Julie Thiffault is a teacher at Mont-Tremblant’s “primary campus”, charged with teaching a multi-level class having both first- and second-year pupils. She decided to face up to the fact that schools have been closed since March 13 , and the closure is now expected to continue until May 1. The teacher elected to provide online courses to ensure that primary school students could retain the knowledge they’d acquired and thus continue to learn important concepts by following their online learning curriculum.

Made available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m., the courses are offered free of charge by the teacher using the video conferencing application Zoom. The app allows reproduction of a virtual classroom, “minus the interruptions and noises” Julie notes, explaining that discipline is up to the parents. Their presence is also required to accompany and help students during class.

The first course was held on Wednesday, March 25, and already, more than 15 or so studious pupils were hanging on their teacher’s every word. Use of the application is simple: before starting, every student carefully closes the microphone on their laptop or tablet so as not to disturb the class. Taking them in turn, Julie invites them to respond to questions. Then they just have to activate their microphone to answer. You can even raise your hand!

“I can’t imagine leaving children with nothing the way we’ve done,” Julie laments. “It is crucially important that the essential concepts from each year be mastered before the following year. My pedagogical education lets me break up the goals at every level of primary school in French and math, to make them more accessible to children having learning difficulties,” the teacher adds, as she prepares to push the principle of multi-level classes to a higher level.

“What I suggest doing is to start with first year concepts and continue up to fourth. If students in fifth or sixth year join the group, I’ll adapt my teaching for them,” she concludes.

To take advantage of Julie’s online courses, go to the Facebook page “La classe de Julie T” and download the Zoom application.