Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-11-08
Our Normal school.

The frst term OF the Washington city Normal
School having been completed, an examination
was held at the Franklin school building yes
terday, from 10 until y N. This school
was authorized by an act OF the late legisla-
ture, and the act was carried into effect and
the school organized by q committee OF the
Board OF Trustees OF Public Schools, consistin ne
OF Superintendent Wilson and Trustees Cham,
plin, Harris, Randolph and French. A room
was secured in the Franklin school building
ments Of the school. Under the plan adopted
the humber of pupils is limited to twenty, and
each candidate for admission must have been a
pupil OF the female grammar department OF the
public schools Of Washington; must be II years
Of age; and before she is admitted must pass an
examination equivalent to that upon which a
primary certificate is issued. Each candidate,
before she can be admitted TO the school, Is re-
CURED to sign the following pledge:-''I, the
subscriber, desire to enter the normal school of
Washington for the sole purpose Of better pre-
declare 1t to be my intention to continue in
said school until i have completed the pre-
scribed course of study, and then to devote my
of said city for a period of at least two years.
1t will thus be seen that the object of the
school is TO take our own girls, those who have
graduated from our public schools, and to CIV g
them proper training ID ft them for the re-
sponsible duties of teachers of youth. The
course of duty is strictly professional, and is to
into four terms of ten weeks each. The stndes
are pursued with special reference to the best
method OF teaching.
The school was placed in charge of Miss Lu-
ella E. Smith, a graduate of the al school
OF Pennington, Maine, and who for the past
three years has been one of the most successful
teacher in the first school district. The studies
OF tie 1rst term, which was completed yester-
day, and in which the pupils were examined
were reading, spelling. penmanship, drawing
vocal music, physical and vocal culture. prac-
uce in teaching, phonetics, botany, theory and
art OF teaching, object lessons and mental arith-
metic. The pupils had all obtained by previous
training greater or less degree of knowledge
of all the above studies, but it is now the i'm
portant Office of the normal school to teach as
pirsnts for teacherships how to impart that
knowledge to younger pupils. The examination
yesterday was attended by the committee above
named, Trustee Hart, of the first district, and
Mr.. @. 3. Noyes. At the close of the exercises,
superintendent Wilson and Trustee Randolph,
speaking for the committee, expressed the
greatest satisfaction at the progress that had
evidently been accomplished in the first term,
and offered deserved congratulations to teach
er and pupils.
With this normal school as an adjunct to our
public school system we shall soon have trained
teachers in all of our school rooms, and
grown up with it. A few years ago when it was
desirable to introduce any new feature into the
schools, the school board was compelled to send
to Maine or Massachusetts for teachers but the
day is dawning when the Washington schools
will furnish all the trained teachers that NAV
be required. This will be accomplished, also, at
cNpcusc Inc amount
appropriated by the legislature for the norm al
school was 81 800, and this amount will not be
exceeded even IN the first year, when the
expense of fitting up the room, purchasing
furniture, &c, is to be included.
One of the most interesting OF yesterdays
exercises was the "Practice in teaching" Some
one pupil of the normal school lis daily assigned
for a special duty for 20 or 30 minutes in one of
The school rooms of the Franklin building
While the young lady 80 designated is teaching
her class mates are present quietly crIticising
her work. Upon the return to the normal
schoOl-room, criticisms are called for upon the
performance. and each member of the class in
turn gives her views in regard to defects that
she has observed. They are thus made familiar
with the actual duties of the school room and
are as matter OF course much better fitted TO
assume the responsibilities of teachers than
those who pass fresh from the grammar school
into the teachers chair.
The exercises of the Normal school serve in a
peculiar degree to give to the pupils the habit
Of self possession, quiet decision of manner. and
pTomptness and clearness of thought so equiste
in teachers 10 enable them to control and
instruct.