Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1856-02-05
From the Ohio Journal Of Education.
g. " Normal School. f.

,., From the Ohio Journal Of Education.
Normal school.
Repori of The commiitee 10 whom acds en-
trusted The duty Of considering the pro-
priety of establishing q Normal School,
i under the auspices Of the Ohio ..Siats
Teachers association.
GENERAL PROPOSITIONS.
The position is assumed by your COM
mittee that the profession of teaching is an
affirmative professionalism the labor Of so
acting upon other minds as to bring into ac-
tive exercise and full development the high
er qualities Of our common nature, is a
positive and not negative employment.
There seems to be but two modes Of ava
-kening the intellectual and. moral faculties
of the child, and of fixing the entire char
acter Of the man. The first is, to allow the
intellect 10 receive such development and
the character to take such formation as all
surrounding circumstances, stimulants and
influences may chance to give it, leaving it
ever to be acted upon by public sentiment,
without any pre-concerted, Predetermined
plan whatever, trusting that all virtues
spring into being spontaneously, and that
vices only are the results of culture; trust
ing that the mighty ocean of public opin-
ion can never be agitated but with entire
safety to every tempest-tossed mariner;
that honor, bright honor, SO iIluminates and
guides all the business transactions Of life,
that deception and fraud may never find a
lurking place; presuming that social life
has neither dangers to be avoided, norpure
and ever enduring egi oyments to be shared;
presuming that existence here has no dis
appointments, no sorrows, no trials, no stern
duties to be met, no temptations to over
come, no purpose, no plan, no submits oi
bliss to be reached, no abysses Of degrade.
ton and misery to be Stunned; in brief
that all that exists Is right, that improve
ment, unceasing progress, were never to be
regarded as essential stimulants to human
exertion.
The second doctrine in the profession o
teaching is, that the education is bound tc
proceed upon the supposition that the child
has faculties implanted within it whicllneed
active, positive, regular, frequent exercise
for their proper development; that all ex.
ternal and chance developments of charac-
ter are to be most carefully excluded
in brief, this life has purpose, and that
that purpose isa complete and glorious
preparation for another life; and, further
that all possible legitimate means are to be
employed to secure this preparation for ev-
cry child-that the wealth Of the world
should be laid under contribution, to effect
this obiectAthat nature herselfis tofbe tor,
tured into confession of her most occult
mysteries to aid in this grandest of all hu-
man chterprises--that the air-pump and the
crucble, the telescope and the microscope
must each reveal its distinct world Of in
terest and wonder to. aid in arousing the
human intellect and elevating the human
soul. Assuming the latter to be the true
doctrine, the profession Of teaching is claim
cd to be an affirmative profession, and the
science Of teaching, SO far as the term science
is applicable to it, is a positive and not a
negative science. ~.
Our next general proposition, that the
profession to be acquired, to be carefully,
thoroughly, profoundly studied and wisely
understood by those who follow it. Origi-
nal diversities Of mental constitution will
always be to some slight extent elements
Of success or failure in every employment,
in every profession. Natural adaptation,
as it is popularly called, will often exert q
casual favorable or unfavorable influence
in every pursuit of life, and occasionally
this may be far-reaching in its. tendencies,
but, these constitute rather the exceptions,
than the rule.p, AstrOng sViu, a determined
purpose Of life, based upon heartfelt benevo'
lence or convictions of duty, if not in every
possible instance equivalent to "natural
adaptation," are certainly very excellent
substitutes for it. II, in the candidate for
the profession Of teaching, there is some
proper and adequate perception of its ma
ture and duties, united with true benevo-
lence and profound reverence for the
mandates Of duty, the more superficial
questions Of "natural adaptation" will de-
serve very slight consideration.
Assuming, then, that the profession OF
teaching is NOT essentially unlike other pro-
fessions in the matter Of natural adapta-
ton, the question follows, is the employment
of teAching of such nature as to admit Of
any previous preparation for its duties?
Can any body state what Qualities ofmlnd
and heart, or what particular kind OF intel
lectual and moral discipline and culture, or
what specific attainments in science will be
requisite or essential to the highest success
in such an employment?
i9 Can any body point out any general
methods Of instruction, or describe any
principles Of general or special application
in the work Of educating the young, which
can be made subjects OF study and inyesti-
cation for an enthusiastic young candidate
for this profession? lae
Can any one name the essential pre-req-
uisites to successful discipline and govern
ment. or can the most experienced Of the