Being a cooperating teacher or a mentor of a pre-service teacher is an opportunity for me. It's not an easy task, it's challenging yet it's fulfilling if you can share with your mentee the best teaching practices or best teaching and learning techniques. Sharing your valuable insights and guiding them in lesson planning is one of the most engaging tasks a cooperating teacher can impart to the mentees. I've been a cooperating teacher for almost 20 years so it's no longer new to me. Last Thursday, I was instructed by my school head to attend the orientation of the pre-service teachers and cooperating teachers of CTU Tabogon Extension at Tabogon Municipal Gym. It was just this year that I able to attend this kind of event. I'm glad that my school principal trusted me to participate in the said event. Unlike my previous school heads we the cooperating teachers don't have the chance to attend this kind of orientation.
Because of excitement, I woke up early so that I wouldn't be late. I arrived at the venue at exactly 8:10 but the event started at almost 9:40. I got a little bit upset since I'm a time-conscious person but because CTU is my Alma Mater and CTU Tobogon is also our partner in SHS work immersion, I just understood and widened my patience until the guest from Daanbabtayan arrived. While waiting for the event to start they offered coffee and snacks to the teacher participants. At first, I refused but one of my co-participants offered me a biscuit. I just accepted her offer thus making my stomach a little bit full.
When the guest from Daanbabtayan arrived, I found out that they were my previous professor, friends, and schoolmates. I'm happy looking at them and how successful they were in their career and now a leader in one of the prestigious schools in the province, the CTU. In a few minutes, the event started. It commenced with a prayer and welcome address followed by the presentation of pre-service teacher. After confirmation, the orientation started.
The orientation was led by the student-teacher coordinator. He discussed the rules and guidelines, duties, and responsibilities of mentors and mentees. After the discussion was the open forum. The last was the singing of CTU HYMN and finally the pictorials. Before we departed the venue, lunch was served. We enjoyed eating our lunch and had a full stomach. Thankful to the CTU staff for inviting us and serving sumptuous food for our lunch. After eating we went back to our respective schools.
