Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-01-25

possible pedagogical training.
Again. training for teachers Is as
necessary for our rural, MS for our mr.
ban schools. During the past ten years
wise laws were enacted, making the
township instead of the district, the
unit Township supervision has been
made possible. Advancement has been
made in extending our high school sys-
ten to rural schools. Hundreds OF boys
and girls are today receiving high
school instruction under the benefcient
provisions of the Boxwell law. These
provisions, wise and important in the
development of our school system,
have to do very largely with the Inc.
chnnics of school work. and do not
materially strengthen the teaching
force. 1t remains for the state to com.
plete this work by giving to every
teacher an opportunity to secure spe-
cial training for his work. Make the
professional standard alike IN both
town and city, then in the development
OF our plans or organization, our state
school system will become much more
compact.and both city and rural school
will become a homogeneous whole. We
| are informed that New York State
through the instrumentality Of her nor
NAL schools, has supplied nearly two
thirds Of her rural districts with
trained teachers.
Again. state training for teachers
must In a large measure protect our
schools against the pull" versus the
merit" system, In the appointment Of
teachers. Some of you gentlemen rep.
resenting the Boards of Education of
| this great state, well know that you
had hardly taken the oath of Office be.
fore some attempt was made to get
some one appointed as teacher for rea.
sons other than special fitness. Char.
ity, personal interests, politics, kinship,
are some of the considerations that too
often dictate appointments. President
Draper. of the Illinois State Univer-
sity. formerly Superintendent of the
| Cleveland. Ohio, Public Schools, in
speaking on this subject, said:
"Innuence instead of merit, secures
appointments and promotions. This
may be denied; but no one attempts
the denial. There are dark-lantern
processes. There is, of course, show
of decency; forms are complied with;
but the whole system, so far as it re.
latcs to the appointment and advance
ment of teachers. lacks genuine integ-
rity, independence and courage"
But pedagogical training within the
reach of every teacher in the state. and
surely every applicant for school will
have an opportunity to place their
claim for an appointment upon a
higher basis than that of selfish inter.
est.
Again, liberal training for the teach.
er always means enlarged usefulness.
| The aphorism, "a little learning is a
dangerous thing" is more applicable
TO the teacher than TO any other class.
BY this additional training his horizon
is widened; his mental faculties quick.
cned, and his ability to reject the false
and recognize the true, In pcdagogics
is developed. Like Froebel, "he grows
not alone in knowledge and In power,
but day by day and hour by hour In
reverence and charity"
Without entering into detailed
discussion OF pedagogy as a science
and an art, it is clear to us that the
value of pedagogical training as an
important element in the teachers
preparation is as far above argument
as are the elementry principles of
science.
Want of acquaintance with even
the theoretical side Of pedagogy has
made the first two or three years.
work in teaching Of so many college
graduates virtually worthless.
What is much needed by the begin.
ming teacher is "A right point of view,
and this point of view is furnished
by right normal school training. A
good normal school not only shows the
teacher the best method OF teaching
given subject, but 1t tells why CIV
en- subject is taught, and helps the
teacher TO determine the value OF diff
ferent kinds If knowledge. A normal
school broadly organized and ably
conducted has for its central idea
pedagogical training, yet at the same
time, (a) it promotes scholarship-the
reserve power of every good instruc-
tor: (b) 1t creates love for nature
| for nature is the great teacher; (c) it
strengthens the love for literature,
which is the history of humanity; (d)
II widens the appreciation of art in
painting, architecture and sculpture