The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-06-03
Teachers Normal Institute.

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EDITOR CITIZEN notice in a
late issue of the CITIZEN that it is
proposed by our worthy county su-
perintcndent t. open and hold
Teachers Normal Institute in Pu-
laski, commencing in June and con-
tinuing four weeks. We know
from experience that the benefit
which may be derived from it will
more than compensate for any
trouble teachers may encounter in
attending, and that its necessity
cannot be too highly appreciated.
We infer that the principal object
of this Normal Institute is to learn
the young teachers how to teach.
We know that many of our teach
ers endeavor to teach their pupils
by absolute abnormal methods.
Such teachers will eventually wear
themselves out at these truitless eff
forts. They disgust the pupils, and
monopolize time and money. The
accomplished and venerable DIR.
Barnas Seal s, general agent of the
Peabody Educational Fund, says:
'The great fault with unframed
teachers is, they do little but teach
the words and formulas of books.
A normal graduate teaches things,
principles, thoughts. Every point
is examined orally; and subjects
are siited by the exercise of the
judgment as well as of the memory.
The pupil is made to see with his
own eyes and to rely on his own OBJ
servations. Books are a mere syl-
labus, a skeleton, to be clothed
with flesh by the teacher and
pupils
All indications are that Normal
schools will predomlnate-that they
will, ere long, be established in
every county. Many counties in
the state, especially in the western
part, have adopted the normal
methods and pronounce them a
success. How can we better i'm
prove and revolutionize the sad con
dition of our country schools, and
introduce these normal methods,
than by inducing our teachers to
attend the Teachers Normal Insti-
tute?
There is a deplorable lack of
special training among teachers.
The lawyer, physician and preach
er, must each, in addition to a gen
eral education, spend two or three
years in special preparation for his
work. But too long we have made
the teacher an exception to this rule.
We have never recognized that in
teaching the material is too pre-
cious to admit of useless expert
merits or failures. Our schools
should be filed with people who
have not failed in every other calling.
We greatly stand in need of profes
sional training. There are de-
mands from all parts of the coun
try for better teachers-teachers
who know how to teach. "The
dignity and responsibility of the
work demand it; the paren3s who
must entrust their treasures to the
teacher demand it; and the little
hearts and minds, impoverished
and dwarfed by false methods, de-
mand it in tones the public ear
dare not ignore
Every teacher should feel himself
obligated to attend the Teachers
Institute. We hail it with accla-
nation and joy, believing it to be
the browning feature which, if
properly conducted, will eventually
revolutionize our whole system of
education.
In noticing the condition of our
teachers, we would not pass by the
patrons of oar schools, for we be-
lieve that the Teachers Normal In
stitnte has an important function
to perform in relation to them
They should thoroughly realize the
superiority of the normal methods
over the old fogy plan of teaching.
Unless they are properly awakened
to the just realization of the plau S
of good teaching, they can not
justly appreciate those teachers
who know best how to teach.
Under the present arrangement
of the Teachers Institute we know
that the majority of patrons will
ACNSl obGOhNt1 bh1N bACO OOSOhnC
acquainted with its workings, its
utility, its needs. In order to rem
edy this deficiency, we would sug
gest that in addition to the four
weeks Institute at Pulaski, it
be held at stated times through
out the year, in various parts of the
county. By so doing, the patrons
of the different schools will have
better opportunities of attending,
and there, is scarcely any vicinity
that would not welcome it for a pc
riod of two days and nights. The
writer has attended an institute of
this kind and has realized its utili
ty. The patrols of our schools
must feel and know that 1t is not
the teacher who teaches for the
least pay that is the cheapest. The
man whose child is sick does not
inquire for the cheapest physician;
when he is likely to lose his farm
by fraud he seeks not the cheapest
lawyer; or the cheapest carpenter
when he would have a fine editice
built. But when the majority of
men would have their children edu-
Gated they ask for cheap teachers.
They seem to not realize that men
charge according to the material
they work on, and that the mate
rial which the teacher works on
the mind of the pupils immortal.
1t is cheapest to employ good teach
ers and pay them well. Unless pat
rons are willing to do this, they can
never hope for their children and
country to compete with others.
II. 2. WALKER.
Campbellsville, May 80, 1880.
Suits at $500 worth $500