Project Overview
- Research topics
- Region: National
- Project Overview
Project status
- Completed :
- Phase 1 - April 2020 to March 2022
- In progress :
- Phase 2 - September 2022 to March 2024 (under renewal)
Project manager or
resource person
- Marie-Ève Desormeaux
- Director of Content
Partner organization(s)
Fédération culturelle canadienne-française
La ruchée: Recruiting and Retaining French Arts Teachers
The mission of the La ruchée (the hive) arts education laboratory is to develop accessible, useful and sustainable solutions to meet the needs of the arts education community in Canadian and Acadian French language schools and FSL programs.
After two years of experimentation and learning in the field from 2020 to 2022, La ruchée is deploying pilot projects to equip and support teachers who want to integrate the arts into their teaching or who teach the arts in French. The goal? To increase teachers' capacities, enhance their professional confidence and contribute to their sense of belonging to professional and artistic networks in French.
These projects include a workshop to build creative confidence (starting in the winter of 2023), an arts education design program (starting in the fall of 2023), an arts education mentorship program (starting in the winter of 2023), a professional development platform for arts education (starting in the fall of 2023), and a community of practice (starting in the winter of 2023).
Targeted Results
Main takeaways (learnings)
- The La ruchée project has made it possible to broaden the scope of teaching in and through the arts on a national scale, to strengthen the links already established between schools and the arts and cultural communities on the basis of joint actions, to increase knowledge of the issue of recruitment and retention of French-speaking and immersion teachers, and to experiment with solutions.
- To achieve lasting change, we need to nurture and develop a constructive, long-term dialogue with all stakeholders in these issues.
- Arts education goes far beyond the technical learning of art as such: it's a playful, concrete context of French language use that holds promise for overcoming language insecurity. It's also a context that favors the integration of teachers and students from immigrant backgrounds, and an opportunity to build intercultural bridges.
- While the value of teaching in and through the arts seems to be recognized, this seems to have a limited impact on teacher hiring.
- Initial teacher training (ITT) offers future teachers an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the creative process behind arts education, but more tools are needed to support the transition to practice.
- Artists face the challenge of valuing and recognizing the pedagogical skills they have developed over the course of their careers, and the occasional and frequent interventions they make in schools.
- FIE students need to develop their confidence and competence in teaching the arts, while learning to play the role of cultural facilitator.
- Retention of teachers could be facilitated by specific support for teaching the arts at various stages of a teacher's career. This support should equip the individual, guide his or her search for tools for learning about and through the arts, and break down feelings of isolation.
Potential/desired collaborations
If you're interested in this French-language education initiative, please contact us.
What's the added value for your organization?
- Offer innovative activities to develop Francophone culture and identity-building;
- Promote the retention of teaching staff by meeting their needs for professional development and recognition;
- Accompany staff who teach through or with the arts to strengthen their skills.
