Terra Firme is a neighborhood on the outskirts of Belém (PA) that has long been “notorious” for its history of violence. That is where the Brigadeiro Fontenelle State School is located, where Teacher Lília Melo teaches Portuguese to high school students. In 2014, a massacre in the community claimed the lives of some of her students, and she found herself faced with the urgent need to take action—in whatever way she could—to change the local reality.

 

It was this context that paved the way for the launch of the “Cine Clube TF” (from Terra Firme) Project, which placed students from the neighborhood at the center of the process of creating their own narratives about the community, using the diverse languages of the arts (film, theater, dance, among others). It is through this initiative that Professor Lilia shares a bit about her career and experience as an educator and ambassador for the Transformative Teacher Award. Check out the interview: 

 

 

Certainly, many of the challenges you’ve overcome throughout your career are common to many educators. What were the biggest ones, and how did you overcome them?

 

Prof. Lília: There are many, but I believe the most significant one is the issue of credibility. When a teacher working in a public school setting proposes a more innovative, liberating, and autonomous approach to the teaching-learning process, there will always be questions about their lessons, their knowledge, their methodology, and its applicability. I’m a teacher in the State School System and work in high school, primarily with seniors. A Portuguese language teacher working with seniors is supposed to be in the classroom following the schedule and curriculum to prepare students for the ENEM and, in particular, to write the essay, which is a technical text. However, I set aside that entire methodology and introduced a dialogic approach to my classes, taking students out of the classroom and offering workshops on artistic and cultural production. There was a great deal of skepticism about what I was doing with the students—not only from the students’ parents but also from the school’s teaching staff and even some students themselves. We achieved good results, including when I won the Professores do Brasil Award in 2018: there was significant skepticism at the school about whether what I was teaching actually constituted a class and whether it helped students pass the Enem. When we launched the Cine Clube TF (TF stands for Terra Firme) project, we began to democratize access to cinema and the art of filmmaking, as well as the entire debate surrounding the development of audiovisual production in the outskirts. Just as we were facing the most skepticism—the following year, in 2019—the ENEM exam featured the essay topic: “The Democratization of Access to Cinema.” Many of the students involved in the project passed the Enem, and many students from other states who were taking the National Exam cited the Cine Clube TF project as a major reference. So, although we face challenges regarding credibility, on the other hand, the result—the outcome—is very positive in the sense that we are on the right track. 

  

 

The pandemic has posed no small number of challenges to education. Much has been accomplished with the help of technology, but what about the role of the teacher? How do you assess and define the role of the transformative teacher in this new educational context?

 

Prof. Lília: In the context of the pandemic, the role of the educator is to understand the context of the teaching-learning process in which their students are immersed. The pandemic was a time when we realized what criteria give us a solid understanding of the value of life. We were losing loved ones and acquaintances very easily and very quickly. At that moment, we began to question the small things, given that we were caught up in the frantic pace of modern life—a pace that was unbridled, with so many demands to meet and so many activities we had to juggle; we lost sight of the value of the little things, such as spending time with our families in the environment we consider home. So, this pandemic period has brought not only a profound fear of losing those we love, but also a need to rethink how we build this environment of coexistence with others. In this context and within the field of education, the transformative teacher must understand that their role is fundamental as an instrument of perception—an instrument that will open up possibilities for understanding myself in relation to others, who I am, and how others play an important role in this process. I am not a fully formed individual; I am not a person who needs to be molded, but I am constantly in the process of transformation, and this transformation depends heavily on my relationship with others. Teachers need to develop pedagogical strategies to understand their students and consider the context of this teaching-learning process with great sensitivity. And here it is important to address the emotions involved in this process. 

 

 

"Transformation" is perhaps one of the most relevant words in the current context of our country. In your view, what are some possible and desirable transformations that teachers can help promote through their practices?

 

Prof. Lília: Based on my own journey, the processes of transformation that I consider most important are those involving the recognition and appreciation of my background, my identity, my artistic practice, and my cultural engagement. I need to contextualize the place from which I speak: I am a teacher working in the Amazon region, which is home to the traditional peoples of the Amazon—an Amazon that sees and recognizes itself not only as Indigenous but also as Afro-Brazilian and riverine. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the full sociocultural identity to which I belong. This applies to every educator working in any part of Brazil. It’s important to know who I am, where I am, what I have, and what tools I can develop to reach the place where I deserve to be. 

 

 

Who is the “Transformative Teacher” who makes it possible to link education to a desirable present and future? 

