From Molière to global justice

Reflections on a pedagogical journey

Abstract

This chapter traces the transformative exploration of new horizons in the author’s pedagogical journey that opened pathways to students for independent critical thinking, engaged learning, and ethical engagement for the common good. From dispenser of knowledge to undergraduate students as a new French professor at McMaster University to subsequently teaching at the graduate level in his specialization with smaller classes and more student engagement, the author developed a more interactive pedagogical perspective. A rekindled prior interest in francophone African and Caribbean literature led to the pioneering launch of courses in this new field, with the graduate course later becoming a pillar of the department’s doctoral program. A series of international experiences seeded a further pivot to international development and new courses using problem- and inquiry-based approaches. Persistent themes in the evolution of the author’s pedagogical practice are the interplay of academic and community-based experience, critical student engagement, and a moral vision of global citizenship.