Education News | Page 39 teacher education is " trust and personal contact ." Jean says , " Proper education is a professional relationship between people who are teaching and learning , and trust is important in that relationship . If students know and understand what we are doing and if they are respected , they go accordingly . If there is a lack of trust , and it happens sometimes , then it creates issues . When students first get out of the university they want to be the best teachers they can be ; they ’ re really centered on their subject areas , but they figure out very quickly that relationship is key . There is no teaching without a relationship . Reconciliation helped us understand the weight , the heavy burden , of residential schools because there was a loss , or a lack of trust if there was trust in the beginning . If you don ’ t have trust , failure is almost certain ."
As parting advice , Jean recommends that the Faculty , " keep an eye on le Bac in the future . Continue to ensure that le Bac is staffed properly . Make sure French services are recognized and appreciated in the future as they are now , and not always seen as a burden even though it is extra work . La Cité is now a Faculty . This is great news ; it means we now have La Cité colleagues to help us with faculty resources . However , there is a caveat , let ’ s be careful . We have to be sure that le Bac students are well-served
by both Faculties . I hope the next dean will be able , as Dean Cranston has done , to figure out the role of le Bac program and make sure it has room to grow at the University of Regina ."
Overall , Jean ' s feelings about his career are positive : " I ’ m very grateful to the Faculty , to le Bac program , and to Regina Catholic School Division because they ’ ve allowed me to grow in the profession . I understand things today I didn ’ t understand 20 years ago . For example , I understand more about reconciliation because I was part of this Faculty . I ’ ve had discussions with elders that I would not have had otherwise . I ' m very grateful ."
( Click the image below to view a slideshow .)
Jean Dufresne at his retirement celebration , June 2022 Photo credit : Shuana Niessen