On October 5 and 6, Bett Brasil—Latin America’s largest education and technology event, held annually in São Paulo—hosted the 3rd edition of Jornada Bett in Recife (PE). The event featured important discussions on educational management, inclusion and diversity, and digital transformation in private elementary and secondary schools. The main theme of the conference will be “School Management and Innovation in Learning: How to Tackle the Challenges?”

On the 5th, Vanessa Tenório, co-founder of Systemic Bilingual, participated as a speaker, discussing the topic “Why should school administrators encourage the development of 21st-century skills and competencies in an innovative school?” during Panel 2.

Interview with Vanessa Tenório, Co-Founder of Systemic Bilingual

Bett Blog – How does Systemic Bilingual support the management of private schools, and how does it help administrators and school operators?

Vanessa Tenório, co-founder of Systemic Bilingual— the bilingual solution we provide to schools primarily promotes teacher development, an essential pillar for any school, so that teachers, in turn, can help students grow. This is a multidimensional form of professional development that encompasses not only technical skills but also various other competencies necessary for strong performance in today’s ever-changing and challenging environment, which is evident virtually everywhere in the world. The professional development we promote is extensively documented so that it can also serve as a management tool. The field of bilingual education requires very specific knowledge that schools do not always possess. Our role is to provide this knowledge and the resources so that the school’s teaching staff can apply it with excellence.

 

Bett Blog - In this regard, how can we maintain good communication with families right from the time of enrollment? 

Vanessa Tenório, co-founder of Systemic Bilingual—this dialogue with families should be ongoing and take place through various channels, including meetings, email communications, the school calendar, personalized interactions, and sharing information about our work on social media.

 

Bett Blog - How does Systemic Bilingual help support the faculty's professional development and the learning of the entire team? 

Vanessa Tenório, co-founder of Systemic Bilingual—who is doing in-depth training and mentoring work. Superficial and inconsistent efforts do not produce the necessary effect for a shift in mindset, which is often required for the practice to truly make an impact and lead to the desired results for students, whose development is the ultimate goal of the entire team.

 

Bett Blog – What are the 21st-century competencies and skills that school leaders or administrators need to foster in schools, particularly among elementary school students? 

Vanessa Tenório, co-founder of Systemic Bilingual—the complexity of today’s reality presents ever-greater challenges in the professional, social, and emotional spheres. In short, it affects various dimensions of human existence. These changes have been happening very rapidly, with impacts on people’s minds that can be quite significant, leading to behaviors that are sometimes unusual, unexpected, and even inexplicable. This calls for new ways of handling human relationships; therefore, it is essential to develop both cognitive and socio-emotional skills and competencies that will enable a smoother and more peaceful transition in this new world. Education must promote flexibility, critical thinking, self-awareness, respect for oneself and others, resilience, and self-confidence so that students can learn to cope with life’s new demands. Furthermore, in a world where information multiplies exponentially and spreads at an alarming speed, we must learn how to learn so that we can keep learning. To achieve this, stimulating curiosity is fundamental. And we must not forget that it is essential for students to develop strong language skills, mathematical thinking, and digital literacy. This is crucial! 

 

Bett Blog - What kind of management approach should be developed to foster an innovative school? What would you highlight as the most important steps? 

Vanessa Tenório, co-founder of Systemic Bilingual—first and foremost , school leadership must view the encouragement of innovative initiatives as a strategic priority for their school. If that is the vision, concrete actions must be defined to encourage and reward these initiatives. Without a well-defined policy, these initiatives will depend solely on the individual willingness of each member of the school community. To move from random events to a supported practice, there must be a well-defined policy that is communicated to the entire staff so that it becomes part of the school’s culture.

 

Bett Blog - Looking ahead, what are Systemic Bilingual’s next steps to contribute to the country’s educational landscape in terms of new solutions and services? Can you give us a sneak peek at anything new? 

Vanessa Tenório, co-founder of Systemic Bilingual— we always work on two fronts: in the short term, the continuous improvement of the solutions we offer; and in the long term, the provision of disruptive solutions to achieve greater leaps in quality—but always with the sole focus that matters: the development of students and all those who are the agents of that development.

 

Bett Blog – Why did Systemic Bilingual decide to participate in the Bett Conference in Recife? What is your perspective on the educational landscape in Brazil’s Northeast Region?

Vanessa Tenório, co-founder of Systemic Bilingual—our work is meticulous and of the highest quality. It is essential that we promote it as widely and thoroughly as possible. It is also important to showcase the level of professionalism of everyone involved with Systemic Bilingual. The Bett Conference in Recife will help us with this promotion. Northeastern Brazil is home to countless high-quality schools today. As in other regions of the country, one of the major challenges is the shortage of qualified teachers. Our work, which focuses on teacher development, helps to address precisely this issue.