Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1857-04-04
Normal School in Allentown.

We have learned with great deal of
pleasure that DR.. REYNOLDS, ftr many
years Prof of ancient languages in Penn
sylvania College, and for sometime Presi-
dent of the University in Columbus,
Ohio, and Dir, KEssLER, for several years
the popular pastor of large German Con.
gregstion in Baltimore, who had also acted
as teacher and pastor in Switzerland,
propose to commence this spring re ,ular
and well organized Normal school, or
Teachers Seminary, in Allentown.
This school is 10 be conducted in the
large and beautiful building of tho A len
town Seminary, and with special refer
cnce to the wants Of the German counties
OF Pennsylvania.
DR.. Reynolds is very favorably known
to the literary world, both as man of
learing and as a Professor and Teacher
He is the founder of the "EUangeItcaI Re
gieao," and has written great deal for the
public press, As Principal of the Allen
town Teachers Seminary he will exert
himself to train teachers to speak the Eng
lish in its purity and teach it correctly
DR.. Kcssler, as German Teacher will give
all the pupils fair opportunity to learn to
read and write the noble language Of Ger
many in all its purity. The best arrange
ments will also be made to communicate
such other branches of know ledge as are
required by teachers,
If we desire good schools for the people
generally we must, in the first place. pro-
vide good teachers for without good teach
ers there can be no schools. But good
teachers do not fall from the clouds
nor grow up from the ground, but
they must be taught and trained, for, "no
ono is born q Scb00LmaSter." No who is
to teach others correctly must first bo taught
himself. Mere knowledge or science gen
orally is not sufficient to make man a
good teacher of youth There are great
many learned men whose attanments are
very extensive, who are yet not 'artto teach,
and are united to act as teachers, Teach
ing and keeping school, to be done prop
erly, demand peculiar qualifications, which
must be received by being taught, and for
this Ieacters Semt7aarscS are indispensa.
| bly, necessary.
But ifa schools to be good, the training
and discipline of the young must 60 hand
in hand with their instruction. Good on.
der or discipline is part of the instruc-
ton which schools require, No one should
begin to teach until he has learned from
experienced teachers how children should
be treated, differing as they do in their
bodily constitution, in their mental charac
ter and the habits which they have formed
at home-how is he to proceed in order to
lead in the right way begins such as these
To this important branch of the tc9chcr's
education the proper attention will be Civ
en- the Allentown Seminary,
For the German counties of Pennsylva
MIA mere English teachers, who understand
neither the language, nor the feelings an(
habits of our people are unsuitcd, and the
German counties should therefore have
some of their own youth trained as teach
ers, so that they may not be under the ne
cessity of bringing in strange teacher
from abroad. If a teacher entirely Eng
lish has charge of children speaking only
German, the children do not under
stand the teacher and learning are boil
alike toilsome and tedious. Will
such teacher the children may per
haps learn to read English fuontly, bu
they learn the language as mere parrots
by repeating what they have heard withou
understanding the meaning Of the words
In this manner an important part of tn
precious school time is lost, the childre
are net taught to think, their understood
ing is not awakened, and thus, with al
their learning, the children remain igno
rant simply because the teacher is not in
situation to SPEAK intelligibly to his schol
ars' and to explain and illustrate V Aat the
ought to learn. What is the use OF Eng
lish if it is not understood? A man migh
understand how to read hundred or
thousand languages, but if he did not ur
dcrstand what he had read, he would aftC
all, be nothing the wiser 1t is not th
letters and words, but the sense and Cor
tents of tho words which enlighten the III
derstanding and give learning.
Old and experienced teachers are we
, aware that foreign or unknown languag
is best acquired by trsnsl4ting it into ou
mother language. For our German chi
! dron We should, therefore, have teacher
' who have the command not only of tt
English but also of tho German, so as I
be able to exercise the children by tran
, lating from German into English and fro
English into German. In this way Il
a children would at the same, time and witho
, any increase of labor, learn not only
p read but also to understand both langu
n ges. And taoO languages educate the min
q better than one alone; two languages 4
II like two eyes or two cars with which '
can see and hear twice as much as wi
il one eye or ear; or we might compare tt
two languages to two keys, each of viii
o opens a door of useful knowledge.
The first session of the Allentown Teac
ers' Seminary, in which it is proposed
give teachers this thorough training
O English and German, viii open on the 4
20 May, and continue two quarters, nam(
until October.
m Any one desiring further information
reference to this institution can obtain
,u by APPLYING either to DR.. Reynolds, or