Sergio is an educator and artist originally from Southeastern New England, but has always had one foot on the Silver Coast of Portugal. Growing up well-entrenched in the Portuguese immigrant community of New Bedford, before spending his teenage years in the environs of Figueira da Foz - where he received his training in fine arts while attending Escola Secundária Dr. Joaquim de Carvalho - Sergio has always been able to navigate among a variety of social and cultural realities given his unique bilingual "border" presence. His fascination with a vast array of aesthetics has led to a continual life-long journey of seeking out interesting concepts, from language and culture to different art forms, and realities. From punk to fado, from realism to abstraction, he is a firm believer that all is fair in love, war, education, and most of all art and culture.

The meshing of these can be felt and measured in Sérgio personality and ethos as well as in the artworks he produces, where you can find a wide range of subject matter from western landscapes paintings of the magnificent geological formations in North America to more abstract and emotionally charged graffito-like paintings depicting scenes and cultural artifacts related to his ancestral home at the mouth of Mondego River in Figueira da Foz and his time spent in the historic medieval university town of Coimbra.

Sergio is inspired by his travels ranging across the United States, the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Africa, past and present, and the inherent interactions with people and cultures over his lifetime. There's an apparent appreciation and it's clear that Sergio dives right into any cultural and linguistic differences rather than fear them, as they are the inspiration for his work both artistic and educational.

He travels with his wife and children as much as possible to gain greater insight into himself and his work, while hoping to inspire his children to embrace the differences between us as a means of learning and making our brief and fleeting experiences on this earth more meaningful and worthwhile.

PERSONAL PROFILE STATEMENT

I am an experienced, enthusiastic and licensed educator that has worked in a variety of capacities within the American university and public school system for the past fifteen years. 

EXPERIENCE

English Language Arts Instructor - Old Colony RVTHS — 2009 - PRESENT

As an English Language Arts (ELA) instructor at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, I provide ELA instruction to students in grades nine through twelve. This includes honors, college preparatory, and Advanced Placement Language classes. I am responsible for creating a classroom environment that encourages all students to develop skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. I challenge students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate individual and multiple texts and to communicate their analysis to their peers via written and oral presentations. 

My goals as an educator are to support the development and appreciation of the written word including non-fiction sources and literature of all types; motivate students to read widely for informational and recreational purposes; and assist in the development of critical thinking skills and judgement of written and oral communications. I have implemented a variety of tools to achieve these goals, including cross-curricular projects incorporating history, music, artwork and other cultural artifacts. I also incorporate numerous technological platforms in the classroom to support students’ individual learning styles; these include PearDeck, Kahoot, Google suite products, text-to-speech platforms, and others.

As an ELA instructor, I deliver curriculum aligned to the state of Massachusetts’ State Standards and prepared students for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, a state-wide test that students need to attain proficiency in their 10th grade year in order to receive a certified diploma.  

In 2019, I was tasked with developing an Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition (ELC) course. This is an introductory college-level literary analysis course, and was the first AP course offered at Old Colony RVTHS.

As an AP ELC teacher, I instruct my students in the elements of argument and composition as they develop their critical reading and writing skills. This class is focused on close reading, analyzing and interpreting nonfiction works from various periods; evaluating sources of information; gathering and consolidating sourced information; writing evidence-based arguments; and drafting and revising written assignments. I also prepare my students for the AP ELC Exam.

Spanish Instructor - Old Colony RVTHS — 2009 - 2013

As the Spanish instructor, I developed a well-rounded curriculum that enabled students to read and write in Spanish as well as speak both formally and conversationally. I also integrated cultural studies in the curriculum to provide students with knowledge of the history and development of the language.

Section 504/ADA Coordinator - Old Colony RVTHS - 2009-2012

As the Section 504/ADA Coordinator, I was responsible for monitoring and implementing the school’s compliance with state and federal laws prohibiting disability discrimination, including Section 504, Title II of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). In this position, I worked with a team of educators to ensure that disabled students who may be in need of services would have an equal opportunity to receive an education despite their disability. As part of this team, I implemented 504 services plans for disabled students; ensured compliance with the procedural safeguards of Section 504; and maintained active and effective communication with parents, teachers, and other relevant staff.  

Boys Junior Varsity/Varsity Soccer Coach — 2010 - present

As the boys Varsity soccer coach, I implemented my many of my classroom teaching techniques and worked with the athletes to identify individual and team goals for the season. I also worked with them on balancing their sports goals with their other responsibilities including school and work.

Teaching assistant — 2006 - 2009

During my time in the Master’s Degree program at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, I worked teaching introductory Portuguese to college students. I worked with the Portuguese Department at UMass Dartmouth developing the courses as well as providing individualized instruction during office hours and tutoring sessions. I was also tasked with creating curriculum and delivering instruction for summer programs where I taught a literature class on Luso-American Literature as encountered in the various cultural enclaves of the Portuguese Diaspora within the North American context.

Paraprofessional — 2005 - 2006

As paraprofessional at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, I assisted students with disabilities ranging from specific learning disabilities in reading/writing to more severe cases of autism spectrum disorder. My job was to help integrate these students into the classroom and to make sure accommodations were in place for the student to be successful learners.

EDUCATION

University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MA

MA Portuguese Studies, 2009 

University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth , ma

BA in History, 2005

LICENSURE

Massachusetts test for educator licensure (MTEL) program

The MTEL program includes tests of communication and literacy skills as well as tests of subject matter knowledge. The tests are designed to ensure that MA educators can communicate adequately with students, parents/guardians, and other educators and that they are knowledgeable in the subject matter of the license sought. I have passed the following MTEL exams:

• Literacy and Communication MTEL

• English MTEL

• Spanish MTEL

• History MTEL

OTHER

Sheltered English immersion (SEI) Endorsement - 2018

SEI is an approach to teaching academic content in English to English Language Learners (ELL). ELLs are in the same classroom as native English-speaking students and in order to serve these students and provide them with the education they desire and are entitled to receive, I obtained an SEI teacher endorsement through successful participation in an SEI course. This course provided me with the tools and knowledge necessary to instruct ELLs, including those with disabilities, in a mainstream classroom.