CONTEXT-BASED TRAINING AND RESPECTFUL FEEDING: A JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION AT A CEMEI

Abstract

This article analyzes the process of reorganizing infant feeding practices carried out at the Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil (CEMEI) AA, located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Grounded in the research-formation approach and inspired by contributions from autoethnography, life histories, and context-based continuing teacher education, the study followed formative actions developed with the school management and teaching staff aiming to promote more respectful, affective, and autonomy-supportive feeding practices. The methodological procedures included observations of feeding routines in Nursery I and Nursery II groups, participation in professional development meetings, pedagogical follow-up sessions, and reflective records produced throughout the process. The findings indicate that the reorganization of spaces, schedules, and interactions during mealtimes contributed to increasing infants' autonomy, strengthening bonds between children and educators, and improving caregiving practices. The study also highlights the importance of context-based continuing professional development and collaborative work among school leaders, teachers, and the external trainer in fostering institutional transformation. It concludes that respectful feeding constitutes an educational practice that integrates care, learning, development, and human formation, contributing to the well-being and rights of children in Early Childhood Education.