Stéphanie Breniaux is a primary school teacher in Morez, Jura. Passionate and committed to her pupils, Stéphanie has been setting up Savanturiers projects in her classes for several years, in history, neuroscience and biology. In these projects, she sees the need for students to learn by doing, as well as developing their curiosity and self-confidence. Stéphanie herself always comes out of these experiences stronger than ever.
When she was little, Stéphanie Breniaux dreamed of being a doctor, or a teacher. The « care »As she puts it, she was already motivated. In junior high and high school, she met some guiding teachers. It was then that she decided to become one herself. First as a teacher, then as headmistress at École les Rousses in the Jura region, after seeing the film Reenchanting school Isabelle Bonnet-Murray (who supervised two Savanturiers classes in Creil) to go to a school with children in the greatest social and academic difficulty, to get involved. « I saw this film during the first lockdown. It completely shook me up, and that's when it all clicked. I wanted to feel more useful and I don't regret it. ». With her new students, the Savanturiers program, in which Stéphanie has already participated in recent years with other classes, is more relevant than ever.
« A frontal approach to teaching doesn't work with children: they need to learn by doing, and to participate in the learning process. ».
This year, his CM2 class is working on the brain with scientific mentors specialized in neuroeducation.
In the first year, the «In the footsteps of Louis Pasteur» project (Savanturiers du vivant) with Hélène Moreau, a researcher in cellular biology of the immune system, enabled the pupils to set up experiments and formulate a real research question: «How can we protect ourselves from pathogenic microbes?». A visionary problem posed in 2018 by these 10-11 year-olds... The class presented the fruit of their labors at the Savanturiers Congress in Besançon, and even won 2nd prize in the Main à la Pâte. For Stéphanie, conventions are the most memorable moments. « Students prepare and present in front of the rectors, inspectors and other children; in the afternoon, they run the workshops themselves. They manage to do something really good, qualitative, thoughtful. And they're proud of themselves.. explains Stéphanie, who is both moved and proud. The Savanturiers program enables children to be taken seriously, to feel legitimate and confident, to discover scientific rigor through contact with researchers, and to develop their critical faculties:
« They ask questions, are curious and question a lot of things. They're lively in class! It's sometimes tiring, but it's great! ».
Collaboration also takes on its full meaning: children experiment in groups. In 2019, they worked on the Great War with a historian, Gaëlle Charcosset, based on letters from a pupil's grandfather. A veritable goldmine that they used to create the Twitter account of Léon le Poilu. Through this project, they learned to cross-reference sources, verify information, and even created a escape game and mounted an exhibition. Stéphanie is committed, enthusiastic and passionate when she talks about her projects and her job. In fact, the Savanturiers program has enabled her to improve her professional practice. « Thanks to discussions with other teachers and researchers, we collaborate, exchange readings and references, and it's all very interesting. ». Through contact with research in particular, she has been inspired to go further, to delve deeper into certain subjects. At the moment, Stéphanie is reading Osez really succeed! Change your mindset by Carole Dweck, It's based on research with children in the Bronx, and shows that the way children see themselves influences their success and failure. Stéphanie finds these questions fascinating, and also tries to open up her students« horizons: " by working with their mentors, they discover the profession of researcher, which they wouldn't necessarily have thought of».» Stéphanie also regularly brings medical and pharmacy students into her class. It's clear that she is fully committed to the children she supports, and wants to see them flourish and succeed in their own way. As a teacher, she too has acquired a sense of competence thanks to the Savanturiers program, and feels more legitimate: Stéphanie passed with flying colors the exams to become a master trainer for three years. In turn, she'll be able to pass on innovative methods and ways of teaching. « I'm a big fan of Savanturiers, so of course I'll be talking about them. she says.
Discover the Savanturiers-Ecole de la Recherche program
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An article by Marie OLLIVIER
