Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-03-06

/
Is q pleasant and continual recourse TO its pos
| SCISSOR, and its pursuit 10 usually esteemed re-
| creation rather than task.
| Drawing is regularly taught 10 the schools Of
| many oi oar own cites, ~ tie Prussia teaches
drawing in all her schools. lin. Horsoe Mann,
| On his return from \ visit to Europe more Tn
| twenty years ngo said Almost every pupil IN
! every schoo, could draw with:ess and most Il
| them with no uncomfortable degree Of beauty
| and preston" On the part Of the teachers
| he adds: 4" never saw y teacher in . 0efman
| school make use Of . ruler or any other msehau-
| icai aid il drawing the nest nice and complica-
| ted figures. l recoilsct Of NO instance in which
he was obliged TO sfAcs . part Of line because
| It was too long, or extend 1t because it was too
| short"
We would make drawing one Of the regulate
| qualifications Of the teacher.
Sns saArBxc SCHOOL.
| The Davenport Training School was organized
! in 3spte mber, 1863. in the Primary rooms Of the
| stone school house. 7th and Perry streets, aad
| placed under the special charge Of M,s. NeGene
gal and Miss Lee. graduates OF tue Oswe2s
Training School.
The school vas established with especial ref
srsnceto meeting the demand for trained teach
! Sra ~ the davenport Aeho0ls.
/ Stetietcs obow thot . generation Of school
l teachers !asts only about four years. aad the ex
psriepce OF the school boards OF I'll our cities
| aud large towss - tbas the demand tor new
teachers large and constant, and that it 10 i'm
| rossise to supply this d. mead with those tull '
! competent, unless some special III ans for prepa
ration IS provided. More than thirty years ugo
schools began to be established to meet this as
| msnd. TINS work has progressed, till sow may
DO found scattered over the land more than forty
state Normal Schools, aud in nearly every city
| - u bs found = Normal Or Training School Is
| tabiished By the City School Board, for the spe
cini purpose of furnishing the public schools
| with teachers.
Il is now teo late 10 deny che necessity OF spe-
cIai preparation for the business Of teaching.
The example Of Prussia and OF England
for half . tentury, aud tho experience and
testi ony Of our best educators for many years,
added to the plain teachings Of reason upon the
subject, render futile any such denial. Cur In
| isters. lawyers. and doctors spend years IN the
study of tnetr professions Our mechanics, OF
almost every kind. are obliged to serve a.
premiership OF from one to i've years, and the
tescher has no lcss need for study ana practice.
La the tive years Of its Z xiste &c, the uaven-
ort Training School, has furnished instruction
10 about 81 teachers, while ~ have completed
ITS course, and received diplomas.
VI the A graduates, 81 have been employed
IN eur CT, SCHOOLS, and the pres NJ excellence
Of our schools IS largely due to their Intelligent
ehotts. The Training School WAS estab
lished with special reference TO o preparation
,er lrma'y insuueuos. end :" earry ny out
| the teacher = practical knowledge OF tne pm
ciples OF his art, together with = knowledge of
| the best methods OF instruction and disciplin
aud to afford to an opportunity Of applying the
principles and methods quirsd in actual prac-
| tee ia the school roOm.
During the present year, however, tho School
| Board have thought best 10 enlarge the scope
| of the school, and to include instruction in the
several branches. ordinarily taught IN our pub
lie schools. FOR this purpose the Training
school was moved 90 tho High School building
that the members the Training Class might
have better opportunity 10 receive instruction
with the classes u the High School. The
change seems to promise the best results. The
presentclsss consisting Of uem oers, in addition
| 10 the study Of methods, aud practice in teach
ing. recits With The High School classes. in
several branches Of study:
| The practicing sctosl. which, undar the
supeiv's'on Of Mrs. Mctionsgsl. is taught BY
| the Training class. consists VI ST. pupils, and
| the progress is fully equal to that OF the pu-
pills ofany Primary School IN tho city
GERMAN.
The success attending the study OF German
in our parilc schools. seems to b. quite salts
factory. Very manifest Is the wisdtn Of II mt
resolution Of The Bosrj, which admits a pupil
to the German class, only upon the written re-
quest Of the parent or GUARDIAN, aud equally
pertinent is tnAtIul' alo~i no pupil 10 re-
lingush the study vi hrut permission of the
Board. Glasses were formed IN the High School
| and in school building No l. No. 2, No 3. and
No. 3. No classes wore formed in the other
schools. but. few pupils wishing to pursue the
study, asd the time Of the teachers being fully
occupied In attending TO those already formed. |
The Teacher, Mr.. ]. +. Grumbrecht, has la
bored under many disadvantages, on the go
count of lack OF room, and Of the difficulty of
proper adjustment Of classes to ether classes in
which pupils were tosnd, aud of the special
difficulty found in the fact that in each Of the
German graies. there were found pupils from
nearly oil the English grades admitted TO thase
ciassss. He has lsbsrsd most earnest, and the |
adv ancemsnt Of his class has been very rapid |
IL 10 Jet to soon 70 speak With positivensss. 10
regard to the effect Of its introduction upon the
general scholarship Of the pupils. but NO seri.
Gus detriment il anticipated. No one can
doubt the importance Of . ksowlsdgs Of Ger
man - our pupils. The large iproportiou Of
Germans in our population, many Of whom
spssk English, but indiheren,ly makes knowl- |
edge 81 their language almost . necessity.
| Leaving utility out Of the question, the study
Of the German language 10 desirable from its
richness and beauty. and from the treasures
OF literature and science TO whibh il introduces
its lssrner. The objection that its inirod NC
ton would tend 10 strsp CITIZEN foreign element
IN our midst 10 answered in the fact that fully
three fourths Of those who study il are the Chi
dren Of Americana.
VISITATION.
Il 10 made The dsty Of The Superintendent TO
VISIT each school ~ often - his other duties
viii permit thst he may Obtain . personal
knowledge Of the condition Of Gil the schools |
end be able 10 suggest such change a. seem
beet calculated to give greater sficisncy 10 the
schools.
In the performance Of The above duty duri,g
NE last half gear hsvs made asrs thar one
hundred vlsits 10 the different achoo .. All
Of them hsvisg bees visited twice, and . few
Of the more than twice. Notice OF . witt IL |
never given previous 10 entering the school
room, the purpose being 70 see the school IL its
ssu ! every day conditsoD.) The length Of .
visit depends upos circums' aness, and varies !
from nfteen minutes to IN hour. One or more |
rtcitations ere lls;enst TO. the spirit and man
ner OF the pupils, and the Methods of instruc-
tisn and discipline practiccd BY the teacher are
observed, questions are asked, suggestions are
N AIDE. and such words Of encours cement and |
CON me uds,ion. aud perchance Of criticism. are |
added ss eli cum sfsnces seem to render desra.
bic. Almost uniformly the teachers express |
graf hcstion at receiving waits from officers aud
from patrons OF the schools. aud if these visits
were more frequent. 10 pro babie that mplain.s
wonld bs fewer, Tor nesris every case OF d I'll
Guilty 10 raceble to an Ignorance Of, or mis,p-
prshon-ion Of the real circumstances Of the
case. Or the three thousand parents who send
Their children to the public schools.
Only about 200 enter the school room, or
manifest any care rs TO whom is entrusted the
instruction Of their cons and daughters. The
performance Of no other duty Of life seems to
this
ysMany other subjects connected with our
schools might be spoken Of. did time permit.
but hoping that those who a-e intsrestei In
school matters. will give them their personal
attention This report 10
Respectfully submitted.
VI, A. Bxsrs, Sup't.