Today we’d like to introduce you to Manuela De Matos Alves Coelho.
Hi Manuela, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a southern Brazilian citizen from Curitiba, Paraná who wishes to build my students’ confidence in order to encourage them to become future educators.
My journey as a bilingual educator started back in Brazil, where I graduated in linguistics and literature both in Portuguese and English languages, and quickly started teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to 7 years old children at a language school. After my first year in college I travelled to the USA to study the English language in more depth and lived in Boston, MA. Once my course was over I moved to Minneapolis, MN where I attended a christian college for the remainder of my visa, and went back to Brazil and graduated in 2005.
I have always worked as an English teacher even while in college, as well as coordinator for instructional design alignment. Bilingual schools has been my area of focus, and working along with the implementation of the Primary Years Program curriculum (PYP) in international schools is an example.
After 19 years in the bilingual education area, I was invited to teach in Utah as a Portuguese teacher for the Dual Language Immersion Program (DLI). My family and I moved here in 2019 finding Utah a welcoming place, and just as clean and beautiful as our hometown. Quickly we adapted to the new routine, facing challenges, pushing through them, and exploring opportunities.
Because developing expertise in my field is a priority for me, I have completed several endorsement courses, including Educational Technology and Teaching English Language Learners. I have also researched about strategies for second language comprehension during my master’s degree which led to my school better organization for reading interventions and data improvement .
I also have a podcast channel , created during my master’s program and for it, at first, which shares stories of educators around the globe, and how they chose that path. From School To School podcast has become a channel to advocate and bring awareness about the need we have in today’s world of more educators.
Like I mentioned before, I wish to build today’s student’s confidence so they can become future educators in a world that has been losing professionals in this area. With the intention of bringing awareness about it I keep interviewing teachers who willingly want to share their life stories and bring encouragement to all.
Last year, 2024-2025 I was recognized by the Pleasant Grove Council PTA with the award of excellence, an outstanding educator. The mention: “She is proactive in advocating for all her children” strengthens my heart with encouragement, and I understand that I am on the right path.
I love writing too. So I will put together my thoughts and be creative around stories I live with a short story model, or create thematic books for other teachers to use. Even as an amateur writer I enjoy the creative process, and sharing it with my students and colleagues. I also love to use music to teach my second language students, and bring culture to our class routine and even for content instruction.
I have also been a presenter as the member of Utah Foreign Language Association (UFLA) and most recent in at the 9th immersion conference, 2024, hosted by the University of Utah’s Second Language Teaching and Research Center (L2TReC) where I shared my research findings.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Becoming a bilingual educator, specialized in second language comprehension, has been long journey on a not well paved road. There is so much to study, learn and research about the learning of a second language, that it not only involves linguistics, but also culture.
I’d say that in order to teach a second language you have to learn about your students’ identity and culture first. As Brazilian who lived in the USA, while in college, I benefited from the cultural aspect back then, so now I can teach my North American students with empathy. That experience was priceless even though it cost a lot of money most Brazilians cannot afford, and because of that I share my strategies and findings through my social media channels.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a bilingual educator, I am proud to say I have had the privilege to teach more than 2000 students over my career. Some of those students I still remember because they told me they would choose to become a teacher and that stood out to me, others because life brought them back on my way.
The impact this profession brought into my life was that of a change, and trying to show my students they are the most important and key for the future of education. More than my degree, and knowledge about literacy, being proactive in advocating for my student’s needs, and valuing the positive in each child is the real success in any language acquisition.
Today, I am known for someone who values each individual for who they are, and daily, I teach how each one of them can contribute to our education system. I love that families have shared so many times how much their child loves school, bringing encouragement into my work. I truly believe that the best-yet-to-come educators are in our classrooms today and it is my responsibility to guide them into what an educator looks like.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My school coach was my right hand when guiding me about what I should study when I first arrived in the USA, proactively orienting me through courses and encouraging me throughout the process.
Attending conferences, seminars, and other events helped me see what was happening in education around me and how I could contribute to the field. That mentorship has been invaluable, allowing me to navigate my profession in a deeper, more purposeful way and understand the importance of raising awareness about the deficit of educators in the USA—while planting seeds of encouragement every day in my classroom.
Beyond formal mentorship, networking grows naturally by sharing your work and passions; creating my podcast From School to School, presenting at conferences, participating in UFLA, and sharing research findings connected me with educators globally and opened doors to informal mentorships and collaborations.
My advice is to seek guidance from someone you respect while actively sharing your own work; even small connections can lead to meaningful growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fromschooltoschool.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromschooltoschool/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fromschooltoschool/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuelacoelho/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FromSchooltoSchool
