The classroom teacher conducts lessons with a puppet named ‘Uncle Grocer’.

A primary school teacher in Samsun, who is a master instructor of 7 musical instruments, conducts some of his lessons using the instruments he plays and a puppet he named ‘Uncle Grocer’. He stated that this approach makes the lessons less boring and also helps students learn more easily by blending the information they need to memorize with songs.

Mahir Çuğu, a classroom teacher at Şehit Cengiz Topel Primary School in the İlkadım district, creates unforgettable moments for his students during lessons. He can play many musical instruments such as bağlama, guitar, violin, piano, ney, and kaval, and he utilizes this talent in his classes. Mahir Çuğu teaches subjects like mathematics and Turkish using musical instruments, and he also uses the puppet named ‘Uncle Grocer’ to engage students in a fun learning experience.

“We need to make the job a bit more enjoyable,” Teacher Mahir Çuğu said. “I love my profession. I do this job to improve it and to enjoy it. Sometimes students get bored in class for 40 minutes, and naturally, teachers do too. We need to make the job a bit more fun. I conduct my lessons in a multifaceted way. Especially shy students cannot remain too withdrawn. I have received years of training in various branches of arts. I am a master instructor in 7 instruments. I have received years of training in these as well. I have previously worked as a soloist in music. I have an interest in sports and painting. I have received a lot of training in both fine arts and fields where children can develop themselves. Primarily, I play musical instruments such as bağlama, guitar, violin, piano, ney, and kaval. I also have a composer side, which I use. Especially in mathematics lessons, I create songs for every topic, starting with rhythmic counting in the four operations. This way, I provide children with a fun and unforgettable lesson experience. Especially when we present certain things they need to memorize through songs, the children memorize the song. Thus, they learn what they need to learn,” he said.

The little students also said that they have a lot of fun in class and that they love their teacher very much.