The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-05-23
educational.
Normal Schools, Or Teachers Semi
naries.
From Harnard'S School Architecture.

IL,
the best modes of reaching the heart and in
tellect. and of developing and building up the
whole character of child. 1t aims to do for
the Young and Inexperienced teacher. all that
the direction and example of the master
workman, and all that the experience of the
workshop do for the Young mcchanic-all
that the naval and military schools do for
those who lead in any capacity in the army
or navv-all that the low school. or the med
lcal school. OF the the theological seminary do
tor the professions of law medicine. or thco-
! ogv. In every department Of mechanical. ar
tlstic. or professional labor, the highest skill
is attained only after long and appropriate
training under wise superintendent and the
Normal School aims to impart this previous
training by providing thorough course cf in
struction under competent teachers. with ref
crcncc to teaching the same things to others.
This course of instruction involves the whole
art of teaching-a knowledge of human ra-
tnre. and of a chld's nature in particular-ot
the human mind. and Of the order in which
its several faculties should be called into cx-
erciSc: of the best motives by which good
habits of study can be cultivated in the
young: of the arrangement and classification
of scholars. and of the best means and appli-
anccs for securing obedience and order. and
keeping alive an interest i'll the daily excrci-
sc> of the school. And this art of teaching
must be illustrated and cxcmplifcd bv those
who are to apply it. in a model school. The
idea Of such a school is not Il mere >pccula-
ton of ardent hcnevolcncc-it is an exist
ing reality in this country as we'll as in E.u-
rope.
In this country, the claims of these in>titll-
tons were first distinctly presented bv Eev.
Thomas ii. Gallaudct. of Hartford Conn.,. in
lN23. and by James &. Carter. of Lancaster.
Mass. in a series of ESSAYS on the subject.
and by William Russell. of Boston. in the
Journal Of Education fer 1926 One fact is
certain. the Improvement Of schools in every
country has followed hand in hand with the
establishment. multiplication. and improve
mcnt of Normal Schools.
y Normal School for the State of New
York. was established at Albany. by AN act of
the Legislature in 1911. for the instruction
and practice of Teachers of Common Schools.
i'll the science Of Education. and in the art OF
Teaching. Its sole object is to improve the
teachers of Common Schools and the course
of study and conditions Of admission have
been adopted with reference to that object.
Each county i'll the State is entitled to send
to tho Soh"" "u,,,i.~ q ,.vr;l, t.tL., ,,,ole
or tcmalc.) equal to twice the number of
members of the Assembly iii such county.
The pupils are appointed bv the county and
tow, ,,,or;ntn,,dont~ rf ,nnrtirr called by
the county superintendent for that purpose.
I"oIifcniio" :t .lppjir"utS.-Fcmalc> sent
to the school must be sixteen wears Of age
and males eighteen.
ED',mrc.-All the pupils, on entering the
school. are required to sign the following dc
claration:
Uc Nr S"I,$c,1l',.x h~'y DECLARE. HGi i
is our int,nfion To d.rotc ou,x.irex "Hc h">-
ness oi' t,ochiny district Srhoo'<. Gnd tint o'I
, so|c o'..j"' IN rtSo,tjngto N'x Normal >ch"o
is the bcjtT ia pr2,nrc "nnyItcS .t"r that 'Dr
po,tuM d"ty'
HurI'yes Of the Pulilx-AN pupils re
ceivc their tuition free They are also turn
! i>hcd with the use of textbooks withou
! charge. Moreover. thcy draw a small sun
from the fund for the support ofthc school
: to dctray in part their expenses.
In 1898 the Legislature Of Massachusetts
established three Normal Schools. One o
these is now located at framneham. anothc
,. at Bridgcwatcr. and the third at Wcstticld
. More recently fourth has been cStabliShc,
at Salem. Those at Salem and Framinghali
=. are devoted to the training Of female Teach
; crS. The other two admit both sexes
! -lImix~oO.-AS a prerequisite TO admis>
- ion. candidates must declare it to be their in
tcntion to qualify themselves to bccom
. school teachers. If they belong to the State
'. or have all intention and reasonable expect
alton Of keeping school in the State. tuition
gratuitouS. Otherwise. a tuition-tcc is char9
- cd, which is intended to be about the same a
- is usually charged at good academies i'll tn
same ncighborhood. lfpupiS. after havin
completed a course of study at the State MOI
y nal Schools, Immediately " engage in schoo
keeping. but leave the State. or enter pr
=, vate school or an academy they are consider
', ed as having waived the privilege CROWN
out of their declared intention to keep Il con
:: mon School in Massachusetts, and are hcl
" bound in honor to pay a tuition-fee for thci
instruction.
If males. pupils must have attained the ag
g of seventeen years complete. and of Sixtccl
! if females; and they must be free from an
* disease Or infrmity, which would unfit thci
for the office of school teachers
~ They must undergo an examination. az
y prove themselves to be we'll vcrscd in ortho.
;" raphy, reading. writing. English gramma
II geography and arithmetic.
=. They must furnish satisfactory evidence
u good intellectual capacity and of high NOR;
Il Il character and principles.
U ('.,.r.o .f SI,,,I, Tho c+,l,oe Ere+ !
attended to i'll the State Normal Schools. al
those which the law requires to be taught
the district schools. namely. orthograph
reading. writing. English grammar, geogr
IN phv and arithmetic. When these are mastc
r. ed. those of a higher order will be progres
It. lively taken.
II To each Normal School. an Experiment
cr or Model School is attached This School
under the control of the Principal of the No
l! NAL School The pupils of the Normal Scho
'u assist in teaching it. Here. the knowled:
which they acquire in the science of teachin
20 Is practically applied. The art is made
d. grow out of the science. instead of being e1
pirical The Principal of the Normal Scho
inspects the Model School, more or less dali
He observes the manner in which his ow
pupils exemplfy. in practice. the prineipl
he has taught them. Sometimes. all the p
pills of the Normal School. together with Il
Principal. visit the Model School in bod
to observe the manner in which the teache
as of the latter for the time being conduct Il
recitations or exercises. Then, returning
ry their own school-room, in company with Il
p assistant teachers themselves. who have bet
!y the objects of inspection, each one is call'
lis upon to deliver his views. whether commen
ay atory or otherwise, respecting the manner
h! which the work has been performed. At tn