My teaching philosophy
I balance explicit instruction with inquiry, discussion and making. Students should know what they are learning, why it matters, and have meaningful choices in how they demonstrate understanding.
Teacher · Learning Designer · Mentor
I make lessons feel like discovery.
I’m Mireille Ferreira-Nakagawa, an educator who turns complex ideas into clear, active learning experiences. My classroom is part studio, part laboratory, and always a place where questions are welcome.
today's learning board
01 · INQUIRYAsk a better question.
02 · COLLABORATIONBuild the answer together.
03 · REFLECTIONExplain what changed in your thinking.
04 · NEXT STEPTurn insight into action.
✳ keep wondering
01 / ABOUT
A classroom with room to think.
Education is not just content delivery. It is the design of conditions in which students can notice, test, explain, revise and grow.
What I bring
12+ years across middle and secondary classrooms, curriculum teams and teacher mentoring, with a special focus on literacy, project-based learning and inclusive assessment.
02 / METHOD
Three moves I return to.
Simple enough to remember. Flexible enough to work across subjects, ages and learning contexts.
01
Make it visible
Learning targets, exemplars, thinking routines and live modeling help students see what quality looks like before they attempt it.
02
Make it active
Mini investigations, structured talk, collaborative challenges and authentic audiences move the learner from observer to participant.
03
Make it reflective
Exit tickets, conferencing and revision turn assessment into information students can actually use for their next attempt.
03 / EXPERTISE
The toolkit behind the lesson.
Not a list of software, but a set of practices that support better thinking, clearer feedback and stronger student agency.
Inquiry learning
Project-based learning
Literacy
Differentiation
Socratic discussion
Formative assessment
Curriculum mapping
Student mentoring
Family communication
Teacher coaching
Lesson design
Student voice
Assessment
Mentoring
Collaboration
04 / JOURNEY
Learning has chapters.
A few milestones that shaped the way I teach, coach and build learning environments.
2022 - NOW
Lead Teacher · Northstar Academy
Designed interdisciplinary inquiry units, coached early-career teachers and led a school-wide formative assessment refresh.
2018 - 2022
Humanities Teacher · Riverbend School
Built project-based humanities sequences and introduced student-led conferences that connected evidence, reflection and goal setting.
2014 - 2018
Teacher & Literacy Coordinator · Cedar Grove
Developed reading and writing workshops, supported cross-curricular literacy and created practical assessment guides for teaching teams.
05 / IMPACT
Small signals. Big shifts.
Selected indicators from classroom practice and teacher-development work.
0years teaching
0units redesigned
0teachers mentored
06 / CONTACT
Have a learning challenge?
Whether you are building a curriculum, growing a teaching team or looking for a thoughtful classroom collaborator, I would love to hear what you are working on.
✉ mireille@example.com☎ +351 22 555 0189
◎ Porto, Portugal