After reviewing over 150 teacher applications from preschool to 12th grade, the winner of the 7th edition of the Global Teacher Prize Portugal was announced today at MAAT, in Lisbon. The prestigious award was bestowed upon José Oliveira from Francisco Rodrigues Lobo Secondary School in Leiria.
The Leiria-based educator admits he entered teaching by accident, yet even as a student, he enjoyed explaining to his peers what teachers struggled to convey. Today, his dedication was recognized with a 30,000 euro prize.
Throughout his career, which included teaching at various schools, José Oliveira became known for transforming classrooms into creative laboratories, establishing serigraphy workshops, photography studios, design clubs, and digital education spaces across different schools in the country.
Through the project ‘Ver Para Aprender’, he challenges Descriptive Geometry students to push beyond the curriculum by inventing exercises, collaborating among themselves, and teaching peers as a way to consolidate knowledge.
His curriculum features working with students who excelled in national exams, classes with averages surpassing popular subjects, and projects of university level.
With today’s prize, José Oliveira plans to invest in technology to democratize access to digital tools in the arts, such as tablets, augmented reality glasses, and audiovisual equipment.
The Global Teacher Prize Portugal also awarded an honorable mention to Alfredo José Rosa Gomes from Manuel Teixeira Gomes Secondary School in Portimão.
The Portuguese and Theater/Dramatic Expression teacher has over three decades of dedication to turning the school into a stage for expression, inclusion, and growth. He is the founder of Teatro da Caverna, a school group that has become a reference in Portimão, having welcomed hundreds of students.
Previously honored with merit medals and frequently featured in local media, Alfredo Gomes now adds this award to his accolades.
The 7th edition of the Global Teacher Prize Portugal saw an increase in participants, with over 150 teacher candidates demonstrating diverse projects, ranging from theater groups to schools designed to combat school dropout rates.
Among the finalists were math teachers utilizing ‘escape rooms’ as a teaching method or those who established a new school that successfully integrated over 500 students at risk of dropping out.
