14/01/2019

Brazilians are among the finalists for the Global Teacher Prize 2019.

Since 2015, teachers from around the world have participated in the Global Teacher Prize, a kind of Nobel Prize for education. The initiative of the British NGO Varkey Foundation aims to reward a teacher who has made a remarkable contribution to the profession. In addition to recognition, the winner receives US$1 million. This year, the finalists were selected from 10,000 candidates from 179 countries.
The nominations for teachers meet specific criteria and are open to the global public. The selection of the 50 finalists and the winner is made by the Global Teacher Academy, composed of tenured professors, education experts, commentators, journalists, public officials, technology entrepreneurs, company directors, and scientists from around the world.

In 2019, two teachers from Brazilian public schools are competing for the grand prize. Débora Garofalo, from the Almirante Ary Parreiras Municipal Elementary School in São Paulo (SP), teaches robotics with a unique approach: she uses recycled materials collected from the streets. With her students, she has already collected a ton of waste. Her laboratory resembles a recycling plant, where scrap metal is a valuable raw material. To succeed in Débora's classes, students need to know Mathematics, Science, and English. This integration of subjects has been so successful that she has been nominated for the Global Teacher Prize.
The second Brazilian among the finalists is Jayse Ferreira, from the Frei Orlando High School in Itambé (PE). An art teacher, he noticed that school dropout was becoming routine at the school. He also observed that art classes were not the students' favorites. Ferreira began to attract young people by producing content related to films and games. It worked. The students began to adapt scripts, record and assemble stories, which sparked their interest in classes, making them participative and present.
Despite the distance, Débora and Ferreira have been discussing ways to make teaching more engaging, creative, and connected to reality for three years. They are part of a network of Brazilian teachers who exchange experiences online. Now they are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winner. The awards ceremony will take place in March in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).

Watch the Jornal Nacional report about Débora Garofalo and Jayse Ferreira. Click here .

Winners
Nancie Atweel, from the USA, won in 2015. In 2016, it was Hanan Al Hroub, from Palestine. In the last two years, the winners were Maggie MacDonnell, from Canada, and Andria Zafirakou, from the United Kingdom, respectively.