Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-07-29
From the Ohio Journsl Of Educstien.
A Plan for the Organization o
Nor,noI TneA,+,,+oz
Normal Institutes.

moet assistance can De feacneo, esn hdIuif
As aaest;cned To supply this necessity
"Tesrhers' Institutes" have frc-. tine 10
time been held in d:ferert parts Q! ihs
Siaie.
But while these have accomplished great
end q goed work. for the teachers and the
schools, they have come far short, both in
number and efficiency, of doing all that
should be done. They have, we hope. pre-
pared the wsy for higher instrumertaity
and a more perfect organization Tie steps
tlresdy taken in The right direction, have
cot only bren of great service 10 the schools
but they have revealed to US the necessity
of additional steps, which must be taken, or
we shall lose. in great measure, the sd-
vantsges we have gained.
Iu-order, therefore, 10 carry forward this
weIl-beeun uurk, we have thought of SUP
mil,ing plan for the organization OF i series
of National Institutes for the entire State,
to be held al conre nirnt points, and to con-
tinue from tao 10 four or six weeks.
1t iswell known that an institute OF one
week, or less, affords too short time in
which to accomplish anything by the way o:
instruction either in the sciences themselves
or in the Theory and Practice of Teaching
more than TO point out some generalitles,
which, in the majority Of cases, are sUon
forgotten; or if an improvement is at;emrt-
ed BY the teacher, SO vague 10 the knowi-
edge, that failure is the result; and the
effect is a telling stroke against Teachers
Institutes.
Then again, only small proportion of the
number O. teachers, even in the counties
where Institutes have been held, have par
ticipated in them. 1t is hard 70 make them
believe md feel that they will pay ] have
found it difficult in some instances 90 per-
susde these teachers even 10 visit some Of
our graded schools, that they might get d
better idea of the organ zation and workings
Of those schools. Their knowledge of a
well organized school is exceedingly vogue
and limited, and as result, they are too
well satisfied with their own plans and pro.
gress.
What can be dore 10 remove these evils,
and to furnish the schools with class o.
teachers of higher quslifi -ations! are ques-
tions Of serious Importance
We have thought Of submitting the fol-
lowing, which may serve at least us an in-
dex to ssme efficient plan:
l. To district the State in such manner
as to throw three or four counties together
possibly the present Congressional Dis
trcts would afford as convenient division
ss could be suggested
2. To appoint one or more Of the county
examiners in each county TO secure pledges
of attendance. or, what has already been
done in some counties, 10 sell scho larshipE
to teachers when they applied for examina-
ton. The county examiners could do this
without at all interfering with their Other
duties The number that each county coulG
furnish, would thus be pretty accur a,ely DO
certained.
3. To make the comfy examiners in eacf
ccuntr q committee Of correspondence L.
confer with each other in the counties o
the same district. and To report the name
Of teachers, and the number wishing to at
tend. 10 the several county Auditors at
specified lime. The teachers in the severa
counties eoald also aid much IN this arrange
ment.
i. To secure aud sppoint corps OF lee
turers and instructors 20 conduct these Nor
HIsl Classes, or part OF them, during tha
part of the year when the schools are not i
session. The month of August might b
selected, in which a dozen or more of then
could be 'cunducted; and others might b
held during The months of March and Apr
in the spring. and September, October, an
possibly part OF November. in the fall.
These latter could be conducted mainly D
teachers who are slready in the field, devo
ing nearly their entire time aud attention
these things.
It does not require any very close obsel
vation or calculation to estimate the goo
results of thus bringing our hest teacher
in the State in contact with our poorest one
They will im7art literally from whatever {
excellences they may possess. to larg
class of teachers who will return to the
several fields of labor encouraged and il
.yigorated, carrying with them the spirit an
efficjencles of those teachers, to e-appes
N another generation. Indeed we can thin
OF nothing, in the sbeence OF Norm;
Schools in every part OF the State, tn;
would affect the same good. Even suppo:
ing that only one-haf of the counties couI
be reached, ard that but one-half of 'h
common school teachers in them could
induced to attend, still 1T would pay
The plea that teachers would not gene
ally attend these gatherings, need not I
urged. II will be found that they are 1
willing 10 accept favors as the public or tt
profession is 10 grant them; and that thes
facilities will afford them peculil advantage
for procuring certificates Of ligher graz
- subject upon which common scho
teachers are somewhat sensitive about Il
time they. apply for examination-nceds N
a high order o talent to foresee. Seven
eight of the Normal Institutes have alreaC
been organized through the voluntary e
forts of teachers. And we may safely pr
dict that as lcng as the preparation OF we
qualified teachers is the great education
want of the age, they will continue to mu
tip;y.
The usual charge for tuition is $500 pc
scholar for a term of four weeks. ALLOW
ing that one hundred pupils could be secu
ed-whch would be fair estimate, thoug
some indiv idual counties have rais. tht
uumber-the amount ($3oO) would be amp
sufficient TO defrsy all expenses.
We, therefore, earnestly commend tn
plan. or something of this character, 10 ii
candid consideration OF the Association
Teachers at their semi annual meeting
Delaware J. o.