A LIFE FOR EDUCATION: SELF-REFERENCED MEMORIES OF THE TEACHER MARIA MOCELINI (1878-1961)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to narrate, from a memoir notebook, the life history of Maria Mocelini, teacher, born in Italy in 1878, immigrant dedicated to the teaching profession in Rio Grande do Sul, as a public employee of this state, from 1907 to 1939. She was retired, and lived within the community of Scalabrinian Sisters at Nossa Senhora de Lourdes School in Farroupilha/RS, until her death. The empirical corpus was constituted by her hand-written memory notebook, produced by Maria Mocelini, and by other documents as oral history narrative, newspapers, reports and photographs. The methodology was historic document analysis and oral history. Theoretical contribution was obtained by Cultural History and History of Education. As a result, it is possible to affirm that the teacher “invented her daily life” in the writing of her notebook, focusing on the family, the teaching profession and the experiences with the community of the Scalabrinian Sisters, thus leaving writings for the self which make up an identity - that of the catholic, public teacher, dedicated to education.