The coordinator of the Fundep Magda Soares Chair in Basic Education at IEAT, Professor Júlio Emílio Diniz, from the School of Education at UFMG, and educator Raquel Augusta Melilo Carrieri, who is conducting postdoctoral research at the aforementioned chair, participated in the opening lecture of the semester of the Geography course at UFMG.

The activity, held on April 28, 2025, in the auditorium of the Institute of Geosciences at UFMG, addressed the theme The relevance of teacher training in Geography. In addition to Professor Júlio Diniz and Raquel Melilo, the panel included the participation of Renato Frade, PhD in Geography and Basic Education teacher.

Professor Júlio began his speech by highlighting some common-sense ideas, usually prejudiced, about the teaching profession and invited the Geography undergraduates to think more critically and reflectively about the various training processes that are at the basis of the teaching profession, even if they are not recognized as such. The notion of initial training was expanded so that the teacher’s school experience as a student could be understood as a possibility for developing learning about teaching. Another notion that was expanded was that of continuing education, which, according to Professor Julio, can be understood as a set of knowledge that is often constructed in non-formal spaces.

After Professor Julio’s speech, Professor Renato Frade presented other common sense ideas that are associated with the teaching profession. This was one of the connecting elements between the speakers’ speeches, since Renato Frade also presented broader understandings about initial and continuing education.

Raquel Melilo, the lecture’s moderator, highlighted the importance of articulating different areas of knowledge to think about the training of Basic Education teachers, showing that this is one of the concerns of the Fundep Magda Soares Chair of Basic Education at IEAT.

At the end of the lecture, there was a space for questions and collective discussions and an invitation for all those present to learn more about the activities carried out within the scope of the chair. The lecture The relevance of teacher training in Geography was organized by the Teaching and Research Group in Geography (GEPEGEO) and had the support of the Department of Geography at UFMG.