TAU-CED hosts virtual investiture for pre-service teachers
TAU – College of Education hosted a virtual Investiture program for the 99 new pre-service teachers on 4 March 2022.
With a theme, “Teaching Internship: The Virus, the Values, and the Victors,” the CED faculty welcomed and congratulated the candidates for surpassing all the minimum requirements to become practice teachers this semester.
They will be deployed to their respective cooperating schools of the Schools Division of Tarlac Province in the next two weeks.
Dr. Claire Anne A. Olivares, dean of the College of Education, welcomed them virtually with a message about the significance of the teaching internship. In her speech she said that teaching internship is intended to provide a link between academic courses studied by the education students to the real world of teaching. Although the covid-19 pandemic brought about a massive and unprecedented changes, including the usual practice in the education system, the TAU College of Education (CED) believes that teaching internship is still possible without risking the health of the pre-service teachers.
"I know you've worked hard to reach this point. While the Covid-19 virus made everything harder for you, you chose to rise above it. You chose to be victors [rather] than victims of this pandemic. Your bravery, persistence, dedication, and ability will continue to serve you well as you move along your journey." said Dean Olivares.
The TAU President, Dr. Max P. Guillermo also extended his congratulatory and inspirational message to the new practice teachers. He stated that teaching has become immensely more challenging than usual because of the COVID-19 situation that disrupted the whole world; hence, the teachers’ role in crises is crucial, but after the crisis is equally essential; nation-building or rebuilding after COVID-19 is a grave responsibility. He further reiterated that the Practice Teaching Investiture theme, The Virus, the Values, and the Victors, reminds teachers “to remain hopeful and maintain their values to surpass this global crisis triumphantly.”
The Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Arnold E. Velasco, on the other hand, stressed the importance of good values, a positive attitude and being a role model, such as being cooperative, patient, and respectful. "Negative attitude destroys the relationship with the school head, teachers, and students in your cooperating school", he stated.
After listening to the inspirational remarks of the University President and the VP for Academic Affairs, the program chairs led the traditional pinning of nameplates and presentation of practice teachers.
Mr. Edmon M. Miguel, Jr., an alumnus of TAU College of Education, a Bachelor of Elementary Education graduate and now a Special Education Teacher at JT McWilliams Elementary School, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA also graced the virtual event.
In Mr. Miguel’s keynote speech, he simply asked first, "What makes a good teacher?" Then he looked back at how TAU CED, including his understanding but strict professors, helped him become who he is today by striking a good balance between discipline and compassion of the essential things for an excellent teacher to identify. He explained that discipline and compassion combine to build character. Thus, one cannot stand without the other. According to him, to create a good discipline system and become a more effective educator, compassion is necessary. This means understanding and walking in students' shoes to see the world from their perspective. “Being a teacher is not limited to making lesson plans or checking test papers; hence, you must be a mother or a father; it requires one to wear many hats with one head,” he added.
Afterward, the college supervisors led the new pre-service teachers in the ceremonial lighting of candles.
Assistant Dean Marlon B. Espedillon concluded the virtual investiture with a message “that despite the horror unleashed by the evil of this pandemic, we have come to realize that education is more than the knowledge we acquire from teachers.”
He believed that it is more than an academic curriculum that often limits our freedom to know more. It is more than a place that confines the teaching and learning processes inside a box. These metaphors manifest the values that we need to uphold to understand why education should flourish even at this darkest time. Only when you possess these values will you only flourish as the real victors, not only as interns in this crucial component of teacher training but also as active agents for quality education and social transformation,” he ended. (LQSobravilla, CED)