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Teaching narratives; History of education; Public history; Oral history; Cidade da Esperança; Collective memory.
This thesis investigates the trajectories and experiences of the first female teachers in the Cidade da Esperança neighborhood, in Natal/RN, between the years 1966 and 1996, articulating teaching narratives with the history of education, public history, and oral history. The research is guided by the central question: how did these teachers contribute to the development and formation of the neighborhood, and what were the characteristics of their professional practices during that period? The investigation is grounded in the principles of cultural history and oral history, adopting a sensitive and participatory approach that recognizes teachers' narratives as legitimate sources for the production of historical and educational knowledge. The methodology combined interviews, analysis of school documents, personal archives, and institutional records, articulating active listening, cross-referencing of sources, and community feedback. The use of Tropy software supported the organization and analysis of the narratives. The thesis is structured in five chapters. The first discusses the theoretical foundations of cultural history and teaching narratives. The second addresses public history and the research methodology, with emphasis on shared authority. The third chapter provides a historical contextualization of the Cidade da Esperança neighborhood, highlighting the contrasts between official discourses and local memories. The fourth chapter analyzes the teachers' training and professional experiences, revealing identities shaped by courage, motherhood, resistance, and affection. Finally, the fifth chapter explores the networks of sociability built around the school and the role of teachers in shaping a sense of community and belonging. The results indicate that the teachers played a central role in the social and symbolic construction of the neighborhood, contributing to the development of affective and educational networks that went beyond the school walls. The narratives highlight teaching as a historically situated, affective, and transformative practice, marked by everyday strategies in the face of structural adversities. By giving centrality to the voices of teachers, the research affirms the potential of memory, listening, and public history as tools for valuing and transforming education.