students, with interested appreciation of pupils’ nature –one of the verses in a poem by teacher Ari reflects this…

‘Sometimes such fools we were, sometimes smart kids
Sometimes Satan's tools, sometimes with saintly deeds’

Teacher–parent relations of teacher Ari was always based on this appreciation of the growing-up processes of the pupils, and he always ensured to keep pupils’ parents regularly informed of their sons’ and daughter such good behaviour and achievements as were praiseworthy and would make all the concerned proud, as well as the abilities and potential of the pupils for all possible encouragement and help also from their parents –establishing relations and involving also parents with less time or formal interest, additionally to his staff or colleague teachers’ and his own motivation and help ~which extended beyond the requisites of teaching jobs and the working hours of a school teacher.

Teacher Ari had earned not only his pupils’, students’, their parents’ trust and confidence, but usefully to his students, pupils, and many trade and craft trainees, also of the business community...

“We’d fallen out, going to the lawyers; we came across this teacher Ari… He said, ‘Don’t (etc)’ –and, so, I was able to complete my apprenticeship and learn my craft…”
(Tezel, Golden Frame Interviews -Halkin Sesi Sunday Supplement 2004)

Teacher Orhan Ari, not only in the secondary school classrooms knew how to keep the teenager pupils interested by class discussions involving also the shy and the quiet pupils and with his sharp wit and appropriate jokes and approachability, but also with his adult rural-college students his popularity had been enormous...

“...I met Orhan Seyfi Ari at college -our friendship continued for years...”
(Kitromilides ‘Images from My Life’ –Nicholas press, London 2002)

Teacher Ari was so popular that when he retired from teaching he was invited to visit and inspect schools and teaching overseas, and when he passed away, even though he had retired over a decade before, school children took part in his funeral carrying flowers.

With various teaching awards, in an unfinished monograph, this great teacher, teacher Orhan Seyfi Ari, saw his greatest reward as…

‘My spiritual reward.. my beloved 'children', my pupils, have achieved success... The feeling of having been loved by them, as I have loved them.’