In the days before formal teacher training, many teachers improved their skills by attending the County Normal Institute. Held from one to three weeks every August, the Normal Institute featured the best lecturers and instructors available. Demonstration classes were taught to give teachers pointers on classroom techniques. Some County Institutes went beyond 'readin', 'ritin', and 'rithmetic.
More time is given to the lives and works of prominent educators, to literature, and to discussion.
The institute in Thayer County was divided into two departments, one for beginning teachers and one for veteran teachers and patrons in regard to the schools. The County Normal Institute was also a social event, including receptions, band music, and appropriate speeches. These institutes provided the lone teacher in the one-room school with a valuable link to the larger world of public education.