Raymond Duchesne

Recipients of the 2003 Governor General's Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History

June 3, 2010

Roger–Comtois Secondary School, Loretteville (Quebec)

Raymond Duchesne has dedicated his life to unearthing, creating and experimenting with new teaching methods to awaken his students' interest in history. Highly original projects and simulations figure prominently in his teaching strategy (film scripts, fair booths, historical games, theatre, role–playing, police investigations, etc.)

With this approach, the students become more motivated because they have to discover history for themselves and build their own knowledge. They gain experience in applying historical methods and develop many skills and strategies that will continue to serve them in their adult lives. Raymond has also written a workbook that is used throughout Québec, promoting a complex intellectual approach. He has been invited to many teaching conferences and has conducted more than 30 workshops in Québec and the rest of Canada.