The weekly clarion., 1879-10-15
Normal and Training Department
Union Female College,
Oxford, Miss.

Oxford, Miss.
To the leading educators whose Iabors ar,
70 confined to the State of Mississippi, to theil
co-Eorkers IN other fields, and to the think
p ing class OF our own people, the question has
II been one od deep interest why has Mississip p
no Normal school The founding and sGs-
g tanning OF Normal Schools by a majority oi
Y the States OF the Union presents one of the
il most gratifying features in the system of their
spirited and progressive education. The want
E OF such schools, where teachers could receive a
: professional training, recognized and sup
. piled and their establishment has been pro-
ductive of the happiest results.
Ii Is Il matter of serious regret that our
: people have too frequently overlooked the
: thorough training of their daughters. The
daughters of the South possess qualities OF
mind and heart unsurpassed bv those of auv
other part of our land But they have not
. been afforded at home the means of acquir-
ing that practical training necessary TO ht them
Tor teaching-an avocation to which many
, from necessity, and Others from choice, turn
: their attention.
To meet what is admitted on all hands to
be great want, Normal and Training De-
partment was opened in this College at the
beginning of the current session Sept 5, 1879, }
under the management and instruction of
MISS LAURA c. WHITE.
In establishing this Department it was the
determination to meet the highest demand of
those desiring professional training for
teachers; accordingly a teacher was secured
who could bring to the management Of the De
partment a thorough professional training.
Miss WHITE Is graduate OF the State Nor
NAL and Training School located Al Potsdam,
New York. Four years devoted TO the Clas-
sical Course, embracing English Literature,
Natural Science, Higher Mathematics. Latin.
French, Drawing and Music, together with
regular intervals devoted TO a fnll course Of
Object Work, with the Theory and Practice
OF Teaching, fit her for a teacher OF marked
ability. She has credentials certifying to her
qualifications of the highest order from the
most learned and distinguished professors OF
! New York. These papers only awarded
after diploma has been obtained and the
graduate has taken charge of department in
some college or private institution, and proven
her ability.
In addition to this, Miss WHITE has been,
| for several years past, engaged in teaching in
different parts of Mississippi, and her career
in that capacity has been eminently Successful
and satisfactory. She was educated for a
teacher; she has made it her profession by
choice; she has the experience of several
/ years in private and public schools in Mis-
sissippi, as well in the public schools of
/ New York. Under her care and instruction
we vouch for the training and education
OF all young ladies entrusted to her care.
THE MODE OF TEACHING NORMAL METHODS
The work used as the basis of Object Les
sons is The Manual of Elementary Instruc-
tiOn, by +. \. Sheldon, Principal of the Nor /
NAL School at Oswego, New York but Method
! Work is done by the Method teacher and the
class in training that is the Method teacher,
by series of questions and illustrations leads
the training class to and express for them
selves in appropriate language the better mode
OF teaching and the principles involved, and
the whole is arranged in proper form on the
black board, and from thence transferred by
the class to notebooks provided, and may be
preserved Tor future reference. knowledge
thus arrived at becomes part of the mental
experience of the class in training, and is more
effectual than any memorizing OF the principles
underlying the philosophy of education can be.
Again, the method teacher will, from time
to time give model lessons" with classes
taken from the preparatory department Of the
College, the class in training sitting by and
noting the points developed in their order, the
method of handling the class, etc. At the
next recitation, the training class will be re-
quired to give a summary of the lesson, and
a similar one having different subject for
its base will be required to be written by the
class. !
Later in the course, the pupil teachers them
selves will be required to give model les
sons" method teacher and remainder of class {
sitting by and criticising; criticisms to be af-
terwards read and discussed by all. I
In addition TO this the class in training
will be required TO bring to the method class $
daily sketches and plans of model lessons, !
which will be corrected and returned by method :
teacher and will be valuable in after teaching J
Thus the pupil-teacher is required to make
practical use of her knowledge OF teaching,
and at the conclusion of the course, will not
only have discovered the best methods of
teaching, but will have already put them in t
practice. &
TO YOUNG LADIES WHO DESIRE TO TEACH.
To you We say this department supplies what
you cannot elsewhere obtain in our State-a !
thorough course of accurate analytical study,
advancing through English Scientific, or !
Classical Course, as may be desired full :
course of Object Work, with practical ap
plication of the Theory and Practice of teach '
ing, You will be prepared before you enter a
your profession for any demand that may j
arise in your future. You will acquire a t
clearly defined, previously applied system of q
teaching that years of assiduous labor could :
not otherwise supply.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TRAINING. Q
We are too apt to undervalue the important t
results that flow from a course OF study thus L
pursued in accordance with the requirements [
OF the Normal Department. 1t is a lamenta-
BILE fact that our people too often adopt the
current opinion that one person can, after pass
ing through ordinary collegiate course,
teach about well as another. Nothing could
be farther from the truth. As well might we
practice law as well able jurist-or vice
versa.
We put our business into the hands of
shrewd business men, we engage skillful sur
geons when occasion demands-we employ
counsel learned in the law to advocate our
wonderful to say we entrust the
education of our children too frequently to
those who cannot impart knowledge-nay com
mon information-to intelligent, mature
man. How then, ask We can such instructors v
L. -, al.,1 -
mind-to penetrate the mazes of his or her un-
trained intellect? By the course pursued in
the Normal School system, every means that
human ingenuity can devise is brought into 7
operation and applied. The cold abstract pre-
cepts otherwise so Hfeless and unattractive to n
a youthful mind are clothed in warm color F
ing of practical illustration. When one re-
source fails another is brought to bear, so that
from one avenue to the intellect to another
means are found to impress the abstract truth
upon the understanding. =
The eye, the ear, the physical world, dia-
grams, demonstrations by board exercises s.
all play their part in the one object, imparting S
truth to the unframed intellect. "
This course of the Normal and Training De- a
partment be carried on in connection with
a regular literary course.
A WORD To YOUNG LADY TEACHERS,
1t is urged upon all young ladies who have
embarked upon the great work of teaching to
avail themselves of the advantages afforded by q
the Normal Department of our College unless n
they have previously enjoyed similar adyan i
tages. The fact that they have taught for some
time need not operate against their attending.
Indeed one very laudable feature in connection =
with Normal Schools throughout our country
is that teachers who have been forced to enter
their profession not so well prepared as they 4
might desire, and who are conscious of their "
want of instruction in the art of their noble n
profession, frequently enter Normal Schools s
for further preparation. To such as may de-
sire, we say, that no better use of your time
and means could be made than term spent
in this Department in fitting yourselves for
higher position and more efficient work. The
course will not occupy more than forty weeks; r
twenty would complish much valuable and .