The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-12-09
NUMBER 40

pupils, text books to be used; branches 10 he
sious etc. {s)-The Recitation, including OBJ
jeets to be attained and methods employed: d.
rect and indirect teaching; Socratic teaching;
tafion; consecutive. simultaneous and prernis-
cuous questioning; topical instructions; re-
views and examinations. (3.)-Schooi toy
eminent. including duties OF teachers, pupils
and communities; rewards and punishments
in schools; means of preventing and correct
ing disorder; motives; De lection and punish
Guiding plans and objects of grading; course
of study suited to the different grades, etc.
(5).-School Architecture; plans OF school
buildings, arrangement Of grounds.
GEOGRAPHY: Map Drawing and Descrip-
tive Geography Of North America. Special
study of the Topography, Productions, Manu-
features, Railroads and Internal Improve
ments of the United States Meteoroiegy
Methods OF teaching.
SINGING: Advanced practice in glees, quar-
tettes and choruses.
By some, better acquainted with the
college curriculum than with the work
of normal, schools, the above outline
has been criticised as presenting too
meager fare. especially in the higher
branches. It should be observed that
in prescribing the course of study for
the Normal School, no attempt has
been made to form an ambitious course.
The idea of making normal school
college was not entertained. The OBJ
ject was to provide first class training
school for teachers, including in its
curriculum such studies, aud only such
studies, as are of direct practical bene-
fit to public school teachers. Whether
the studies selected are those which
should have been chosen, may be deci-
ded, ought to be decided, by the answer
to this question, with what studies
should the teachers of the public
schools be thoroughly familiar?"
Believing that the general course of
study is suited to the needs of the
school, and especially that the time and
labor bestowed upon the common
school studies, the Theory and Art of
Teaching and the practice teaching in
the Model School, cannot be safely cur
tailed, invite your attention to an
other feature of the course; viz, its
length. Three years is the time now
required for its completion by students
of average ability. a few complete
the work satisfactorily in less time;
larger number are compelled to remain
as members of the school for a longer
period than three years before they are
graduates, the ruling being that the
full work of each term must be accom-
plished before the student is advanced
III the course. The optional studies,
Latin, Greek, French and German, have
been added within the present year.
Without them, the average student
found too much rather than too little
work for the three years. Without eX-
tending the time, not one student in
| ten will be able to carry optional stu
dies in additional to those of the regu-
lar course. Let the time be four years
instead of three, and the difficulty here
presented is obYiated. But on the 9TH
er hand, the number of students whose
circumstances will justify even a three
years attendance at the Normal School,
| is but a small fraction of the whole
number. The graduating classes of all
normal schools having more than two
years course, are small.
In addition to the ordinary influences
!
and graduating classes, which affect all
normal schools alike, our Institution
has been subject to an unusually heavy
demand for teachers. Thus far, not
withstanding the large increase of stu
dents year by year, and the correspond
ingly increasing number sent out each
term, the demand for Normal students
as teachers has been largely in excess OF
| the supply. A large number of the
students leave the school at the close of
the first year. Some begin teaching af-
ter they have been in attendance but a
single term, frequently to their own dis
advantage and to the detriment of the
reputation of the school.
In view of all the existing circum-
| stances, ask to make the following
suggestion: Let the curriculum be so
modified as to present doubie course
of study one to extend over two years,
the other four years. Let the two
years course include all the studies of
the common school, the work in "The-
DRY of Teaching" SO far as it relates to
| the management of district schools, to-
! gether with such a selection from the
higher studies as will be most available
for purposes of general exercises.
Physiology and botany are among the
studies that should not be omitted.
The sole object of this two years course
would be to prepare teachers for the
common district school, When salts
factorily completed, the student should
receive certificate or second grade di-
ploma from the Normal School, which
would be for him recommendation
and for school officers an evidence OF
his fitness to teach. The four years
course, presenting q large and varied
list of studies, would fit its graduates
to become teachers in the highest grade,
of the public school system of the State
Students completing this course should
receive the highest honors of the insti'
tuition, the full diploma.
IMPROVEMENTS.
During the year improvements in ant
about the building, have been made al
follows:
+ 1. Two large club houses for the us,
of such students as desire to boari
themselves, have been erected by tn,
city of Emporia and placed under tn,
control of the authorities of the Norma
School. 1t is the understanding tina
the City relinquishes all right to the us'
of the buildings so long as they ar,
needed by the students. These clul
houses are neat, substantial frame build
ingsl X feet, two stories in height
well finished, plastered and painted, pro
vided with cisterns, cellars, etc. The,
are conveniently located, about midwa,
between the Normal School and tn
center of town, on Commercial street.
: A good plank sidewalk extends from
the club houses to the Normal Schoo
i building. The expense to the City 70
the erection of these buildings has beel
: 5000, provided by the issuance of tn
bonds of the City, which were readil,
I sold at so cents on the dollar.
!. The rooms in these buildings are rent
ed to the students at a cheap rate, froH
| q