Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-29
RUTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER %, 1864,
Normal schools.

s,onal and business men TO d. rr'a-2
the idea OF maintaining sci us =
fessions and trades. t. 'e
that Experience IL the only f!Co ''s
ter which Is of any value, an 4 tLsl A's
only place of instruction Is his p lace o.
business. 1t Is maintained, for instance
that person can acquire no knowledge
Of bookkeeping, OF any practical value
agent In the office and the counting
,oom the student In law, medicine or
divinity will make the best proficiency
by engaging at once In the practice Oh
his profession and the schoolmaster
can learn nothing about school-keeping
except from his own experience In
teaching. We have even heard 1t assert
al that the knowledge of arithmetic
which a child acquires in school Is Of no
use 10 him In business. As soon as he
has calculations to make In actual busi-
ness, he lays aside all the arithmetic he
learned in school, and makes an unwrit-
tsn arithmetic of his own for his daily
use. When we have come to this point,
we may exclaim with the boy or man
who, after listening to several wonder
ful stories, each more improbable than
the preceding, said 4" Now don't be-
heve the fish story" ...
In the course OF long practice 1t can
not be otherwise than that some general
principles will become established; and
this is just as true of teaching as of any
other business whatever,
II is plain for instance that no person
can teach others what he does not know
himself. 1t is plain that teacher ought
TO have the gift Of language, the power
OF locomotion, and at least sufficient
skill in manipulating to use crayon or
piece of chalk on the blackboard. 1t
10 pretty generally conceded that the
health and comfort of pupils at school
should be the object Of teachers care,
and that in his disciplinary intercourse
with his scholars he ought never TO vio-
late their sense Of justice. While there
may be diversity OF opinion with re-
gard to the infection of corporal punish
mant in any form. 1t has been we'll set
tied in the minds Of all experienced ed
ucators that cruel modes of punishment
and long continued torture, like holding
a weight at arms length, standing on
one foot, STOPPING down, and the like
are out OF the question. We believe II
La conceded on all hands that teachers
should never punish scholars BY intiict
Ing blows on the hand While it may
be true that great many skulls arr
sufficiently thick and strong to beal
very hard knocks, 1t il also true tina
there is q great liability to serious anC
lasting injury and the true principle
therefore Is total abstinence from tn
head 1t will be further conceded tina
the studies and recitatious of scholar
at school should be so conducted tina
they will learn something every day
and so learn 1t that they can use |
the next day or the next week If the
have occasion. Now when we conside
that there are probably at this momen
some scholars attending school mot |
this town, however,) who attend da
after day without learning thing, ez
oept mischief-that there are girls
school whose health, comfort and nece'
stiles are entirely ignored-that thel
are teachers who infiiot cruel blows O
the head-others who, 10 save the TIM
and trouble Of making full enquiry, Q
violence to the scholars innate sense
Justice by Furnishing the innocent IL
stead of the guiity~-and others VINO
conducting the exercises OF the schoc
do all the reciting themselves-we sha
very readily conclude that somethir
ought to be done TO Danish these palp
BILE abuses entirely from the school, al
to secure the practical operation Of we
established principles.
There are at present in this State Sc
eral academies and normal Institutes
which students have sn opportunity
receive instruction in the theory al
practice of teaching. We have reast
Co believe that the able and earne
teachers Of these institutions are re
dering animportant service to the eau
of popular education, but what are tn
among 80 many2 What right has t
State as the guardian of the educ
tional interests of the people, to take
for granted that the teachers will
be properly trained for their importa
work without any care or attention.
the part of the state2
Almost every State, except our oV
makes provision for the normal edu'
ton of teachers, and the thing Is
longer a mere experiment. Those tea'
ers who have been trained In morn
schools by competent instructors c
generally be distinguished from all o
ers by experienced observers.
We hope this subject will not escs
che attention of the teachers at th
approaching meeting at st. Adams.