In this season‑finale episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, Brett Fischer and Danielle Viens sit down with three influential voices in Québec’s ESL community to reflect on what makes a teaching career sustainable and meaningful.
Christine Baida, President of SPEAQ, looks back on the challenging early years of teaching and reminds us that grit grows through support and community. Recently retired CEGEP teacher David Coward reflects on the students, colleagues, and creative projects that gave his career purpose. Finally, DanBoulerice brings it home by reminding us that ESL isn’t just about language—it’s about citizenship, culture, and helping students become better humans.
This episode is a love letter to collaboration, mentorship, and finding your people in education.
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, Brett and Danielle speak with Christophe Chénier, professor of language assessment at the Université de Montréal, about Quebec’s decision to align the new ESL and FSL devis with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
We explore what CEFR actually is, how teachers can use descriptors meaningfully, the difference between subjectivity and “whimsical individuality” in judgment, and why fairness must consider context—from Montreal to Lac-Saint-Jean. Christophe also explains why aligning placement testing with CEFR will be essential for successful implementation.
🔗 Christophe’s bio and publications
In this episode, Brett and Danielle speak with Laurent Duval about Together for Success, an online resource designed to help teachers implement the new devis. Laurent explains the Understand, Apply, and Adapt sections and how teachers can use them. Listeners also learn about upcoming pilot testing and a Devis Q&A webinar.
To sign up for the Devis Q&A Webinar: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/10974d14-4769-4f8b-96fd-8160dd1c6f4e@c0eecc4d-675b-4b90-81a0-a5cd46c51b04
In this episode, Brett and Danielle bring you highlights from SPEAQ, Québec’s largest ESL conference. Dr. John Spencer explores the power of voice, choice, and student empowerment in the classroom. Dr. Philippa Parks reflects on teacher resilience and shares practical strategies for supporting early-career educators. Finally, Dr. Tanja Vaillancourt introduces SPEAQ Magazine, a vibrant hub for ideas, creativity, and community in the ESL world.For a deeper dive:
John Spencer’s YouTube channelwith his presentation on Voice and Choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7S9kyk-odA&list=PLzDOGMsmDvetuGqZoFtyEv9s1_6WxMda9&t=67sFor a free issue of SPEAQ: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cY6oXUE7yfg-l9wGm8Iv01JOvIAaimN_/view
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, Brett and Danielle talk with Marie Martineau, Christi Milsom, and Sarah Adair about the province’s first open-source English 100course - built by teachers for teachers.
From bridging the gap between high school and CEGEP to making reinvestment activities fun, the team shows how collaboration and digital literacy can transform the classroom. With free, ready-to-use materials, adaptableactivities, and evaluation grids aligned with the new devis, this project offers a sneak peek at what English 100 could look like in 2027.
🎓 Teachers can join the Winter 2026 pilot or follow project updates by contacting mj.martineau@cegepmontpetit.ca
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, Brett and Danielle sit down with Jérôme Loisel (Cégep de Lévis) to explore EssentialistTeaching - the idea that doing less can help both teachersand students experience more meaning, focus, and calm in theclassroom. Jérôme shares practical stories about cutting unnecessary evaluations, building intrinsic motivation, and redesigning tutoring through simplicity, clarity, and engagement.
📘 Resources mentioned:
• Greg McKeown’s Essentialism (summary): https://makeheadway.com/library/books/essentialism-summary
• Just One (game, Repos Production): https://www.rprod.com/en/games/just-one
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, Brett and Danielle talk with Stéphanie Major (Cégep de Bois-de-Boulogne) about what ESL teachers can learn from Phys. Ed when it comes to teaching autonomy. Stéphanie shares how her students move from awareness to goal-setting, self-monitoring, and independence - - and how teachers can adapt those same strategies for language learning.
It’s a crash course in motivation, reflection, and sustainable learning - minus the push-ups!
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, Brett and Danielle talkwith Vanessa Pacitti (Collège Ahuntsic) about a study-abroadmodel that bridges language, science, and physical education.Once based in Hawaii and now heading to Belize, the trip blends academic rigor with cultural immersion, giving students the best of both worlds. Months of preparation lead to real-world interactions abroad and reflective writing afterward, helping students transform experience into lasting learning. The result? Authentic communication, personal growth, and a powerful sense of community.
