Biographical Note

Gaston Ternes was the first headteacher of the High School Aline Mayrisch, a position which he held from the creation of the high school in 2000 to 2018. He is the initiator of the educational project, based on the idea of the self-sufficient and responsible student.

It is through his experiences in Scouting at the National Scout Federation of Luxembourg, that Gaston Ternes discovered his vocation. Indeed, he worked his way up from being a scout, to scoutmaster, to becoming national commissioner of the “adolescents” department from 1984 to 1987. His affinity for the youth and his team spirit are borne out of these formative experiences.

Appointed professor of mathematics in secondary and higher education in 1981, Gaston Ternes taught mathematics at the Lycée classique d’Echternach, then at the Athénée de Luxembourg. It was at the Athénée that he became head of school projects, where he organised personalised care for the student, besides focusing on the development of the student’s capacity to work independently and to take responisbilty.

As part of a continuous learning program at the “Institut für Wirtschaftspädagogik” of the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) for headteachers, Gaston Ternes focused his research on the conditions under which innovation can take place in a school setting and how it can be implemented in everday life. Other complementary courses included: transactional analysis, project management, group dynamics and student-skills assessment.

In addition to his position as headteacher, Gaston Ternes coordinated the module “Didactics of Mathemathics” for the bachelor and master courses in Science and Engineering at the Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication at the University of Luxembourg from 2004 to 2017. He was also coordinator of the module “Autonomy and Responsibility” within the framework of the initial pedagogical training of trainee teachers at the University of Luxembourg with Jacky Antoine.

Publications : A comme Algèbre, Les mathématiques au quotidien, Travailler avec des adolescents, Carnet Pi, Le Lycée en question(s).

Gaston Ternes is the subject of numerous articles, however, we invite you to especially read the two articles you will find here:
Parents at the heart of academic success
The computer, a learning and teaching tool