The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-12-14

either. Half the time the education
al world is at loggerheads, and we
are welding our wisest journal craft
IN the sole endeavor to lead the differ
ing to aeommon landing-place.
Now we are not going to spend
time in proving that there must be a
true science Of education, and an
harmonious art of teaching. Ifthere
be science Of mind, there must be
a science Of education and an ait OF
teaching. AT least, we shall so
accept it, in order that we may look
further for the difficulty, that we
suspect to be simply this, that there
are SO many teachers who have had
no professional training. They
are good scholars, and they are
active and earnest workers; but their
methods are wholly empirical. They
are vigorous soldiery in the war
against ignorance, but they are fatb-
Ell partisans than regulars. And, as
in the case of partisan troops, they
are impatient Of the discipline Of the
line. and confident OF the superiority
OF their own irregular warfare.
For this, it is clear, there is but
one corrective. This involves, not
merely better provision for the
training Of public school teachers in
proper normal schools: something
more and higher is needed. Many
teachers obtain their only profession
al instructor in our high schools and
academies. Oftentimes, too, the
teachers in these higher schools
have. from the very fact that they
are there rattle, than III the common
schools, had no normal school train
ling. They have been educated in
some college, in which, as is too
commonly the case, instruction IN the
art of teaching like instruction inthe
art Of speaking and writing the
English language correctly" is
assumed as having been attended to,
or belonging elsewhere. And yet
every one knows that two so impor-
tant arts as these are not to be easily
won as mere accidents of progress il
general scholarship. With these, as
in love, the prize must be wooed
and won by its individual pursuit
for It's own sake.
With this fact before us, we con-
TESS that in all our vigorous pushing
Of our university schemes, it seems
to US grave oversight that express
provision is not more often made in
our better co leges, for special ipstruc-
ton in Didactics. Here is the miss
ing link in our normal school system.
We provide means for the careful
training of the drill sergeant Of our
rank and file, but not for the CORES
ponding education Of the general Off
GERS. We educate the teachers of
the common schools, but not generally
the teachers of those teachers. We
have normal schools, but not normal
departments IN our colleges, from
which the teachers of the teachers
must largely come.
Nor is it valid objection to this
scheme. that to the learned profess
ions, knowledge of Didactics is
not necessary. In the more especial
ly forensic field Of the pupil and the
bar, certainly nothing could be more
practically useful. In the high art
of Persuasive Oratory, what can be
more fundamental and practical than
a sound knowledge of tie art of
instruction I? Men must be fairly
enlightened before they can be fully
persuaded. And In other depart
ments of a non-forensic character
as for example, that Of medicine, i
to know how to teach is one of the
highest preparations for knowing
how to learn. AS in ordinary teach
ing, he who has learned how to teach
knows best how to pursue new
branch so as to master it for his own
use: SO the physician who knows
best to unfold the proper diagnosis
and treatment of known disease, is
best prepared to enter for himself
upon the sllrewd and penetrative
study of some new malady. Thence,
1t seems to us, that the teaching ofI
the art Of teaching demands reco-
gnlzed place in our higher schools,