The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-22
ny FLORA MILNIn HARRISON

Ask from where some of the best teach
 CTS in the city schools came. and the an-
 swer will be, "They are from the normal
 training sehool'
 The normal training school is apart,
 and unostentatious and vital part Of
 the Birmingham school system. It was
 begun in 1887. when two of the high
 school graduates of the year asked Dr..
 Phillips if he would help them with
 their study of psychology and peda-
 Gogy, as they felt the need of special
 preparation for teaching. At that time
 lr. Phillips was not only supervising
 the schools and taking care of the con
 stant readjustment that was required
 by the changes in the city. but he was
 also teaching three hours a day in the
 high school where there were only
 two teachers with 70 pupils and thrce
 years work There was no time Tor
 the special class during school hours
 and so the two students had their les
 sons after school At the end of the
 certificates of proficiency. signed by
 their teacher. the superintendent of
 schools. pr. Phillips says that he re-
 grets now that the superintendent was
 Lot given certificate signed by the
 two young ladies. as he thinks the
 study was as profitable to him as to them. One of the graduates of that first class was Miss Ioula Bradford. whose connection with the city schools has continued since that time. Had the training class done nothing except so- cure Miss Bradford's services for the schools. it would be invaluable for that alone.
 In this way professional training for | the city teachers was begun. The next year, the board of education recognized | the merit of this voluntary beginning | ly employing a teacher to take charge Of this department This was Miss Mary Rode. graduate of the New York City Normal college. It is for 1 tunate and bit unusual that any en- l tarprise should have without exception signa1ly competent directors, but this 1 has been the experience of the train | inE school Miss Rode was the first l of the several very excellent teachers 0. this school Upon her resignation T 1 to be married. she was succeeded by every way an addition to educatilona and literary circles of Birmingham,and vas ideally fitted to teach and train | the young women who would in turr l train those younger than themselves. l After teaching the training class for | five years. Mrs. Allen resigned to take a l similar position in western city. At that time Birmingham was affected by the 1 panic of 1895. and 1t was decided not to | try to fill Mrs. Aliens place. but to dis continue the training school until the ap- propriations for the schools could be in- I creased. It was recognized an assest | to the system, it's students had been cap 1 able when called into service as super- numeraries, and it's graduates were suc- ! cessful teachers in the schools. After it was disbanded and no more teachers could be secured from this source it was even more evident that such q school was l needed. and so seven years ago 1t was again added to the system
 Taught at The Powell
 1 It is taught at the Powell school where it's first graduate afterward taught, where beloved Miss Cahalan was once principal, l and where two generations have been to school. For two years after it's re-estab- | lisnment Miss Loula Bradford taught the 1 training class, beside supervising the pri- mary grades of all the schools. When 1 this was increased Miss Rosa V. Striclk- | land was made director and teacher, witt 1 Miss Bradford instructor in primary methods and with the music taught by one of the music supervisors.
 Miss Strickland has long been interested in teacher training. She was educated ts teach languages, but after few years of college work she gave it up to take z grammar school in a small town. It wal her experience there that convinced hel 1 of the need for trained teachers and hel l greatest interest is to use well the oppor l tunity she has for training teachers. Sht l says she considers the most helpful thing | the greatest thing one can do is to get l hold of the wills of those who need I strengthening and ohelp them to see | what they may make out of their lives 1 that a great many people live purposeless ! lives because they simply take themselves ]. for granted without ever realizing their l weaknesses and their strength. One ob- 1 ject of the train school is to awaken l it's students to tl4 own capabilities and opportunities. It is far from being a | place where teachers are made. machine l like It is fortunate enough to be in the 1 hands of women who see so much more ! than that in the teaching profession. and | while the girls arc learning the routine of I teaching they are learning other lessons | that will remain with their pupils after 1 the text book lessons are forgotten They are taught that only those who love teach | ing and will give their service willingly l and happily should teach and that others l will be happier and do more good in some 1 other work. It is the crucible for those who would find their place in life and learn to fill it we'll
 Special Teachers For Training Class 1 For three years Miss Strickland taugh, l the training class with two assistants and when she became principal of tht Powell two years ago a corps of depart mental teachers was added to the train ing school. The present faculty is Mis-. l Strickland, principal; Miss Susan Todd nsrnal instructor; Miss Loula Bradford | urinary methods instrlIctor. Miss Agnes