Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-02-16
Professional Training OF the Teacher.

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the constitution of the United States.
and for that reason will ever be men,
orable; the other framed the ordinance
OF 1887, bequesthing to the nation a
territory of grandest resources embrace
ing our own and its sister states. One
OF the chief demands of this ordinance
was the encouragement of schools and
the means of education and all legisla-
ton on that question in these states was
in obedience 10 this demand. Well did
those early sages feel the necessity of
perpetuating our free institutions by
means of an educated people and rec
ognize the force of the political maxim
that universal suffrage without univer-
sal education is folly and would soon
result in ruin of government. The
ballot and the schoolroom are INSOFAR
able, for of all governments on earth a
republic composed of and illituate pop
ulace Is most to be feared. Every
where the extension of suffrage has been
followed by the spread OF knowledge
aud it is admitted that the provision for
and maintsinsnce of schools at the pub
lie expense is an Indispensable necessity.
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union made itself the public school
master. And everywhere system of
primary education has been established.
In order that the primary schools may
fulfill the end aimed for. there should
be also system of schools for the thor
ough training of teachers, 1t is just as
necessary that teachers shonld be train
ed in their work as the members of any
other profession, and more for the
teacher takes hold of the youthful
plastic mind when It's structure is al
most embryonic, and molds it into
shape and determines its course
through life.
How responsible and delicate work
is this? How knowing experienced
and skillful should the manipuators of
such work beP Yet how many I'M
skilled. uniformed persons. destitute
alike of talent and tact endeavor to
gain a livelihood, running the lives of
many created for noble ends.
For generations it has been the Gus
tom to great extent to waste the public
money and private benefactions by
placing incompetent and unskilled
teachers IN charge of the schools Pro-
fessional training consists of two parts.
First and most important a thorough
education. Second, well directed OBJ
servation of the work of competent and
experienced teachers, together with
we'll supervised practic work in teach
ing. A good thorough education is
necessary 10 discipline the facul-
tiles to gain fund of ready knowledge,
to enable the mind 20 grasp and COM
prehend ideas, thus gaining power
fulness and scope which cannot be OBJ
tanned in any other way. | don't
mean that this education must be OBJ
tanned in school. 1t may be gained
without teacher, but the number of
those who get such an education pri-
vately are very few, for man in general
is inclined to be lax in the performance
of labor. and few possess zeal and
energy ofcharacter to prosecute course
of study with sufficient diligence and
attention to gain the end in view Few
also in possessing this diligence and
energy of character have the tact 10
pursue course rightly and gain prop
or development from it without the di-
rection and guidance of teacher.
Observation of the work of skilful
teachers proves very fruitful scource
of gaining valuable knowledge in the
art. However, in order to reap full
benefit from observation and distinguish
it from visiting it must be under proper
guidance. Usually observing is OF far
more value to those who have taught
for then they can compare their own
work with that of those considered
skillful in the art and see their own
faults and in the future strive to remedy
them. Practice work under the super
vision of sensible experienced teacher
is of value because ones failings are
shown him in kind and friendly man
ner and encouragement given to try
new and better methods. When we
know our faults we can exercise q
watchful care not TO fall into error
again, for repetition makes them
second nature. Another good that
proceeds from practice teaching is that
one is taught to be his own critic which
is of the greatest value and paramount
Importance, and each successive day
profits by the mistakes of the previous
one. Such professional training as has
been described is given in the normal
schools. While they have achieved
great reforms in education we must ad.
NIT that they are not altogether perfect.
1t has been asserted by both friends
and foes that there is a tendency
in some of the normal schools
to make teachers that ride hobbies to
death and compel too much practice
teaching on very limited basis of edu-
cation.
If persons pursue long course of
study in year or two and then spend
q portion of their time in practices work,
what can be expected but such school
will send out cranky machine teachers,
who will teach nothing but rude formu-
las and never develope an original idea.
Then the main spring is wanting and
the main spring in teaching is a mind
disciplined by thorough education.
Teachers can also educate themselves
by becoming acquainted with the liter
ature of the profession. A new depart
ment of letters. pedagogical literature
is developing in America with great
rapidly and wonderful strength.
Educational journalism is now bur-
bened to make record of the discussion
of educational subjects by Learned and
practical men. Also the results of the
long experience and thoughtful obser-
walton of those whose work made our
progress in educational theories pos
sible. and within the reach of everyone
and from which the wide-awake teacher
can CLEAN much of interest and value
Courses of professional and general
home study are not new and are now
in operation in many states as per-
manent organization. The Wisconsin
ers can boast of being among the first
to adopt this reading circle plan. We
observe everywhere growth of coop
Grafton and union and evidence of
earnest thought. Like an attorney
that would consult no report. decision
or code, or a doctor who would read no
recent medical publications, is the
teacher who reads none of the publica-
lions concerning educational propress