Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-14
TEACHING THE TEACHERS.
A Successful Educator on Normal
Schools.
10 the Union and American;


As the establishment Of a normal school
in our State is a subject Of much moment
to the people, a word in its behalf just Row,
while bill locking to this end is before
the Legislature, w0Uld not be out Of place.
True, we have heard from our educational
leaders, DIS. Scans, Lindsey and others,
from ouS Governor and many Legislators
and prominent citizens approving the en-
terprise, yet l desire 10 speak, adding a
word, from an intensely practical and ex-
detrimental standpoint, having spent years
in the country school rooms Of our pub
lie and private schools in this State
and in Georgia, before and since
the war. All this time 1 have IaboTed and
studied to learn how 70 teach-studied
teaching as an art and science, and every
day am / more and more convinced that
bad teaching is worse than no teaching. and
that our public schools, simply on account
Of inefficient teachers, are deprived Of fifty
per cent. Of the good that otherwise might
be accomplished.
You may 60 10 Massachusetts, Ohio or
elsewhere for systems, 10 this or that city
for models, but they will all fail unless you
have thorough teachers in the school rooms.
Il is directly under their manipulations and
superior sail that al Y system will succeed,
its good points appear or any benefit result
TO the children.
1t is difficult, generally, for people TO see
and appreciate the difierei &c between eff
ticient and inefficient teaching. There is
nothing which concerns them so much.
and yet about which they know so little.
Hence the greater necessity for guarding
against imposition by giving to the country
professional teachers from Normal schools.
have known a community taught for
years by ferulns rOItiHe, parrot-N O-ded
pedagOsue with only this result-iull chill
dren worse biuutef, and spFiehtly ones
crushed or disguised. So lar from being
improved, they were actually less fitted for
the battle Of life than II they had been left
70 chancc. Again, L have seen q skillful
educator, ia the same period, bring up, as
If by magic, a community of children to
the verge Of manhood, bound u each other
and to himself by the strongest fraternal
ties, sensibly polished in manner, refined
in feeling, sound aud practical IN education.
a blessing to the country and an enduring
monument TO his memory.
The object Of the Normal school IS 10,
to add higher grades to the public school
course; not a. all, but TO give us masters
that can impart readily and fascinatingly a
thorough, fundamental, English education.
1t is a sad fallaCy that GBy body can take
charge OF the primary department. IRE
parable evils have had their source in this
mistaken idea. Defects and bad habits
have been contracted, resisting every effort
Of eradication in after life. Indeed none
but accomplished teachers should take
charge Of the pupil from the first to the
last grade.
Now If so much depends upon teachers
that understand their business, if the Te-
suits Of our system are to be so vastly in
creased by the elevation Of the professional
standard, is it not wisdom and economy TO
establish schools in which the teacher ,cW
be taught hOl- TO tedch2
If Massachusetts and other Old States
find it So necessary, even in their advanced
condition, 10 spend millions on their Nor
NAL schools, how much more do We need
them in our green and inciPient stage.
/ strongly advocated this measure in our.
State Teachers Association. conscientious
", too; and feel st my duty to the chill
dren Of the State TO say this much to our
Legislature in behalf Of Uncle Hsury's bill,
now pending in the Senate.
A. B. MARBURY,
Tnrfrr.s-.-r