Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1850-09-10
Teachers Institutes

Thee institutions have never yet been sui
fcicn,ly known and understood by the public
a, large To b. fully appreciated We are To
have one a, lh., place tbs month, and several
other, arc To BE- held ia ihis STATE, Pteparai0-
a. To the winter campaign Of teaching, and
our sl,icc a. to all yo0ug persons who dcs,rc
10 make TRACKING Ihcir employment, dat Ties
ly an means attend the session Of these lrs,l.
mtc.. No matter what ho qualification u
candidate. lor the Office Of couducting the At.
hiu of a school housr, ihoy should attend,
either 10 imyau OF rrccisc instruction in these
chfaps,, and .n somc respects the hcsi of all
Normal schools, where the beet modes uiigach-
ing arc made subject u sP"cili r"nsidora-
tiOu by ,o,or-ny 81 iuquifmg persons "hn
are aiming At improvement Tc1,hrp lu,t.-
iuir,. .p iar o.. wr have hcJl able Go Observe
,hrm. have Boa general brrn under lhc care aud
direction Of cumpc,ru, persons, the .blcs' and
mo,i s.tllNl teachers laad nome others should
be- employed 10 manage thrml have brcn en-.
ploycI. and ihc lcam,p have therefore been
able Immediately to learn hov lhc brs, ln-
s,ruc,uu teach. The sk,llml teachers who
have been encouraged ln, or ha,, Encouraged
ihrS, Institutes, have received, 5Dd wall here.
aGrr receive consequent and incidental ad'an-
iarc fum lh,n. IL tends To- sgHllls and
prafrmonaI.s the teacher calling ihcas-
Stumbling IT well educated person. iur the pur.
posc at improving ihwse,cs "a the modes Of
teaching, ,hoNs that something more than a
mrrr scholastic course - necessary ,nqualliy-
lng are tor the 1roioui6l. Doe any novice
or au,ilultcd pcdanr, answer that all ,hls pa.
radc was not M former generation, thought
necessary To enable the graduates OF our mgh'
81 institutions To- ic,rh IN the lover Il
proves nulhing In us that good teachers have
arisen IN former years when lhcr were nclih'
cr Normal schools nor Teachers Institutes.
~ have Nc found distinguished PHILOSOPHERS
lrc Franklin. and vrrihsmaucious Ike Bow
ditch. where diploma did 90, herald their
coming, bu, followed IA their wake Thee"
exceptions To the general course bN which
high scholarship Is attained seems to Us to
have hule or nothing 10 do with the case IN
hand. Good scholarship Is indeed a very
nccdful preliminary preparation fora teacher
and 1t jus, quahf,. hun io GO with advantage
into one Of the Institutes, where be will soon
gain another qualification by seeing ho" 9TH
ers iolcl, or have fought. but Whaicvcrsys-
tens Of teaching may be learned IN these IN.
stlutes, they should b. cautiously introduced
into our common schools, and With judgement
applied only when practicable. But IN all ca
Sc. where It j. practicable tho teacher should
practice upon the theories OF imParing IN
siruciion which he has learned. After all,
the first school that young person teaches,
is bu, an experimental school. Some say
that teachers are born, not Dlafc. We think
they are born aud made too. Wedo not how
ever believe, that because a young gentleman
has been to college, that he eau teach a CON-
mon school, any more than We believe that
reading good author on music, will make
good singer or player. The Institutes expose
fallaccy, deyelOpe truth, and make tho teach
er practical.
We hope tho Institute near at hand will be
pleasant and profitable one, and that It's IN
teres,s and enjoymcn,s will no, be reared by
Book MonOPoliEers, nor from any other cause.