As an elementary school teacher in Geneva, Marc Ducrest’s journey has been quite the adventure. There were times when I found myself questioning everything. Moments where I celebrate small victories that felt like huge accomplishments. Yet every single day I spent teaching my students, I discovered just as many classroom lessons from them. Sometimes even more!

In this blog, Marc Ducrest is excited to share his 5 most valuable lessons from the classroom. Teaching techniques? Nope, I think of them more like transformative insights that can change the way we engage with young minds.

P.S. I also feel that many teachers will see their own stories reflected here.

Marc Ducrest (Geneva) and His Classroom Lessons

Here, I have distilled my experience into these powerful lessons that transcend teaching and touch on life itself:

Patience is muscle, not virtue

Early in my career, Marc Ducrest from Geneva believed that patience was an inherent quality rather than something that was learned. But later, I realized that patience is built through repeatedly practicing moments of help (from the moment a student struggles to read to the time a troubled pupil needs assistance with driving emotions).

My first classroom lesson was that true patience means trusting development to occur at its own speed.

Best classroom management connection

Establishing and implementing rules is pertinent but Marc Ducrest (Geneva) realized that constant disruptions usually correspond to unaddressed needs. By taking my time and making a real connection with each student’s story (learning about their fears, passions, and home life), I earned their trust, which made discipline more about guidance rather than retribution.

Curiosity beats compliance

There was a time when Marc Ducrest from Geneva used to like conditioned classrooms with good children. But slowly, I came to realize that the messiest and noisiest moments often meant the most brilliant discoveries. I purposely consisted in productive chaos. How, you ask? By allowing open questioning, public erring, and wonder. Always ready to change my lesson plans.

Assessment should measure growth, not just gaps

Another classroom lesson that I learned during my teaching journey. Standardized tests offer short evidence. Marc Ducrest learned to document an ongoing record of progress using portfolios, student insights, and qualitative notes. With this approach, I was able to see the development of my students more clearly than with systems of only grades-based feedback. I was able to motivate them.

Play is the real essence of project-based learning.

Through classroom lessons involving fun exercises like building blanket forts in order to get a visual of geometry and recreating historically important events, Marc Ducrest (Geneva) learned that play triggers cognitive, social, and emotional development at the same time. Now, I can design lessons that feel like discovery rather than instruction.

Marc Ducrest and Geneva Classroom Lessons

Above are some lessons that transformed Marc Ducrest from instructor to learning facilitator. These are like reminders for me. That education isn’t just about transmitting knowledge. It’s also about co-creating understanding. One messy, beautiful day at a time.

Were you able to relate to my own classroom lessons? Let me know in the comment section!

Check these resources as well:

Marc Ducrest Geneva on Quora

Marc Ducrest Geneva on Linktree

Marc Ducrest Geneva on Youtube