In Ouanaminthe, a border town in northeastern Haiti, the Toussaint Publishing House brought together school principals and teachers for a training weekend focused on the challenges of modern teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Ouanaminthe, a border town in Northeast Haiti, the Toussaint Publishing House brought together school principals and teachers for a weekend training focused on the challenges of modern teaching. Between sharing experiences, debates on the teacher\u2019s role, and discovery of the 2026 catalog textbooks, participants explored a central idea: today, teaching is no longer just about passing on knowledge, but about guiding students in understanding and learning. It was an intense moment that reignited reflection on the very mission of Haitian schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About 320 kilometers from Port-au-Prince, in this border town of the Dominican Republic, the rooms of the Jean-Paul II institution in Ouanaminthe transformed into a teaching laboratory for a weekend. School principals, teachers, and students came together at the initiative of the Toussaint Publishing House (MET) for a series of training workshops focused on the challenges of modern teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On this Sunday, June 21, the last day of the session, about thirty teachers occupy the benches of the large room bathed in the warm summer light. Eyes are attentive. Notebooks are open. A question sparks the start of the discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Teachers Define the \u201cGood Teacher\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat makes a good teacher? Does simply mastering your subject make someone a good teacher?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The question is raised by J\u00e9r\u00f4me Espady, head of the MET publishing division. Hands go up immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yvrose Vincent, from the La\u00efque Adventist College, speaks first. Then come Augustin Edner, from the Noyau du Savoir College, Pierre Renan, from the Sainte-Bernadette Institution, D\u00e9s\u00e9\u00efde Eunide, from the Teresa de Calcutta College, and Judeline Ladonis, who came from Jean-Rabel. The contributions keep coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you teach, you first have to master the subject,\u201d says a teacher from Capotille.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Espady nods positively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A young teacher from Mont-Organis\u00e9 adds, \u201cA teacher has to be able to explain things clearly. Not all students are at the same level. You have to adapt your language so that everyone gets the lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the room, opinions converge, sometimes complement each other, and sometimes clash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When invited to continue the discussion, a school principal from Acul-des-Pins brings up another aspect of the job: \u201cMotivation is essential. Even if you know your lesson perfectly, if you can\u2019t motivate your class, it won\u2019t work.\u201d He then goes on, prompting several approving murmurs: \u201cYou also have to teach with love. When students like their teacher and the teacher likes their students, together they can move mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea immediately sparks discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the large hall of the Jean-Paul II institution, the debate takes on a new tone. Some participants agree with this vision. Others prefer to emphasize respect and authority. A teacher isn\u2019t a classmate, they argue, but a guide meant to inspire and provide direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pedagogical empathy at the heart of the talks<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amid the discussions, J\u00e9r\u00f4me Espady brings the focus back to a concept he considers crucial: pedagogical empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Far from being just a sign of kindness or leniency, he explains, this approach is about understanding students’ difficulties, realities, and needs in order to adapt teaching without lowering expectations.When a student keeps making mistakes, they become clues to identify what they haven’t yet learned. When a shy child hesitates to speak up, the teacher gradually creates the conditions for them to participate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the trainer, this empathy relies on several pillars: active listening, respecting the learning pace, taking social and cultural realities into account, the ability to encourage without humiliating, and constantly adapting teaching methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But empathy does not replace authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On this point, several school principals in the room nod in agreement. The ability to manage a class remains, according to them, one of the most sought-after qualities in a teacher.For J\u00e9r\u00f4me Espady, the two dimensions are complementary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The teacher, a guide in the digital age<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“A good teacher is a guide, a motivator, a supporter. He doesn\u2019t just know; he knows how to teach,” he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The phrase resonates with the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modern teaching, he continues, is no longer just about passing on knowledge. In the age of the Internet, digital encyclopedias, and artificial intelligence, information is available everywhere and at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The role of the teacher has therefore evolved.Today, a true teacher is recognized for their ability to help students understand rather than just memorize, to develop their critical thinking, to spark their curiosity, and to guide them through their learning journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“A teacher is no longer just a holder of knowledge; they have become a guide in the world of knowledge,” summarizes the trainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the break, conversations continue in the hallways. Participants also check out the new school textbooks from Toussaint Publishing’s 2026 catalog, displayed for the occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The books catch the attention of school principals, who chat with the publishing house representatives about the needs of their schools and the realities on the ground in the Northeast.After three days of training, the participants leave with new ideas on teaching and learning and a better understanding of the educational tools offered by the MET.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the session ends, on this sweltering June Sunday, several teachers and principals still gather around Mr. Espady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same question keeps coming up in conversations: “When is the next training in the Northeast?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The answer isn\u2019t known yet. But given the excitement generated by this meeting, the demand is already there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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