Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-02
TO TRAIN TEACHERS.
Outline Of Superintendent MaSsey's
Plans fOF the Summer NOrmalS.
BETTER SYSTEM THAN FORMERLY.
The stnte's Liberal Policy Enables
the Department TO Improve the
Nethods-Some of Those Who VIII
Teach.
Teach.

These schools are for the benefit OF
teachers and prospective teachers OF the
public schools. They will be held at BED
ford City, Abingdon, Charlottesville, and
Farmvile, and for coloTed teachers at
Petersburg. Hampton, and stanton. Inc
Bedford City Normal School Of Methods)
will open June 9th and close July Dthi
the Petersburg Normal viii open June
18th and close July 18th; other normals VIII
open July "a and close July goth. At all
the points liberal provision has been made
for the successful conduct Of the schools.
The Bedford Normal Will occupy the
building OF the Randolph-AIacon Academy.
one OF the most complete buildings OF
its kind in the South. The Farmyiile
Normal will be held in the eligible build
ings Of the State Female Normal School.
The Charlottesville Normal will hold it's
sessions in the handsome city Graded
School buiIdinG and the Abingdon Nor
NAL Will occupy the commOdious Jackson
Fernaie Institute. The sessions Of the
Petersburg Normal will be held in the
Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute,
q weil-equipped institution. The stanton
Normal Will occupy the Graded School
building. The advantages OF location ana
thoroughness Of equipment az Hampton
are not surpassed IN the South. The
Hampton Institute grounds, buildings
chapel. library. gymnasium, etc. ofter
rare advantages for the Improvement OF
teachers and students.
CONVENIENT AND CHEAP.
The Superintendent OF Public lnstruc-
.fnfa|nN {
from wear to year az TO bring them within
easy reach Of. and nrcessitate least eN-
pense 20. the largest number OF teachers
possible. BY an act OF the last General
Assembly $3.50 was appropriated annually
for the support Of summer nOrmals. This
amount is supplemented by the annual
donation from the Peabody endowment,
which gift varies I'm value from year u
year. But il should be stated that until
the Legislature made practical recognl-
ton Of the value Of these summer schools
all expenses Of them were met by the
munIhcence Of that unparalleled charity
Of George PeabOdy's. Since the state
has voted appropriations .he worth or
the summer training SCHOOLS has been
greatly enhanced. superintendent Massey
says that before the state engrafted these
schools upon the State school system
uncertainty of resources precluded the
adoption Of plans for systematic, con-
secutive work, and hence the schools, IN
their practical operation II not IN
their administration, were largely
treated as distinct and independent or
the system. From his observation OF the
needs Of the great majority Of teachers
last year a graded course Of instruction
was formulated and a partial course or
reading prescribed I'm connection there
with, on which the work Of the normal5
was. in part, based.
THE SECOND-YEAR COURSE.
This year the course OF instruction
for the second year has been announced.
II provides for a brief but pointed review
Of last years work. followed by further
instruction IN the theory and practice OF
teaching reading. language lessons,
arithmetic, geography, history draw
ing. physiology, etc, and the method OF
teaching children these subjects. Atten-
ton viii be given 10 methods OF instruc-
ton, as well as to accuracy and tho
roughness of the subjects studied. Spe-
cial attention will be devoted in all the
normals to training in methods Of ele-
mentaTy or primary teaching. In outlln-
ing the course the State Superintendent
announces that the details Of the work
and the methods by which IL IS 10 be
done are left % the tact and skill OF
the instructors. He has. however, pre-
scribed a tentating programme OF daily
work by which instructions viii be
guided. He believes that keeping up CON
tlnuous interest and consecutive study
along definite lines viii be highly profit
able TO teachers.
TEACHERS OF TEACHERS.
The instructors viii not be lecturers
I'm the usual sense OF that term, but
Ifaah cnh0o1 will
be divided into sections, and regular
class rectations made a leading feature.
Apart from the prescribed course OF
study, there will be evening lectures and
discourses upon special topics. These lee
lures will awaken In the community an
interest i'm education. and give teachers a
glimpse OF that broader culture so essen
tial 10 the highest success in teaching.
The instructors assigned TO duty in IN,
several normals have been drawn from a
large body or teachers Of wide expert
ence I'm the school-room and in summer
noruals. They have had the best Oppos'
tunltles for Improvement and growth, are
familiar with the needs Of teachers, and
have proved their fitness for this special
work By their past success.
The course mapped out for the School
Of Methods bedford city and the sum
mer session OF the Virginia Normal and
ColIegiate Institute Petersburg is more
comprehensive more distinctly profes-
sional in character. than that TO be FOL
lowed at other normais. The School OF
Methods. established several years age
by Superintendent +. c. Glass, has made
a fine record The corps of teachers So
lected this year from Virginia and from
other States. includes many widely
known and successful teachers, notably
Colonel Parker, Of Illinois; DR.. Il. T.
White. Of Ohio; Professor Apgar. Of New
Jersey: Professor Southwick OF Massa'
chusetts; Misses Coffin and Robinson, OF
Detroit, with other scarcely less distin'
gushed teachers OF our own schools and
colleges. This school may be justly con-
sidered the pioneer or its class IN the
South, and already II ranks well with the
loug-established and celebrated schools
of like character In the North and West
WHAT THE ADVANTAGES ARE.
In his circular 10 teachers Superintend-
ent Massey says:
The advantages 10 be derived from at
tendance upon, and work in, these nor
mails are many. Only u few them can
be given here:
/. They cultivate acquaintanceship.
Persons who are engaged In the same
work are likely 10 have common aims
and ambitions, but varied experiences ana
nnefhOls. IntY nave lAALAAl lnAtA1oNa
which they desire 10 promote, and mutual
successes which they are trying 10 at
tain. Their efforts largely fair from lack
OF acquaintance with their fellOw-work-
ers. and the what, the how. and the
why Of their work These normals bring
them together in a social way. and AFFORD
opportunities for conference and discus
sion. the benefits OF which can scarcely
be estimated.
. They promote professional pride.
Many or our teachers occupy isolated
country stations. They seldom come in
contact with other teachers. II
they read educational journals or books
on educational topics-as il is hoped and
expected they do--they must interpret for
themselves and draw their own conclu-
sions. and lay out their own plans un-
aided Many are without experience, and
even without adequate preparation for
the work The normals Introduce
such teachers 20 higher classes. They
meet others who have had experience.
who know something. who are proud OF
their calling and work, and they go back
TO their homes with new Ideas, new feel
ings, new aspirations, new enthusiasm
and a determination 10 make themselves
more efficient and more worthy OF a place
In the ranks of SO honored aud honorable
f.r