The Advisory Circle of Educators (ACOE) advises Elections Canada on best practices in the development of educational resources, future directions for its civic education program, and ways to ensure uptake by educators. In this series, we interview ACOE members to showcase their experience and expertise in civic education. Meet Jacqueline Robichaud.
Elections Canada: Hi Jacqueline. Tell us about yourself.
Jacqueline: I’m Jacqueline Robichaud. I live in Fredericton, New Brunswick, but am originally from Shippagan, a charming small town on the Acadian peninsula in the northeastern part of the province. I’m a proud Acadian!
I’m currently a substitute teacher for Grade 11 French. I previously taught French, the Humanities and History for 33 years at Sainte-Anne school in the District scolaire francophone Sud.
Civic education has always been a part of my life. At home, when I was a child, we always valued politics and the importance of voting. This is why I can easily incorporate civics into my teaching, regardless of the subject. Today, more than ever, it’s essential to teach our youth the importance of consulting reliable sources of information to better understand the world we live in and develop a civic identity within Canadian democracy.
Elections Canada: What role do you play in civic education?
Jacqueline: In my view, there are many facets to my role in both my personal life, through my community engagement, and professional life. First, I want to impart to my students the desire to participate actively in the politics of our province and of our country. Then, I’d like to raise awareness among my colleagues about the importance of incorporating civics into their teaching and guide them toward Elections Canada’s learning resources.
Another facet of my role in civic education is my active participation on the Advisory Circle of Educators. I advise the Civic Education team at Elections Canada on creating learning resources and contribute to their outreach in my education environment. As a reliable source of information, I’m responsible for countering disinformation to protect our democracy. This is also part of being a teacher, I believe!
Elections Canada: Tell us about a memorable moment in civic education.
Jacqueline: I have experienced several memorable moments in civic education throughout my career.
For example, when all the schools in New Brunswick began playing the national anthem daily, I took the opportunity to create a learning activity on the origin of the Canadian national anthem, including an informative text and a timeline posted on the classroom wall. I asked my students to identify the defining moment in the timeline and write a poem on the national anthem. Throughout the activity, students made some interesting discoveries. Their poems, especially those of students who had recently come to Canada, were very touching.
Then, when we studied the history of the vote in Canada in my course on Canadian history, given jointly with the French course, the students were very surprised to discover this chaotic part of our history. The interdisciplinary learning worked very well. It was an enriching experience not only for us, the teachers, but also for the students who highly appreciated the close collaboration between the two courses.
Elections Canada: Why did you choose to join ACOE?
Jacqueline: I decided to submit my candidacy, first, because I was a learning coach at my school (I’m always looking for new experiences and resources to share with my colleagues); second, because I have always enjoyed creating teaching material, especially when the subject, like Civic Education, is important to me. I really liked the possibility of combining the two.
Throughout my career, I have often sat on local and provincial committees. This time, I wanted to experience the national scene. This is what mostly prompted me to offer my services. I like learning what is going on elsewhere in Canada in Civic Education and in education generally. I have always liked having a bird’s-eye view of things, and this committee gives me the opportunity to get one. I can then pass on the information to my colleagues.
Elections Canada: What have you enjoyed most about ACOE meetings?
Jacqueline: What I like the most is the people. Listening to what members have to say and learning from their personal and professional experiences make me a better person. I feel fortunate to have been selected to sit on this committee. Everyone at the table has different professional experiences and contributes their unique perspectives to our discussions on creating learning resources for Elections Canada. What I hear from the other members inspires me and pushes me to participate in enriching discussions. I come away pleased to have been able to contribute to the advancement of teaching in Civic Education and full of ideas to relate to my colleagues—which enriches my professional exchanges.
Elections Canada: What recommendations do you have for educators who would like to improve their practice in civic education?
Jacqueline: I believe that teachers must, first, be made aware of the importance of civic education and of the numerous resources offered by Elections Canada; and, second, that civics doesn’t need to be a stand-alone course. It’s great if we can create a course for it, but the ideas in civics are very easy to incorporate into many courses without taking away from the curriculum. We shouldn’t be afraid to innovate by creating interdisciplinary learning situations and seizing the many opportunities that arise in current events. Students are more engaged in discussing elections, election platforms, the history of the vote, etc. in an election year, for instance!
Then, I’d recommend that teachers consult Elections Canada’s website to discover the agency’s many learning resources and teacher’s guides. From there, they can choose and order a resource that speaks to them and that meets their learning goals! The resources are designed for all classrooms; they encourage students to participate actively in their learning. They deserve to be known by teachers throughout the country.