Maria Elsa Mendanha, a teacher from Seide S. Miguel's kindergarten preschool education, is one of the ten finalists of the Global Teacher Prize, an initiative promoted by the Varkey Foundation and recognised as the "Nobel in Education". In Portugal, the award is promoted by the association "As Mentes Empreendedoras” (The Enterprising Minds) and has as promoter of the project Afonso Reis, who was, this Tuesday, in Famalicão, to distinguish the finalist teacher, in a session that took place in Casa das Artes and counted with the presence of the children of the educator Elsa's classroom. Also present were the councillor for Family matters, Sofia Fernandes, the director of the Camilo Castelo Branco School Grouping, Carlos Teixeira, among others.
For Afonso Reis, the purpose of the Global Teacher Prize is "to value education and teachers and to find inspiring teachers". The prize was also created to share knowledge and bring the subject "Education" to the agenda, raising awareness and making the whole community responsible for the importance of the contribution of each one to create new answers to the challenges that arise. "Each teacher, as a protagonist of education, has daily in his hands the possibility to make a difference, and with it, an immense responsibility", he said.
The official also highlighted the fact that Elsa Mendanha is "the first female nursery school teacher among the ten finalists of the prize".
Councillor Sofia Fernandes took this opportunity to praise "the proactive and enterprising attitude of Professor Elsa", who promotes several successful projects, methodologies and innovative educational practices, involving the community, "in a very meritorious work that will bear fruit in the future".
Visibly happy and emotional, Elsa Mendanha, spoke of the work developed and praised the entire team, stating that she has come this far "is a huge victory".
Elsa Mendanha has been working at the Seide kindergarten, in the Camilo Castelo Branco schools group, for around 12 years. The innovation in her pedagogical method consists in conceiving the school as a whole: she uses the community's outdoor spaces as an extension of the building, involves colleagues, operational assistants, families and other elements of the community. The change from the traditional educational model to a pedagogical model based on constructivism, humanism, naturalism and participation is based on collaborative work in partnership with other teachers, which gave rise to the Project: "I know a Garden... to Play and Learn". This project aims to provide quality education based on actions that favour inclusion, respecting the uniqueness and freedom of each child. It thus establishes a close collaborative relationship with the community, sharing human and material resources that complement educational practices. As a result, it is possible to verify the happiness and motivation that the children feel in going to school, also emphasised by the families.
The final ceremony to announce the winner of the Global Teacher Prize Portugal 2021 will take place in Oeiras on Friday, 18.