Tune in to discover how short study-abroad trips can create long-term impact—and for practical tools on planning your own, visit the CCDMD’s Facilitating Study Abroad site: https://abroad.ccdmd.qc.ca/about/
In this episode of *RASCALS’ Roundtable*, Brett and Danielle explore how communities like SALTISE and AQPC bring teachers together to share ideas, research, and inspiration. Chris Whittaker, from Dawson College, tells the story of how a few active learning classrooms grew into a province‑wide network where research meets practice. Then, Margaret Wells, from the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, shares how writing for Pédagogie collégiale opened the door to AQPC, a conference that’s redefining inclusion for English and allophone educators in Québec.
Links:
Chris Whittaker – https://www.saltise.ca/member/chris-whittaker/
• Publications –https://scholar.google.ca/citations?hl=en&user=MiagshMAAAAJ
Margaret Wells – margaret.wells@cmrsj-rmcsj.ca
• Publications –
https://eduq.info/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11515/38855/Lepine-Wells-36-3-23_EN.pdf
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, Brett and Danielletalk with Ian Pitblado (Collège Laflèche) about a screenwriting unit that turnsspeculative fiction into a high-impact learning experience for English 103.Students move from world-building to query emails in a six-step process thatdevelops autonomy, self-regulation, and real-world writing skills. From Dune toMean Girls, the project guides students through a writing process that’sperfectly aligned with the new devis. Tune in to learn how to bring cinematicstorytelling and authentic tasks into your ESL classroom.
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, Brett and Danielle tackle the messy, meaningful world of organizational change.Their guest, Marco Palmieri, draws on his experience as a teacher, administrator, and MBA in organizational change to explain why successful reform isn’t just about new policies—it’s about people. He shares practical strategies for leading change, reframing resistance, and keeping teams engagedthrough communication and empathy. Whether you’re implementing the new devis or facing another round of institutional updates, this episode offers clear,actionable advice to make change feel a little less overwhelming.
In this episode of *RASCALS’ Roundtable*, Brett and Danielle explore department culture with two experts. Gilbert Émond, professor at Concordia, explains why coordinators should engage rather than manage, how to unstress a system, and why surfacing values matters. Diane Rondeau, veteran teacher and former coordinator at Cégep de Lévis, shares how she rebuilt trust and communication in a toxic department, offering practical tools for meetings, priorities, and valuing teachers.
The new devis are here – and for the first time ever, we’ve got the full story on how they were written. In Episode 3 of RASCALS’ Roundtable, we go behind the scenes with Andy Van Drom, Sara Langevin, and Brett Fischer to learn what it was really like to write Quebec’s new ESL curriculum. From creative reinvestment to the infamous “and/or” clause, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, Brett and Danielle sit down with two coordinators who share what it’s really like to manage a department. Katherine Ashmore (Collège de Maisonneuve) talks about staying grounded, setting boundaries, and creating efficient systems. Catherine Pépin (Cégep de Trois-Rivières) shares how she dove into coordination early in her career and discovered hidden leadership skills along the way. Together, their stories reveal the emotional labour, challenges, and surprising rewards of coordination.
In this Season 2 opener, Brett and Danielle sit down with three teachers navigating their first Cegep ESL experiences. Sergio Arduini shares the challenges of breaking in, Guillaume Benard talks about the freedom and enthusiasm of teaching, and Shanie Sirois reminds us that while overwhelming at times, the joy and support are real.
At the heart of every great conference is participation. In our Season 1 finale, we return to the 2025 RASCALS Colloquium for a special vox pop exploring how teachers are sharing ideas, shaping the conversation, and getting involved—without necessarily joining the organizing team.
You’ll hear from:
Together, they highlight four accessible ways to participate:
Thanks for listening all season long. This episode is a celebration of what happens when teachers show up for one another.
This episode takes you right onto the convention floor at the 2025 RASCALS Colloquium, where we asked CEGEP ESL teachers: What impressed you most this year?