 

Prof. Lília: Talking about the present and building a desirable future is directly linked to ancestral knowledge. It’s interesting to talk about today in order to build tomorrow while always looking back at yesterday—that is, at what came before. When we talk about the traditional and indigenous peoples of the Amazon, we have this ancestral knowledge. And ancestral wisdom is rooted in collective action. It is impossible to believe that one can be—or is—happy alone in the world; there is no such thing as isolated happiness, no happiness for an individual who walks alone. We must understand the strength that this collective possesses, and we must know ourselves and engage positively and productively within this collective in order to bring about change in response to the demands that arise. When we awaken this awareness of who we are within the whole, we realize that it is very important to value the small structure we have, but also not to remain silent in the face of the absence of the structure that should exist. It is, in fact, our right. This opens up the possibility of building a humanity that is conscious of the transformative role it can play in its society. 

 

 

And what about school? What kind of school can make it possible to link education to a desirable present and future?

 

Prof. Lília: Once we understand this new framework for social understanding, we must deconstruct our conception of school. Within the traditional model, school is limited to a building—an architectural structure—where certain people perform specific roles, and these roles are vertical; they are always hierarchical. But within a more innovative process where we build together, school is no longer an institution; it is an event, a moment, a continuous construction. And in that context, the verticality of the process no longer fits—it has to be horizontal because it is dialogical. I now need to value the communities surrounding the school, the cultural groups active within their community’s productive process, and the families of the students I welcome… And this building called a school will not always be the primary reference point for education; that is why, in peripheral communities, a church often holds more influence than a school. This educational structure is underpinned by a set of ideas that construct an entire concept regarding what is learned and what is taught—or rather, what is taught and what is learned. The dialogic aspect of this is that it transforms the traditional model—where one individual taught and another, at the other end, learned—into a dynamic, evolving process. I teach and learn; I learn, and in learning, I am also teaching. This is very important: to understand that a school is not just a building, and that it is not the only source of education within a community. 

 

 

What message would you like to share with the teachers who overcome daily challenges to bring about transformative education?

 

Prof. Lília: I want to leave a message for the teachers who are fulfilling their role as agents of change within society through this incredibly powerful tool called education. We are doing our part and we never stand still; each of us does what we can, within the limitations imposed on us. But when we talk about educators in a country called Brazil—and in this political context that is completely fragmented and polarized… It’s important to say that our mission is arduous; it involves many difficulties and challenges to be faced, but it is not in vain. It exists so that we can believe that the right path is, in fact, to listen to one another, to connect through this listening and these narratives, and to share stories that are worth telling. Don’t give up; keep going, and believe that your work makes a world of difference within the context of education. 

 

 

In closing, we would like you to invite educators from all over Brazil to participate in the 2021 Transformative Teacher Award:

 

Prof. Lília: Hello, teachers in Basic Education, whether in the private or public school systems. This is Prof. Lília Melo speaking; I served as an ambassador for the first edition of the Transformative Teacher Award in 2020. And this year, the second edition of the Award brings some new developments. For this reason, the Significare Institute, Bett Educar, and Base2edu will be announcing the shortlisted projects earlier than usual, this October. This early announcement is intended to ensure that the Transformative Education practices that stand out in this edition of the Award can be shared right away, allowing teachers to join the network of transformative educators. Within this network, projects are added to a Practices Database—a completely online, free-to-access platform. Every teacher has incredible stories to share, and this platform will facilitate the sharing and discussion of transformative practices. To register, access the rules, and find additional information, simply visit the Significare Institute’s website. Teachers, do you have an incredible story to share? Then join us!

Registration Link for the 2nd Edition of the Transformative Teacher Award 

https://significare.org.br/premio/

Getting to Know Professor Lília Melo Better

Prof. Lília Melo begins her presentation by talking about her own roots. The daughter of a “flanelinha” (who later became a renowned crime reporter) and a domestic worker (who invested in her education and graduated from the Federal University of Pará, going on to become an outstanding professor of Portuguese Language and Literature), Lília sees in her parents’ distinct life paths an example of how knowledge can be gained from different sources.

“I want to make a point of mentioning my parents because they both exemplify two different approaches to knowledge and learning. One is worldly knowledge—which is neither recognized nor valued by academia—but which provides the expertise needed to live better through a critical reading of the world around us. The other is formal, academic knowledge—the kind we invest in at school to carve out a place for ourselves and gain recognition within the field in which we intend to work,” the educator points out. 

With a degree in Literature and Arts from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Lília Melo teaches in the state school system and, in 2018, was named “Best Teacher in Brazil” by the Professores do Brasil Award in the high school category. In 2020, she was among the 50 finalists for “The Global Teacher Prize,” considered the “Nobel Prize” of Education.

 

 

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