Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-10-26

Thinking men are united in wishing the great
est success to our common school system Fn
such success we need, in thousands Of schools. bet
ter telchers. How these teachers when obtained
should be treated, whether niggardly or generous
y, we have not space 70 discuss suffice it to say
that the person who grumbIes at spending his
time or money for truly elnclting his own or his
neighbors children had better wash ont the stuff
he calls his brains and fill his skull with sawlu,t
or some other clean material
How shall we get better teachers There is
material enough in Vermont, ifpr operly wrought
to supply the need not inert, dead material but
willing, anxious and competent y lend it, own
powers to being moulded into smelling useful
and noble. Hundreds Of young men and women
desire 10 teach and 10 teach we'll
The most earnest and practical friends Of edu
cation deem the normal school the best means t.
attain the desired end This leads toa noti,e OF
the remarks Of your " three starred - correspond
ent Of last wednesday. His letter pretending Il
be an answer in the negative 70 "J.'s question
" have we Normal SCHOOL," is, 50 far as it /.
anything, a denial Of the use Of the Normal
School at all, and claim that the old acldemical
system is sufficient His argument runs in thi.
way j. says Normal Schools d. two things
Our Academies do those two things Hence We
have no Normal Schools. ~ A specimen Of log
and speaking to the point worthy graduate o
the weakest Academy in New England Al
honor to the good and true work that has beer
done in the Academies Of the State; but then
energies are not directed b. the one point %
making teachers
Now and then an academy, like the one
Barre, has the benefit Of go. d teaching from th,
same man for years in that case the propei
academical work is well done and incidental,
Normal School work receives share ofattention
but only share, for there is the preparation o
classes for college and variety Of other calls up
on the time and skill of the instructor. But III,
greater number of Academies live hand-to
mouth life now and then no school sometimes
a teacher for one, two or three terms at rar,
I intervals one for two or three years who mus
teach everything from mental arithmetic t,
Greek
/ The trouble is, schools, like men, do too mucl
when they " take all knowledge to be their prov
ince.' Our graded schools are successful, the,
don't scatter what may be termed our denomi
national schools are also efficient tolerably wei
endowed they have full corps of instructors
/ They do not desire or pretend TO give their who'll
time to the making of teachers.
This is the peculiar province of tho Norma
School and as minister doctor and lawyer, oacl
receives his special training for his special work
so should the teacher receive his.
! And it is good omen for Vermont that thos,
who hold official position in educational matter
with her leading teachers and others most inter
ested in education, unite in demanding tru,
Normal School system. A little difference Of op
nion as to the best present means OF securing i
will only cause a more thorough discussion an,
do no harm. OBSERVER.