Geneviève Brassard,
History teacher
In a dynamic small town, Geneviève finds inspiration in the cultural homogeneity of her students, while enriching their educational experience with a stimulating arts curriculum and her own approaches to teaching. Located in the heart of a small town with a dynamic community of about 30,000 inhabitants, the school where Geneviève works adjoins more rural municipalities, offering its residents a living environment that combines urban proximity and tranquility. The school is distinguished by its homogeneity: most of its students come from long-established Quebec families. Although a few newcomers have recently added to its diversity, the students’ cultural background remains largely homogeneous. To Geneviève, who teaches a class with an artistic component, this feature adds an enriching dimension to her teaching. While the artistic component does not alter the curriculum, it offers students one double art period per week, enriching their educational journey from a creative and expressive perspective.
Vers l’Avenir
Joliette, Québec
Civic Engagement
In Geneviève Brassard’s view, teaching history plays a significant role as a catalyst for civic engagement by shedding light on contemporary issues and encouraging students to reflect on their role as citizens.
Geneviève believes that teaching history is much more than an exploration of the past; it is a means of fostering civic engagement in her students. By highlighting key events in the history of Quebec and Canada, Geneviève guides her students towards an awareness of the impact of these events and their ancestors’ struggles on their present reality and quality of life. “The fact that we put the events we see into context, into perspective, enables students to make connections with their lives now and the role they can play in society,” she explains.
This collective awareness has prompted her students to question their own role as citizens: “What battles do we need to fight today to ensure that future generations also reap the benefits of progress?” In response to this question, students identified preservation of the environment as a major challenge. Geneviève Brassard points out that this connection between the history taught and contemporary challenges offers students a perspective on their potential role in society, encouraging them to actively consider their influence on the future. In fact, this is what she does through other classroom activities focusing on 19th-century trade union movements. These activities have enabled students to make associations with contemporary trade union movements that have fought for women’s rights and the rights of minorities.
Teacher Training
To Geneviève, continuing education and educational scaffolding play a key role in the development of her history teaching methods. She has put her newly acquired professional skills into practice through activities that draw on concepts of historical thinking.
Geneviève highlights the importance of courses in the didactics of the humanities and social sciences, which have been essential in guiding her through the social studies curriculum she teaches. She also mentions the role of the teacher consultant in introducing innovative teaching materials.
More recently, an intensive course on historical thinking given by Catherine Duquette of the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi has enriched her approach to teaching. “The course opened my eyes to aspects I’d never heard of before,” she explains. Geneviève emphasizes that all these experiences have gradually transformed her teaching practices, highlighting the importance of continuing education to stay up to date on innovative and critical history teaching methods.
Geneviève Brassard points out that putting concepts of historical thinking into practice through activities enables students to develop historical empathy and analyze changes that have taken place between different eras by examining the causes and consequences of past events. “We discuss continuity and change, why we are where we are today,” she elaborates. “Students are encouraged to understand the historical contexts [of events],” she explains. These activities have prompted students to think deeply about the evolution of social and political phenomena, concludes Geneviève.
Co-created by Geneviève Brassard and René Salem