Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-08-21
COMMUNICATED.
,r,,r NORMAL SCHOOL IN JET
son AND WHAT Is EXPECTED
WV OF IT.

wy OF IT.
Mr. Editor-I was gravely told by
,,.n,leman few days ago that the Nor
s,,al School at Shepherdstown, has grad
motcd some young men and women who
" .'"ro ..not fit 10 teach" The same thing
VS. bcen said before, and as IN this IN
.,ancc it indicated that the popular
"M;nion expected the Normal School to
tarnish a person fit to teach in each
rradua,e, or, so far us this was not true
u all IFS graduates, be regarded as a
failure. To the charge l replied, that
as far as knew those i'll authority had
never. in public or private, so asserted,
and that it was true that among the
Graduates there were such persons.
1t is time that people were looking.
At this matter in proper light, ana II
there is any such impression abroad IN
our part of the State as that every one
who has received Normal Diploma Is
expected 10 prove first class teachcr'
or that every graduate OF any coAese III
The land is so qualified, 1T an error
which arises from want OF considerations
60 far as Normal Schools are concern
I'D tho reason why their graduates can't
nossibl, be all aft to teach, is 10 be
found in some Of the foundation prlncl-
nles of the system. When the State of
Yves, Va, adopted system OF Normal
Schools, and made it one OF the regula-
tjons that boys and girls of an age as
Young as Il years, and chosen from
among the SOUS and daughters OF those
who were too poor TO secure education
al advantages for their children, should
have the preference as State students;
and when a course Of instruction was
adopted as comprehensive as that which
has been taught; and when only two
Years were allowed such students to
complete that course, 1t seems 10 me
that if we find some of these graduates
not lust what we would prefer is teach
crs il is what we might expect. 1t is
true that the course now embraces three
wears, and the additional year was gail
cd mainly, l believe, by reason OF re-
monstrances from the school against the
two year course.
For one, | cannot believe that those
who originated the system, and have
managed its details ever since, were so
grossly mistaken rs to believe that any
such result, as that every graduate would
be fully qualified TO teach, would follow
IFS adoption. But | believe, that they
rather thought that among those who
received this instruction, and who filled
the requirement AS 10 grade OF 70 out 81
100 which entitled them TO diploma,
a sufficient number would prove them
selves fit 10 teach" to render the mon
cy spent on Normal Schools a good N
vcstmcnt To the State. And this be
licve, is absolutely true. Now for the
proof. Every school must have a stand
ard up 10 which It's students are requir
cd to come before they graduate; in the
Normal Schools it was fixed at - Per
cent. OF course, all graduates do not
reach the 100, and it is common sense
view of things which many people seem
TO have overlooked, that those who IN
general standing are nearer the lower
limit-the 75-do not know as mdch
and cannot be rs aft to teach as those
who stand ucarer the highest-the 100.
Besides this, a graduate may be quail
fled to teach so far as standing III class
will nrove il, and yet may lack other
mental and moral qualities needed III
good teacher. There are many who
have obtained their Normal Diploma
standing so near the lowest limit allow
ing graduation, that the teachers III the
school would not recommend them to
any one as competent teachers. And
when it happcucd,as ought always to be
the case, but has heretofore seldom been,
that the teachers IN the Normal School
were consulted, as to the fitness OF
graduate, they never recommended one
who stood far below the highest grade.
But strange as it may appear some
whom the teachers regarded as least lit
ted TO teach have gotten schools, and,
not only so, they have kept these schools
from year to year. And when, in my
surprise at this, i have asked how is
succeeding with his school Thereby
would Ge ale gives satisfaction. And
| was obliged either TO convict those
who had control Of the school of fayorI-
tism, or to think that the person whom
they kept in charge had developed some
fitness TO teach. Sometimes too these
persons who graduated low get schools
when those who stood far before them
are applicants for the same school.
If teachers who have graduated at a
Normal School are wanted, let some in
quiry be made as 10 who among the
available graduates is lit, and they
can be named.
Let us rid ourselves ofthe absurd idea
that the school processes TO turn out
perfect teacher in every graduate. a
corn buyer might as well expect to re
tain his reputation for fitness if he told
YOU that he had determined to buy, fer
the house be represented, only corn
which had every grain the same size,
and that yours did not suit because each
ear had at one end grains smaller than
those at the other.
ID. ID. PENDLETON.
sOrlY0sr