The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-06-20
State Normal School.

NORMAL, June l3-Eds FREE TRADER
AS very little is known up there abou
the actual workings of the State Norma
School located here, few words on tina
institution may not be u2interesting, nov
that there is such commotion over /
among certain portion of our representa-
tives at Springfield. This Is live school
as one will find out before he has been herr
long, conducted in business,like ways
There are two departments, the Norma
and the Model. None but those who arr
preparing to teach are admitted to the Nor
NAL department. The Model department
includes all grades primary, grammar ant
high school, each having Its own principal
There are about 800 in attendance in al
departments
The Normal course Of study covers three
years, and includes four terms actual teach
ing Zone hour day. in the Model school
under corps Of training teachers opartic
ular that, if single hair on your head u
out of its proper position, they will notice
It, Strict almost to severity, they require
all under them TO be perfect models as thu
name of the department implies. Some fin
ISL the course In less than three years
some require four, and others could no
finish if they were here till doomsday
The course must be taken just in the order
laid down in the catalogue; no choosing mol
skipping of studies Is allowed unless one
is able to pass them on rigid examination
Here is specimen of an examination In
spelling A hundred words were pro
nounced, taken from special list ! sup
pose Now If six words were misspelled
the study could not he passed. They are
however, very rigid in spelling, but 1t will
serve to illustrate the rest of the course.
The first thing done to new students is t.
convince them that they know nothing
After all the self concet Is taken out OF
hem, they are Dressed up after the Nor
"A fashion. Como who believe them
solves possessed of . firm individuality
hold cut for month or so, insisting that
two and three are four just because they
think so, but they are finally shown the fal
lacy of their "ideas," and become recon
ciled TO their fate, If one has correct
Ideas of teaching, however, they are re-
spected, but no fallacious notions are tOler
ated. The ideal in teaching Is always kept
before the student until he Is thoroughly
immersed in 1t; everything else is ex
plunged.
The first class graduated In 1860 since
which time 535 graduates have been sen
out. A class of 81 will graduate this year
commencement day being Thursday, June
% One of the class Is from La Sale.
Much anxiety is felt by the friends of
education over the present attitude of the
Legislature towards the Normal schools
4" Do the papers say anything about the
appropriation today" Is "A question asked
daily by those interested The Legislature
is much censured for its delay In passing
the Normal school appropriation bill The
BLACKWELL claim Is the pretext for their
puerlle Quibbling. This Blackwell gave
the state forty acres Of land to help get this
institution here. Now his money Is not so
flush, and he wants this land back. 1t Is
worth about $4,000 The senate put a
rider" ON the appropriation bill, giving
the land back but the State Board of Edu.
cation will not give Blackwell deed claim.
ing that they have no power to do so. Some
of our august representatives then flare up
and say If you don't give Blackwell his
land, we will not vote for the Normal
School appropriation" What ludicrous
excuse for body of men who are supposed
10 be Intelligent Some claim that this
rider has no business on the bill and that
they will not vote one cent for the Normal
with II on, while others are Just on the
other side Here they stand quarreling
over this point while the great question OF
the life of our Normal School is at stake.
In that bill, regarding the institution,
that was made the special order for We'd
nesday, | think the term Legislature "
should be substituted for Normal School,
and then the bill would be passed with a
rush; for when they strike blow at our
Normal schools they touch vital part of
our educational system. An amount Of
money spent for them will do more good
than like amount spent for any other OBJ.
iect Those who suffer the greatest from
incompetent teachers are the very ones
who are clubbing over this. II one Is a
natural teacher there Is not such great
necessity for trainging schools for teachers;
h,,, since 50 many who are in no way fitted
10 teach, insist on trying to, there is a need