The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-11-25
Normal school Items.

The enrolment of students has nearly
reached eco, and new pupils are coming
in almost daily. There will be large
increase in attendance at the opening OF
the winter term, and the enrolment for
the year will probably he considerably
over 800, as against 235 for last year,
and 1853 for the year before. This is GER
tainly a gratifying growth. There is
good reason for believing that even the
present attendance would be materially
larger but for the unfortunate condition
of the farming interests in this section
of the State.
The Model School continues to give
evidence of the skill of the new manage
ment. The children are keenly inter-
ested and are making substantial and
gratifying progress, not merely in knowl-
edge, but IN the tendency and ability to
think. The influence of the teachers in
charge is also conspicuous in refining the
manners of those under their control.
The environment is favorable to courtesy,
kindness, good nature, truthfulness,
thoughtfulness, self-restraint, and so I'm
favorable to rudeness, thoughtlcssness,
and other childish imperfections, that
the latter speedily and to II large extent
disappear. The Model School, as now
managed, has been from the beginning
of the term daily refutation of the
notion, heretofore to some extent preva-
lent in the city, that the children can.
not be well instructed by Ignorant, in
experienced pupil teachers" The work
done by these pupil teachers is now SO
carefully and completely arranged by
the principals of the departments in
which they teach, the antecedant prepa-
ration for the work by each is so thor
ough, and the inspection and criticism
so constant and faithful and judicious
that it is really question whether the
children do not actually gain more than
they lose by the variety OF teachers
There is certainly no excess of loss. TIL.
general profit to the children is as large
as it could be were they under the sole
instruction of Misses Hutchinson anC
Cheyney. Add to the above the fact
that the pupil teachers are deriving
great profit for themselves from thei
well planned and closely observed prac
tice work, that they are without an ex
ception interested in it, and are begin
ming to regard it as the most valuable o
all their school exercises, and it become
! apparent that the Model Department i
no longer the weakest feature of tn
Normal School but one of its strongest
one of those (if not the one) most full,
justifying the very existence of tn
school itself, and one especially emitting
, the school to the regard and support o
the people of the city.
The rhetorical exercises held on tn
, afternoon of every alternate Friday hav
/ been this term of more than ordinary in
terest Those of each rhetorical day
have been arranged by particula
teacher and were designed to represen
: a special department of the school. Las
Friday afternoon "Music reigned su
f preme. Biographical essays on the grea
composers, essays on the history and in
fluence of music, appropriate reading
and Rotations, and several we'll render
: ed vocal and instrumental pieces file
! up the allotted time agreeably and profit
r ably.
Two weeks before the Department {
n Natural Sciences was well representa-
!, by illustrated and illustrative essay
readings and declamations. Exper
r ments with the air-pump, and large an
d well executed crayon drawings, prepa
ed expressly for the occasion, and illu
e trating some of the essays, added niue
n interest to the very agreeable and cree
liable exercises.
70 Two weeks before that the Art D
d partment was appropriately represente'
and in connection Herewith most III
II ique and amusing burlesque specime
)f of "Lesson to Children in the Mod
Of School" was presented by the "a
class of the Normal Department. I'll
70 blackboard work and the artless an
=, earnest efforts of the children wi
;. long be remembered by those who sa
and listened.