Overview of the VIII Seminar on Education in Câmara de Lobos, Madeira
Recently, a participant attended the VIII Seminar on Education in Câmara de Lobos, a charming district on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Although the person was invited for an in-person talk, they joined online due to several practical reasons. The past two years have reshaped how educators communicate and learn, blending formal lectures with digital connections. While face-to-face meetings offer undeniable benefits, virtual formats deliver ease, save time, and reduce costs for many participants.
Speaking in comfort from home, the presenter joked about wearing pajama bottoms and slippers during online sessions. This casual image echoed a broader message to families: education travels far beyond the classroom walls. The speaker reflected on travel to places like Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Portugal, Bilbao, and Barcelona, highlighting how technology enables sharing knowledge across borders without the need for lengthy journeys.
The memory of climbing the stairs to a study or library, delivering a lecture, and then returning to family life after a few hours illustrates how modern teaching can weave professional and domestic spheres together. In contrast, traveling to distant destinations could take a week, involve jet lag, and bring additional organizational costs and risks. The online format mitigates these burdens while preserving rich educational exchanges with students and colleagues alike.
Câmara de Lobos is a municipality of about 40,000 residents, divided into five districts. It is a coastal fishing village in Madeira’s west-central region, known for its colorful boats and scenic bay. The area is also steeped in culture, including a historic association with poncha, a traditional drink made from lemon juice, brandy, and honey, and is celebrated for Madeira wine. The picturesque harbor inspired artists for decades, including Sir Winston Churchill, who painted there in 1950.
While the sea and town views form a backdrop, the real value lies in personal connection. Online formats can miss the immediacy of in-person gatherings, the chance to greet attendees, share meals, or exchange stories in person. Yet the two-day seminar fostered meaningful dialogue and emotional reflection among participants, focusing on how feelings influence learning and how technology can serve humane education.
The seminar’s theme, Pedagogia das Emotions, tackled leadership for inclusive education, the emotional impact on learning, cinema as a tool for social and emotional development, humor-based strategies for managing emotions, and how technology can support humanistic teaching. The discussions also explored how assessment should illuminate learning rather than simply measure it. After a keynote by university professor António Sampaio da Nóvoa, the audience of about two hundred fifty teachers heard a resonant exploration of culture in education. The speaker, concise and energetic, demonstrated how powerful ideas and careful use of language can captivate learners and inspire action.
Among the ideas shared was the notion that schools should blend diverse teaching approaches. The traditional model that relies on a single teacher delivering one subject to a uniform group is no longer enough. A collaborative approach, with multiple teachers across subjects guiding varied groups through different rhythms and methods, was highlighted as a path forward.
The emphasis on the word together ran through the discourse. Education is viewed as a shared public good that benefits from collective effort, open discussion, and ongoing collaboration. The focus shifts from purely outcomes to processes, from individual advancement to community advancement, and from today toward tomorrow. An overemphasis on metrics can push education toward utilitarianism, while a broader purpose keeps philosophy alive in classrooms.
A goal emerged: challenge a one-size-fits-all classroom where everyone moves at the same pace with the same tools. Real progress depends on cooperation, not uniformity. An example illustrated how mixed-gender teams and respectful, supportive environments prevent stagnation when mixed messages emerge. The idea is to avoid counterproductive patterns that stall progress, much like attempting something impossible, such as fried ice cream, if every action undermines another.
Beyond student outcomes, teamwork strengthens professional growth for teachers. A supportive network inside the school and the wider community fosters significant learning and innovation. Observing colleagues and engaging in reflective discussions about practice helps deepen understanding and improve fairness in teaching. Such collaboration also nurtures a positive emotional climate where new ideas can flourish. Resources and emotional support are found in peer relationships and cooperative learning networks.
The discussion underscored the need for teachers to collaborate as a core paradigm. Teaching becomes a joint project rather than a solo undertaking, with teachers contributing to planning, development, and evaluation as a team. Routine procedures can become a barrier when they lack critical examination, and schools often over-rely on prescriptions. Breaking those habits is essential for meaningful progress.
Mariano Fernández Enguita once described a vision that places more schools and fewer isolated classrooms, advocating a shift toward a hyper-class concept where cooperation replaces rigid divisions. The idea champions collective effort, mutual support, and sustained teamwork to uplift both teachers and students, empowering them to grow together and learn from one another.
In summary, the event reinforced that teacher collaboration strengthens both student learning and professional development. When schools encourage shared responsibility and open dialogue, they lay the groundwork for a resilient, innovative educational culture that benefits every learner—now and for the future.