Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-06-20

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Continent
For the SPECTATOR.
Teaching the Deaf and Dumb.
STAUNToN. June 18th, 1882.
Editor of the Stau,aton Spectator =
DEAR SIR I'm late issue of your
paper notice the action of the new
Board of Directors of the Virginia In
stitution for the Deaf and Dumb and the
Blind-known as the "Readjuster
Board"-at their first meeting on the
End day of May. All the officers of the
Institution having been discharged by
an act of the last Legislature, in connec-
tion with other appointments to fill
these vacancies, Principal and a teach
er of the Highest Class in the deaf mute
department were appointed. With the
persons selected to fill these positions,
the writer is entirely unacquainted.
and only knows that neither of them
has ever had any experience in teach
ing the Deaf and Dumb, or knows any
tAing whatever of the peculiar mode of
their instruction.
Having, for about forty years, been
engaged in teaching the Deaf and Dumb
and the Blind, for about twenty of
which have occupied the position Of
Principal, it would naturally follow that
must feel deep interest in the welfare
of the pupils in such Institutions. My
object in this communication is more in
behalf of the Deaf and Dumb, than of
the Blind, for the reason that the meth
cd of instruction Is 80 different in the
two classes, that the same remarks will
not apply to both.
1t may be proper to state that have
not been Influenced by any person what
ever, but knowing that these children
of silence are not able to speak for them
selves, feel impelled by sense of duty
to appear in their behalf. Further I
have no "axe to grind" "and no personal
advantage can follow to myself. Hay
ing been compelled by advancing age
and failing health, to retire from the
business of my life, I am not seeking
marks are intended to apply only to the
offices of Principal and Teacher.
Now let us first enquire in regard to
the duties of the teacher. When he
goes into his class room for the first
time, he will find class of pupils who
have been under instruction from four
to six or seven years. He will natural
ly desire to say sgoOd morning." or
"how do you do this morning." but not
understanding word of their peculiar
language, he would be compelled to go
to his slate and write what he desires to
say. Here a general laugh by the pupils
at this singular proceeding). He would
now desire to know what studies his
pupils had been pursuing and how far
they had progressed in each branch
How will he do it? His only resourse
is the slate. He will then wish to ex-
anime each pupil to ascertain his stand
ing in the class. How will he do it p
He will again try the slate, but he will
soon find that this alone will not an.
swer, as he cannot, without knowledge
of the natural language of the deaf and
dumb, accomplish his object. By this
time he will begin to feel little like fish
out out OF water, and it will probably
have taken all the time of the school
session, in the slate exercises. Now the
bell rings for the close of school, and his
class files out of the school room into
the chapel, where all the classes are as
sembled together. The exercises here
consist of brief examination of the lee.
ture of the morning and prayer in their
natural language the language of signs.
What will he do now? His slate is of
no account. He has before him pupils
who have no knowledge of written lam
guage, and all the instruction given
them and the prayer must be in the sign
language. Again, ask, what will he
do? And echo answers, Whist? This
farce must be repeated morning and
evening, at the opening and closing of
school, and on the Sabbath he has his
Bible class in the morning, and a lecture
on some portion of Scripture, occupying
from half an hour to an hour, in the
afternoon, which must be in the natu-
raj language of the deaf and dumb, not
one word of which he understands.
The only alternative that we can see is
that the Board should abolish 0W relig.
a0us instruction!
The next day he must commence his
regular instruction. To say that he
could do this by the use of the slate
alone, or the manuel alphabet, is simply
absurd. Even if it could be accom-
plished in this way, the time occupied
would require that the period for which
the pupils are allowed to remain in the
Institution, instead of being seven years,
would have to be extended to fourteen
years. 1t might be said. "This state of
things would be only temporary, the
teacher would soon learn the natural
language of the deaf and dumb and all
these difficulties would disappear" Not
so The only way in which any per-
son can acquire knowledge of this lam
guage is by teaching class Of beginners
and going up with them. This is not a
written language and can only be ac-
quired by long and patient practice IN q
class. A person might spend a lifetime
in an Institution of this kind in daily
communication with the pupils, and
while he might acquire sufficient
knowledge of the language for ordinary
use, he could not, in this way, qualify
himself for teacher.
How, now, are these pupils to obtain
any religious instruction? This must
be done by the language of signs entire
ly, and neither the Principal nor the
first teacher can do this. 1t is generally
understood that new teacher, who is
learning the system of instruction, can
not be qualified to undertake the Chapel
exercises in less time than two. years.
Must, then, the pupils in our Institu-
tion be deprived of all religious instruc-
ton? What will the people of the State
say? And what must the parents OF
these pupils think of this?
In paper prepared by J. Van Nos
trand, senior professor in the N. Y. In
stitution for the Deaf and Dumb, and
subsequently principal of the Texas In.
stitutiOn for the Deaf and Dumb, read
before the "Convention of American In
structors" at Columbus, Ohio, the fol-
language is used. ut is mainly on the
raDid and easv means afforded bV the
use of the language of signs, for commu-
nicating with the minds of his pupils,
that the teacher must rely to cultivate
the faculty of thought, to fix the atten-
ton. and to explain those nice distinc-
tions in the uses and meanings of words
which render the acquisition of written
language so difficult to those who must
depend alone upon the illustrations OF