Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-04-27
NORMAL SCHOOLS.

EDITOR INTELLIGENCER:-A Allow
me space in your columns for a reply
to the series OF articles against Nor
NAL Schools. which has lately ap-
peared in your paper. The delay
in replying has not been caused by
the unanswerableness % the articles,
bur by press of school duties.
Whenever the question of expeh-
diturc of public money is raised, Tn"
first inquiry made il, "Will II pay
Sometimes the answer is expected TO
be in dollars and cents. 1t is not.
however, always easy to give 1t III
these denominations. tor frequently
money is expended from which no
direct pecuniary return is expected,
as in the case of public libraries, art
galleries, hospitals, Sc, which are
admitted to be public benefits. Ii
Normal Schools tend to elevate the
standard OF public education by sys-
tematizIug the methods of teaching,
by placing before the rising genera
ton the logical and natural order OF
studies. by carrying out a better dis
cipline, in short by securing the
greatest amount of profitable school
work in the shortest time, they ma!
be considered public benefits. III re-
gard TO the failure, as teachers, OF
some who have attended Norinai
Schools | have this to SAY: The mos
enthusiastic advocate of this class OF
schools will not say, 'Seud Thomas,
or Richard,o or Henry. orMarv or Jane
TO a Normal School, and lie or she
will return TO you a iinjshert teacher,
whose success in the schooi-room IL
assured beyond all doubt" liza per-
son after going to a Normal prove,
to be a failure. | would like To ASK,
if he would be IL better eli by not
having gone TO y Normal. nave
never vet heard of any school. pusll'
or private, of any seminary, academy
normal college, or university, winch
promised to all who attended It, uu-
falling success in their lie vocatl0ns,
anu the failure as teachers OF some
who have attended Normals. is ro
more surprising THAI the failure "a
nhysicians of mauv, who have atteu'
ded Medical Schools, than the tai'uft
asIswyers OF many, who have attend
ed Law Schools. and ought not II
common justice to be taken a. an Ill
e It.II- a. 6 thu oh arlrtpr ana
efficiency o: Normal Schools. In my
humble opinion the university I"
Virginia, it uot the best school II
America, is second to none. aud We
I have SHOWN Of some illustriOu
failures, who have spent more o
less tine at that school. 1t Is al
mitted that our common sch"oi
ought to be maintained. aud 1t Is ai-'
admitted hat i'll many OF taem
higher degree of efficiency i'll tn
teachers themselves is desirable
The design of Normal Schools Is =
give this higher degree of ettlclenc,
as far as schools ca, give IT, !
the hundreds of schools of all kind
which have existed in Missouri for
generation or more have nDt,"ith IN
aid of not imfrequent importation
from abroad, been able 10 suppl
teachers in such numbers and vii
such qualifications as are needed,
is certainly high time that they wer
reinforced by Normal Schools, or b
anything that Will aid III bringin
about the result desired.
The great lack in the matter {
teaching has been that it has NJ
been regarded IS a profession, "a b.
ing of equal rank and dignity vii
law, medicine er divinity.
hail the establishment of Norm
Schools as a recognition of the fac
that teaching is a profession. aud OF
that needs q special training, and ~
simply q speculation to be under
taken and dropped by any one at al
time, or something to be used on
es a stepping-stone to something els
q pursuit which needs no prepar
ton at all, which needs neither ia
ital nor skill, and therefore may
followed by any one.
Fit be true that careful prepar
ton is needed, the question arist
which is the best mode of securi)
this. The writer Of the article,
which | am ~endeavoring TO rep
admits that teachers ought to Ii"
special trainings and favors Teachc'
Institutes. These are good in th'
place, but not sufficient, fully, to a
complish the end. They have |
time enough to take up a branch
detail, leading it step by step fro
the rudiments to the finishing POI
Only a training school can do IL
In a Normal Schoo! the teacher l
only has to teach his pupils, but
show them how they, in turn, II
teach those of whom they are to Ii
charge. 1t becomes his duty to sh
them the best methods of present
the subject so as to max it so pl
to the children, that ii may he ea'
understood and remembered. Mes
Norton aud B ,hlInann are, l trl
men of too much modesty and
periencc 10 believe, even for u
ment, that they can impart instl
tion in their respective branches
ter THAI other teachers, but they,
well as their colleagues, try to k
constantly in mind the twofold
imposed upon them. and strive
carry it out to the best of their 6
ity. 1 know of no other class
schools, which has tins double
What teachers need i'll the
place, is to have a clear underst
lug of every principal, importan
unimportant, belonging to 4 bra
or study, and in the second place
best mode of bringing it before
pupils. l believe that the hest Il
Of preparing those who intent
teach, is to let them take the bran
themselves, and go through