They still believe it. This Friday, pre-return day for teachers, many of them will return to their establishment motivated. Not that they avoid the difficulties of their profession (unsatisfactory salaries, overcrowded classes, ever-changing ministerial injunctions, etc.). But if their daily life is not always rosy, this job, they want it. Quite simply because they feel useful. And it is this pleasure in teaching that explains the professional longevity of some, like Stéphanie, a teacher for twenty-five years in college. “What makes me want to continue is the transmission, the relationship with students, the desire to help them flourish and find their way. They are really the ones who hold on, because the real recognition comes to us from them, ”says the one who responded to our call for witnesses.
This privileged relationship is really the engine of many teachers. The proof with Armand, 37 years old: “When a student tells you that he loves your lessons, or that he is going to miss you next year, it gives you a complete boost! Same when you meet a former student a few years later and he is delighted to talk to you and remember his years of lessons! Pierre, he even has a little ritual before the start of the school year: “I reread the thank you messages sent to me by the students in previous years. Or those of former students who give their news sometimes ten years later saying “it’s thanks to you!”. It invigorates! Antoine, 35, on contract, also draws his motivation from his strong relationship with the students: “I cling to the little things that make the beauty of this job: a student who will say ‘thank you for this lesson’ on leaving of style. Parents who testify by seeing the positive evolution of their child. A message on Pronote from future graduates who tell us how happy they were to work with us. »
Changing practices to renew
It is also impossible for Elsa, a German teacher for thirty-seven years, to get bored: “Our profession is very varied, because each class is different”, she underlines. This presupposes knowing how to adapt to each cohort, by choosing the most effective teaching method according to the level of the pupils or their particular difficulties. Emmeline, a teacher for nine years, including eight in kindergarten, has also kept her capacity for wonder: “In the small section, we lay the foundations for the rest of the children’s schooling, who learn to live together. At that age, they grow up very quickly, and seeing their development between their start of school and the end of the small section makes me think that’s why I love my job: to see them become more and more autonomous. »
To go the distance, the secret is also to know how to renew yourself. As Catherine, 60, a school teacher for thirty years, testifies: “I build projects every year (artistic, solidarity, etc.) I am curious and train on the job (personal research, union internships, etc.) And I work in a team as soon as possible, it is essential to compare its methods”. A professional dynamism that Stéphanie also demonstrates: “To stay motivated, I think about new sequences and new projects during the summer. I train regularly, and I try new teaching practices, to make students more active and independent. This year, I also redecorated the classroom, installing a reading corner to try to make them want to read once their work was done. »
Projects, change… The art of change
To maintain her interest in her job, Maude, who has been teaching French and geo-history for twenty years, including seventeen in a professional high school, imagines new adventures: “I focus on projects outside of my classes, especially internationally. It opens students up to the world. Géraldine, 50 years old and a teacher for twenty years, also questions herself every year: “I never do the same thing again. I read a lot during the summer, I watch innovations in other countries. If I am motivated, my students will be! There is no secret. »
To avoid falling into a routine, Elsa, a teacher for twenty-seven years, has her own method: “I change jobs every five years, and I have even managed to change activities for five years. I am a French teacher and now take care specifically of students with disabilities. »
Rely on the team to overcome difficulties
Another “recipe” for being well in one’s job: relying on the collective, as does Christine, a maths teacher for twenty-three years in college: “I love my job a little more each year. My secret: extraordinary colleagues and a close-knit team, the love of the subject I teach, the passion for human relations and the desire to continue sharing. Because being able to confide in your difficulties in the teachers’ room often makes it possible to put them into perspective or find solutions. And the esprit de corps at National Education is not just a concept.