The 2025 educational day aimed to explore the evolution of the management of classes and the role of teachers, who are currently facing important changes related to the new generation of hyperconnected apprenticeships. The morning was devoted to conferences and exchanges in plenary, allowing to approach this topical theme from several angles; The afternoon was dedicated to a practical approach, with participation in both varied and stimulating workshops.
Support young people in a changing world
Between 12 and 25 years old, young people are going through a major transition phase, explains Mr. Martin Schütz, from the Haute École Pédagogique de Bern. Their behavior is thus strongly influenced by biological factors – such as hormonal upheavals and the progressive maturation of the brain – but also by a digital environment in constant stimulation, where information abounds but where the meaning is sometimes rare.
Faced with this reality, the school is faced with a major challenge: it can no longer work according to traditional models, focused on the simple transmission of knowledge. Today, teaching must evolve towards more innovative and creative approaches, which develop critical thinking and help adolescents to give meaning to their learning – a need that has become fundamental in young generations.
In this context, an essential question arises: how to guide young people towards success, while stimulating their personal initiative and their efficiency? Teachers, on the front line, are increasingly in the face of demotivated and disinterested students by school learning. However, we cannot force anyone to learn. The role of the teacher evolves therefore, because it is no longer only a question of transmitting, but above all to offer a framework conducive to learning, to develop a relationship of trust with young people and to create the conditions that make you want to learn, without ever being able to impose.
Redefine the relationship of authority in the current context of education
-The relationship of authority was at the center of the second part of the morning, led by Mr. Adrien Jacot-des-Combes, DIP teacher and teaching manager at the University of Geneva. The relationship of authority between teachers and students experienced a major transformation over the decades. In the past, the authority was mainly vertical: adults held power and imposed strict rules. Today, adolescents tend to place themselves in an equality relationship with any other person, feeling guilty of anything. Young people now choose what concerns them, and even prohibitions are often negotiated. In this context, how is it possible for teachers to establish a solid and respectful authority relationship with their students?
A key approach to weave this relationship lies in the injunction to think. Rather than imposing rigid rules, often devoid of meaning in the eyes of young people, it is essential to encourage students to think about their behavior and their objectives. This opens the door to a more constructive dialogue and allows students to become aware of the impact of their actions. In addition, by integrating relational maintenance tools such as open questions, reflections, summaries and valuation, teachers can promote a climate of cooperation and listening, and allow the class to evolve in a context of mutual respect.
Explicit teaching of communication and expectations is also essential for their professional future, which is more in the fields of health and social, in which ESSG apprentices will evolve. Indeed, it is important to guide students in learning expected behavior, both within the school and in their workplace. An interactive and personalized approach, which is based on regular exchanges and the enhancement of efforts, makes it possible to strengthen the self -confidence of students and their feeling of efficiency. By multiplying interactions and weaving solid links, teachers can establish a respected authority, where each student feels listened to and taken into account.
Practical workshops on the afternoon program
The second part of the day was devoted to workshops, thus offering teachers the possibility of actively immersing themselves in two specific themes of their choice: Class dynamics and movement need (Mrs. Cécile Tribot, trainer and techno-pedagogue), Relationship fabric in class (Mrs. Saskia Jacquemin, teacher, adult trainer, mediator), Supervision “class tour” (Ms. Julia Lange, FSP psychologist, BSO coach) and Promote students’ commitment through positive psychology (M. Samuel Collaud, AREPP, FocusPositif.ch).
These workshops offered members of the ESSG teaching staff a concrete immersion in their professional practice, allowing them to exchange both with experts and their colleagues. These exchanges, which enrich the knowledge acquired during plenary conferences, are one of the main objectives of the educational day. Each year, this event thus gives teachers the opportunity to share their experiences, to participate in stimulating discussions and to meet together the challenges linked to the teaching of today and tomorrow.
