The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-11-12
MADISON STATE NORMAL.
A NJ odel School, Winning Its Way Into
the Confidence of the Oitisens of the
state-Its Purpose, Management
and Work.

bIdIU ouU yCctCINuy w hhono hAc u -
nual tour of the departments of the
State Normal school. Though a creation
and ward Of the state, the Madison State
Normal school has been to the city as
one Of her W institutions. Our citi-
zens have fostered it in infancy, watched
it's growth and ~rejoiced in it's success as
an educational institution until in it's
development it has grown far beyond
city limitations. 1t is now, in the rep
r%esentative character of its students, the
requirements Of it's curriculum and in
the standard Of it's scholarship distinct
lively a state school OF learning.
Such an institution takes time and
growth to attain that dignity and i'm
portance in the public mind, but how
ever slow, if only sure and steady, the
end is achieved. What has contributed
largely to this successful growth in the
Madison State Normal is the present Of
~ficient corps of instructors. Little or no
change has taken place in the faculty for
many years. In this respect the school
presents a striking contrast to all the
other schools of the state. President
Beadle and the members Of his faculty
are actuated by n impulse, and that a
strong one, to make the school the lead
ing educational institution of the state.
In numbers we believe it is largely 80.
There are now $50 students in the
school, over $50 Of whom are 10 the
Normal course proper. The present
senior class alone has 43 members, the
largest ever known in a graduating class
of any institution of learning in the
state. These 43 students represent l6
different counties in the state and in the
entire school 30 counties are represented.
these are extreme counties, the wide in
~tluence and reputation of the school
will be recognized.
An important factor in spreading this
reputation is the excellent work of the
graduates of the school in the localities
and positions to which they have gone.
The work of the graduates in the art Of
teaching has been almost invariably a
success. An inspection of the work
done here in the school will, show that
it can hardly be otherwise. The work of
the classroom is methodlcal and search
ing, we might say almost exactiEg, and
the atmosphere of the school is one of
application and enthusiasm. A cordial
spirit Of fellowship pervades the school
and yet a proper respect for authority
and decorum is observed on every hand.
Working, term after term. in such a spir.
it produces permanent results in habits
and scholarship, and accounts for the
large measure of success achieved by the
graduates'of the institution.
AS the school has increased in strength
and broadened its foundations, it has
also raised its standard of scholarship, as
is very evident to those acquainted with
its work in recent years. This is the
natural result of having an ADLER body of
material to select from. Graduates OF
our state high schools who would form,
erly have found ready places in teaching
now find that to meet the demand fol-
!, trained teachers in our higher grades OF
by a special course Of training in the
a Normal school. And it is a peculiar
fact that the hard times of recent years
: seem to have lone more in leading the
. better quality Of our young ladies and
gentlemen into this special field. Hence
it is that from fifteen to twenty Of the
' students of the Madison Normal are
graduates OF the many excellent high
schools OF the state and of the graded
9 course Of our common schools. They
!" recognize the fact that in order to be
equal to all demands upon them in the
teachers work they need the specia
training afforded by a school Of this
8 kind.
t In the fitting of these students for tn.
. work of the school room, the Model de
. partment is a necessary adjunct of tn,
Normal course proper. Here are gath
cred over a hundred pupils from the city
county and state at large, ranging from
= the little tots, four years old, in the kin
dergarten up to the pupil 16 or II year
Q old in the eighth grade which fits then
for entrance into the Normal schoo
r course. These eight or nine grades ar,
taught by the students of the senior ant
middle classes of the Normal school, q
part Of their training, in practice worl
. under the experienced supervision O
. Mrs. Shank and her able assistant. Mis-
3 Collins. Each student spends abou
f three-quarters OF an hour per day ii
this work, and watching them is an in
. teresting part Of the visit. Here we fin,
quito a large number of our city chill
dren not found in our city schools serv
n ing the double purpose of getting An cd
~ucation themselves and permitting
o others to learn the art of teaching q