Érik Charron
École secondaire Mgr-A.-M.-Parent

It seems it’s never too late to do the right thing. To say the least, this is what Érik Charron proved when, at the age of 35, he decided to go back to school to become a high school mathematics teacher. And he did so in a desire to fulfil a career ambition, to share his experience of perseverance and to help students understand the importance of making the right choices in life. He now teaches at Mgr-A.-M.-Parent high school and has set himself apart through his projects, creativity, dynamism and, more importantly, his positive impact on young people.

Érik Charron has been working in the field of education with students experiencing difficulties for seven years now. Finding fulfilment in his work, he approaches every day in the classroom as a new challenge and tries to serve as a guide for his students. “I have always believed that teaching is more than just teaching academic subjects, that it is the responsibility of all adults to educate young people in society. I think we have to show them how to learn to reason for themselves, to understand the world around them and to act in society. This is our role.”

But to have an impact on students, the students have to be present in class. For a teacher working with students following a special extended program, students who seldom or never succeed at school and for whom skipping classes is a primary objective, this can be quite a challenge. In setting up the project “Mon job… c’est l’école,” Érik Charron wanted to fight absenteeism by giving his students a real reason to show up in class. “I said to myself that if I paid them to come to school, I’d solve part of the problem,” he points out.

And that’s exactly what he does! But don’t be misled. Paying them a salary in money was simply out of the question. They would receive their salary in the form of credit that they would be able to use to buy rewards. Once the idea had been accepted by the school principal and the program’s entire teaching staff, Érik Charron started scouting the city in search of rewards that would be irresistible to young people. Tickets for an Alouettes or Impact match, ski passes, a trip to the Aérodium, gift certificates for restaurants and clothing boutiques, books, software and, as the ultimate reward, flying lessons in a Cessna plane.

“They can accumulate credit just by attending class. If they go to remedial classes, they get more. If they participate in class, they are given additional credit. But they can also lose it. It’s up to them. As they will enter the job market sooner than others, they have to increase their accountability and it works. With these students, the less motivated they are, the more they skip classes, and the more they skip classes, the less motivated they become. I wanted to break this vicious circle,” he explains.

Although an assessment has yet to be made, the teacher already sees a definite improvement compared to the groups he had last year. According to him, absenteeism has dropped dramatically and class participation has improved by at least 50%.

“Mr. Charron is not just a teacher, he’s a man of passion, a guide and a reference for his students. He wants to make them realise that they have potential and that they can draw on this potential both at school and in their everyday lives,” states teacher Suzanne Lambert.

And this is not the only project that has enabled Érik Charron to distinguish himself. So as to make the school grounds more attractive and above all to foster a sense of belonging to the school among his students, he put forward a gardening project where students would be called on to design a sort of flower garden. He is also involved with the perseverance committee and suggested that a “guitar hero” contest be held between students and teachers in order to establish closer ties with young people and reveal another side of himself.

“Last week, one of my students said to me: “It’s really fun to know that there’s someone who cares about us. You don’t just teach classes, you’re there for us.” It touched my heart. That’s why I get involved and strive to find ways to help keep them in school,” he confides with sincerity.

Érik Charron
École secondaire Mgr-A.-M.-Parent