Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-09-13
STRAIGHT NORMAL TALK.

t Before long the states pamphlet
giving lists of initiative measures 70
the coming election, will be in tn
hands of every voter in the state. TIL
: time for consideration of the variou
: questions that will be presented viii
: not be any too long Some of the bill
that can be decided on now and thu
be settled before the rush" comes
should be looked over at the earlies
date
One Of the measures that this paper
has mentioned before is the question
of re-establishing a state norma
school, and its location. As to the
necessity of a normal training schoo
for teachers, there is scarcely any OPP
position. Occasionally we meet with
some one who has not fully considered
the importance of skilled teachers who
will oppose the normal entirely. Then
there are others who seem to think
that the training given to the normal
student does not fit them any better
for educational work than any other
that given by any other class of
perience
| 1t will be admitted that some people
who have had the opportunity of Sc
curing normal training, and the sug-
gestions that go with it, are failures as
teachers. That is undoubtedly true.
But is the same not true in all lines of
schools and efforts in special prepara-
ton? Even the carpenter trade is not
without its failures, though the terms
of an apprentice may have been fully
served. The Individual counts. Some
persons will turn out better piece of
carpentry, self instructed, than others
who have had all sorts of experience
and assistance. But we consider that
the percent of success is higher for
those carpenters who have served an
apprenticeship or who have had spec
ial instruction. We do not believe that
every one can be a good teacher, but
we believe that the percent of teachers
who understand the work, and who
succeed is higher among those who |
have had the normal course than
among those who have not had such |
The course of a training taken in a
good normal school gives breadth to
the teachers view. All this counts for
experience and a larger per cent of
practical experience will be obtained :
n couple of years work in such an
Institution than in many years of in
dependent labor. 1t is the same old
story The man of the technical school
lisplaces the old employee, gets bet s
er wages, produces more in a given ,
ime, and does it better.
Now it is up to the people of Ore
on to decide whether they want
eachers who have some training,
ONE conception of their work, a prop 7
r understanding of the purpose of ed
cation, and above all, some realiza-
on of the responsibilities they under
lke-to direct the training of their il
will they leave it to mere q
relings and eXperimenters
We want normal in this state. We
ant a good one. We want it as soon
I'd as economically as it can be Sc q,
red, and we want 1t equipped with q
e best instructors in the country, and of
ose instructors supplied with all the
st modern educational assistance in
e way of apparatus that an econ
lieal expenditure of money will se- a
re. We want it located convenient to sa
center of population, at a point fo
1t is convenient. healthful, and har-
nious with the limitations that usu-
Y attend that class of students
asham Herald.