Introducing Guest Author: Anabela Paulo

​Anabela is an Early Childhood Education professional with 20 years of experience across teaching, teacher professional development and educational leadership in diverse international contexts, including Portugal, Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, Denmark and Luxembourg.

Her work has been shaped by a strong commitment to supporting educators and strengthening early childhood education practices, while also developing a growing understanding of how education systems and private education contexts evolve across different regions. Throughout

Throughout her career, she has combined classroom practice with the development of educators and learning communities. Her work focuses not only on teaching young children, but also on supporting teachers, strengthening pedagogical practice and contributing to the growth of reflective and inclusive early childhood environments.

She has worked in community-based early childhood centres, private and international schools, and international cooperation projects. These experiences have allowed her to engage with different educational systems and cultures, and to contribute to curriculum development, teacher mentoring and collaborative professional learning.

A significant part of her work is dedicated to supporting educators. She has designed and delivered professional development programmes, supervised interns and early-career teachers, and participated in professional learning networks aimed at improving early childhood education practices.

Alongside her work in schools, she explores the role of the arts in education. Her background in dance and performing arts has influenced her pedagogical approach, using movement, creativity and expression to support children’s engagement, well-being and holistic development. She has completed professional training programmes at the University of Cambridge and Harvard University and is completing a Postgraduate Certificate in School Leadership and Management at Cambridge.

Her current Master’s research explores STEAM education in early childhood, focusing on the development of a competency profile for STEAM educators and on inquiry-based learning approaches that foster creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving from the earliest years.

She is particularly interested in educational leadership, teacher professional development, international collaboration, and understanding how education systems and private education contexts evolve across different regions.