The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-03-31
Closing Exercises or the Winter Term
OF the State Normal School.

For the EAPoRIA NEWS.
The friends OF popular education are at
all times interested in whatever affects
faVorabIy the common schools of the
State. AS no educational institution
stands so closely related to the common
school as does the Normal school, whose
chief aim and end is to prepare teachers
for this work, everything connected with
1t assumes peculiar interest. Especial
ly is this the case ct the present time
when the State legislature has taken the
serious backward step OF refusing neces-
sary appropriations for the maintenance
of such q school as the Emporia Normal
Your readers will therefore scan with I'M
usual attention all facts that indicate the
value OF Normal instruction, and will
the narration, In outline, of the closing
exercises OF the winter term. =. 81
The written examination" occupied
three days, each class having two hours
for this test work. The good student al.
ways looks forward to this examination
with some anxiety, and the careless, SUI
perfcial one, with dread forebodings.
Ignorance and mere verbal fiuenoy, are
here at losing discount. Rapid, clear,
and concise results are demanded, and the
penalty of failure awaits the dilatory and
the Incompetent. At the Normal, the
term standing, which determines grade,
and which goes on the permanent record,
is the average of the daily class standing
and the final written examination. The
judicious, experienced teacher, balancing
these accounts, will generally mete out
essential justice to each student. Proba-
bly, no term gave q better summary of sat-
isfactory work, as indicated by these tests,
than the one just closed. The high stand
ard of grading, which requires an average
OF so on q scale of 100, in order to pass
from lower to higher study, kept back
many medium students, and as usual
caused some disappointment, but the sem
timent Of the Normal is quite healthy up
on this subject, and it is becoming well
understood, that the students best friend
thorough work in the class room and in
the final written examination. AS the
President said in his closing remarks Sin
all doubtful cases the teachers leaned on
the side of mercy, which in this case meant,
pass only those who make clear record"
The oral public examinations commence
ed on Tuesday and continued through
Wednesday, being interspersed with mu-
sic and calisthenic exercises.
AS only 40 minutes could be allowed to
each class, much tact and good judgment
were demanded on the part of the teach
ers in order to exhibit any satisfactory re-
re of ha 80 al
temptation on such public occasions to
show of the class instead ofholding them
to the legitimate test work of the term.
The practice ofcramming and polishing for
mere exhibition, is utterly foreign to
just conception of what constitutes a gen.
uine, worthy public examination. In
Normal school, above all others, should
we look for the realization of a correct
ideal in this part of the teachers work.
Among the classes justly werthy of notice
for this conscientiously plain development
of Normal training, were Mrs. Pomeroy's
combined classes in English grammar,
and Miss r. Buchanan's class in drawing.
The latter teacher has been connected
with the EmpOrIa Normal only since the
beginning of the Fall term. A student of
L
Massachusetts. she brings both skill and
enthusiasm to her chosen department OF
instruction.
The especial feature of commentator
in her examination, which illustrated her
class method, was dictation exercise by
one OF the pupils, responded to in black
board work by the class. The music fur
uished at intervals by the various pupils
OF Miss Dickson, formed very pleasant
feature of the oral examinations. In sue
cessful class work Miss Dickson ranks
high as teacher, and this is after sll the
true test Of merit in Normal instructor.
Notwithstanding the unfAyorable
weather, large number Of visitors show
ed their appreciation Of the examinations
by attendance and interested attention
throughout.
The ''term sociable'' on Tuesday even
ing was every way q marked success. An
hour was spent in promenadIng and social
intercourse, at the beginning and close of
the entertainment, sandwIched by an hour
| ofliterary and musical exercises. At an
early hour, as is the rule OF the Normal,
the 'gOod nights" were said, all voting it
the pleasantest of sociables.
The closing exercises on Wednesday
were saddened by the cloud which the
nerth wind, from Topeka, had brought
down upon the Normal. Many felt deep
ly the cruel act Of turning out in the cold
so many young minds and hearts, eager to
fit themselves for the noble mission OF the
teacher. "a great and sad mistake'' was
| the universal feeling.
We think the Suite Of Kansas, will an
other winter, echo the sentiment, and
that the next legislative breeze will lift the
cloud, and following it will come the sun
shine of Its benedicnon upon the Empo-
ria Normal.
0. K. to the Letter. 50