We hear from:
Jonathan Bishop (Cégep de St-Hyacinthe)
Tanya Caouette (Cégep de St-Félicien)
Maxime Camiré (Cégep de Victoriaville)
Isabelle Dompierre-Lapointe (Cégep de Thetford)
Dina Isber (Cégep de Valleyfield)
Caroline Orton (Cégep du Vieux Montréal)
Amy Pittendreich (Cégep Lévis-Lauzon)
🔥 This episode includes reflections on three standout presentations:
Keynote: “AI isn’t coming—it’s already here”
Dianne Elizabeth Stankiewicz (Service national du RÉCIT, Domaine des langues) explores what generative AI means for CEGEP educators today. She tackles ethical use, critical thinking, effective prompting, and reframes academic integrity in the age of the machine. There’s even some humour.
📎 Presentation link: recit.org/ul/qxd
“Using a Screenplay Project to Stimulate Human Creativity”
🎬 Ian Pitblado (Collège Laflèche) walks us through a five-step speculative fiction screenwriting journey designed for the English Culture & Literature course. One of our guests called it their personal favourite for how it pushes students to create something real and meaningful.
“A Free, Engaging, Open-Source English 100 Course”
📚 Marie-J. Martineau (Cégep Édouard-Montpetit) shares her ECQ-funded course that’s practical, cost-free, and deeply aligned with the new devis values. Expect flexible lesson plans, H5P Moodle activities, and open access.
📧 Contact: mj.martineau@cegepmontpetit.ca
Whether you’re AI-curious, looking to refresh your materials, or just want to hear what colleagues are up to across the province, this episode delivers a fresh dose of inspiration.
🛎️ Follow us on Instagram: @rascals.podcast
In this episode of *RASCALS’ Roundtable*, we tackle one of the most quietly controversial elements of the new ESL devis: how do we teach—and evaluate—openness, respect, and curiosity? Mikhael Kowalak joins us to unpack what this means in real-life CEGEP classrooms. From grading group discussions to navigating cultural sensitivity, we talk pedagogy, ethics, and that time a student's politics didn't quite align with his - and yet he still got an A+.
🎧 Featuring: Mikhael Kowalak, teacher and researcher at Cégep de Sherbrooke
📚 Publications:
- Lau, S. M. C., & Kowalak, M. (accepted). *Crossing the linguistic and disciplinary divides...* (Routledge)
- Lau et al. (2022). *Soutenir les apprentissages des étudiants immigrants...* Le langage et l'homme, no. 561
- Lau et al. (2020). *Supporting immigrant students’ academic and social integration...* Canadian Modern Language Review
- Blandford et al. (2019). *Une approche plurilingue...* Correspondance, 25(2)
🔗 Learn more: Centre for Integrated Plurilingual Teaching and Learning
What’s in an R-score? And why does it feel like it was designed by a statistics prof with a grudge?
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, we demystify one of the most confusing—and most important—parts of the Quebec CEGEP system. Guest Sylvain Jomphe, ESL teacher and union president at Cégep de Jonquière, joins us to explain how R-scores are really calculated, what students (and teachers) getwrong about them, and what we can do to help.
🎧 Topics include:
· What exactly is the R-score?
· Why your grade isn’t the whole story
· How group strength affects your chances
· The truth about ‘cheating down’
· How to talk to students about placement
📩 Contact Sylvain: SylvainJomphe@cegepjonquiere.ca
📎 Want to go deeper? Check out:Understanding the R Score (EN)CRC Explained (FR)
In this episode of RASCALS’ Roundtable, we sit down with Louisa Hadley, president of the Dawson Teachers’ Union, to talk about precarity, and with David Turpie, a CEGEP teacher who’s lived to tell the tale. From long commutes and unpredictable schedules to burning questions about permanence, this episode exposes the challenges and resilience of Quebec’s non-permanent teachers.
🎧 Topics include:
- The mental and financial cost of precarity
- Why continuing education teachers face the biggest inequities
- What unions are fighting for
- David’s biking, juggling, multi-CEGEP journey
📲 Follow the precarity experience: @ppducvm on Instagram
🔗 Learn more at dtu.qc.ca or via the Dawson Teachers’ Union Facebook page