Our teachers: shaping the future

Dear Champiteans

As the summer holidays approach, I would like to express my gratitude to the teaching staff. The demands of their profession have changed considerably: there is increasing neurodiversity amongst the student body, as well as new technologies and evolving expectations from parents and the school management. 

By way of analogy with surgeons, whose mission is to save lives and whose technique involves cutting into flesh, the mission of teachers is to enable young people to become engaged citizens, and their technique is the cognitive stimulation of students. However, stimulating a child in 2026 presents a challenge unlike any other in human history, due to the ‘war for attention’ waged by social media. Let us thank our teachers for not giving up, yet again this year.

I have read in the press that an MP from Vaud wants state school teachers to be assessed once a year. We are already years ahead of that: every colleague at Champittet takes part in a performance review twice a year. We carry out a 360-degree appraisal: feedback from students, parents and colleagues is taken into account, as are their commitment to professional development, their sense of initiative and the quality of their students' academic results. The outcomes of these appraisals may include planned training, coaching or an action plan.

A student asked me whether our teachers received bonuses based on the marks achieved in final school-leaving exams, such as the Maturité or the Baccalaureate. The answer is no. Teachers are intrinsically motivated by their students’ success.

During a recent review of our teachers’ qualifications and training, I was able to revisit the extraordinary breadth of their CVs. There is no shortage of PhDs. The variety of academic backgrounds and teaching approaches enriches the school.

We encourage the sharing of knowledge and experience amongst them, as science has proven that peer learning is the most effective method for teachers. At Champittet, a teacher also sees themselves as a learner, throughout their life.