Male and female teachers of Primary public schools in Cotia (SP, 1870-1885): teachers’ trajectories and strategies of teaching as craft

Abstract

This article introduces fourteen public primary teachers who had taught from 1870 to 1885 in Cotia, a caipira (country) municipality around São Paulo. The aim is to examine their teaching practice as well their engagement in other sectors of society and focus on a male and a female teachers who were responsible for the First masculine and feminine schools for over than 25 years. They formed a couple in their private life and taught in the same schoolhouse. The main sources were reports from teachers, government and inspectors, newspapers, enrollment books, demographic data, baptismal and marriage certificates, and letters. The article is divided into three sections. In the first one, we present Cotia and the caipira culture. Next, we explore the trajectory of the teaching couple. Finally, we highlight some information about the ten other male teachers and two female ones.