Retire? No thank you, said a 75 -year -old educator who goes almost every day to the same daycare where she has been working since 1992 and whose career has just been highlighted by the National Assembly.
“Children, when you love them, they love you,” says Jocelyne Grenier, who has worked for 33 years at the CPE Joyeux Carrousel, in Montreal.
Four days a week, she gets up at 4:30 am, takes bus and metro from Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve to go to work in Ville-Émard and take care of the 3 years old between 7:15 a.m. and 4 p.m.
“And I always wake up before the dial,” she says.
Mme Grenier celebrated his 75th birthday last June.
“At 75, it’s still rare!” Exclaims the director Lyubka Stoykova.
Elsewhere, other educators have an even more venerable age, but, in general, they only work one or two days a week, she explains.
Mother and bass player
Jocelyne Grenier has not always been an educator. Young, she was first the mother of three children and volunteers in various parents’ committees. She is now a grandmother of five grandchildren.
For 20 years, she worked in the field of music. She was a bass player for a group named the Concordes in the 1970s, she says.
Then, the day arrived when all his children had left the house. “It started to be flat,” she admits.
At the dawn of the quarantine, she returned to studies, especially in education techniques in daycare.
“As soon as I entered here, I was amazed,” says the one who considers herself a much better educator than in her early days.
Jocelyne Grenier is recognized at the CPE for her sense of humor and his joviality.
Photo Ben Pelosse
His trademark: always welcome children warmly, stimulate their curiosity and, above all, make them laugh.
For mme Grenier, retirement is not a goal. It is always so amazed by the bits of cabbage, by the fact that none of them is the same.
“This is what is healthy!” It’s so enriching. “
“Here, I know I serve what. What would I do, stay at home? Clean up? ” she launches, rolling her eyes.
What is the next generation?
End of June, Mme Grenier received a certificate of recognition from the National Assembly to underline his career.
“I was very surprised. I don’t do that for prestige, ”laughs Mme Grenier.
It was a mother of the board of directors, jointly with the management of the CPE, who undertook the approach with the local deputy, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard.
Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, solidarity deputy of Saint-Henri-Sainte-Anne.
Photo d’archives TOMA ICZKOVITS
“I saw her with toddlers, she really had the turn […] She was completely in control of her class and it really impressed me, ”says Mr. Cliche-Rivard.
For his part, Mme Stoykova claims to be able to count on the consistency and the vocation of experienced educators like Jocelyne Grenier when other establishments have so much difficulty in recruiting that they must use placement agencies, which harms stability with children.
“We touch wood”, admits Mme Stoykova, who would like the government to promote the profession one of its priorities.
Because, unfortunately, “there is no one to take over”.
