NORMAL DEPARTMENT. OPENING ADDRESS ON THE DISTINCTIVE PRINCIPLES OF NORMAL SCHOOL WORK. Fellow Teachers: BY ALBERT G. BOYDEN, PRESIDENT. I invite your attention to a few thoughts upon the distinctive principles. of normal school work. The time has been when we were called upon to answer the question, Does the normal school differ from the academy or a good high school? Even in this association we have discussed the question, How much of the normal school work is really normal and how much is academic? To-day the question is, What are the distinctive principles of normal school work? The existence of such principles is recognized, and their enunciation is called for. A sound theory is the guide of successful practice in education as in every other department of human effort. "Theory is the knowledge of the principles by which practice accomplishes its end." "There is no practice without a theory," for every man, to some extent, thinks of what he is doing. The more capable and thoughtful he is, the more fully he reflects upon what he has done, the more carefully he considers what he is to perform. As he proceeds in his practice, and reflects upon his performance, his theory gains distinctness and thus becomes the guide of his practice. In seeking for the distinctive principles of normal school work we ask first, What is a normal school? In the language of Webster's unabridged, "a normal school is an institution for the education of teachers." It is not an attachment to a high school, an academy, or a college, but an institution by itself, having a local habitation and a name, equipped with its corps of instructors, courses of studies, and the necessary appliances for accomplishing its object. Its sole work is the education of teachers. The public school, the academy, the college, seek to educate the man; the normal school seeks to educate the man to be a teacher, an educator. In setting this standard for the normal school I am not unmindful of the training school, the normal department in the academy, or the normal school with the academic department, or the chair of pedagogy in the college. I heartily appreciate the good work which many of these are doing. I know the difficulties which the normal schools have had to surmount, and with which in many states they are now contending in demonstrating their right to existence and support. The school for the training of nurses is not sufficient to prepare the medical practitioner for his work. The subordinate department in a school, the single chair in the college, is not considered sufficient to prepare for the practice of law, medicine, or the clerical profession. No more should they be regarded as furnishing adequate preparation for the teacher's profession. These may be the best thing attainable at present in many places, but they should be regarded as preparatory to the true normal school which is ultimately to take their place. Why is an institution for the education of teachers called a normal school? A thing is normal, according to Webster, when strictly conformed to those principles of its constitution which mark its species. Tried by this test the education of the child and of the teacher is normal when strictly conformed to the laws of the physical and rational nature of man. An institution whose sole purpose is to educate teachers according to this standard is properly called a normal school. Second, we ask, What is the distinctive work of the normal school? We have said it is to educate teachers according to the normal standard. How shall we find this standard? By a careful study of human beings we may learn the structure, functions, and hygiene of the human body; the powers of the mind, the order of their development, the objects upon which they should be employed, how they are called into right activity, and the products of that activity as they crystallize into those habits of thinking, feeling, and willing, which constitute good character. Through this study of body and mind we may discover the laws of our life, and may derive those principles of education which should guide our practice in the education of teachers and children. To educate a child is so to direct and control his activities through childhood and youth as to bring him into that state in which he will make the best use of all his powers. Education means training for an endless life. Lives are to be dealt with. The means by which this end is to be accomplished is the trained teacher, supported by intelligent and sympathetic supervision, teaching every child, by means of the course of studies, to see distinctly, to use his hands intelligently, to hear accurately, to remember easily, to imagine vividly, to think logically, to speak correctly, to read the thoughts of the author, to write perspicuously, to feel, to act, for the highest and whole good of his nature. The education of the normal school student for this work requires that he should have 1. As definite and full knowledge of the human body and mind as possible, that he may distinctly comprehend the principles of education. 2. That he should be able by careful observation to discover quickly the peculiarities of each child. 3. That he should make a careful study of the art of teaching, that he may know distinctly how to excite right activity and knowledge in his pupils, as dependent upon The knowledge of mind, the knowledge of the individual pupil, and of the studies which are used in teaching. The selection of the proper objects of study for teaching. The natural and logical arrangement of these objects of thought. How to bring the objects of thought distinctly before the mind of the learner. How to secure his voluntary attention to the objects present. How skillfully to direct the pupil's observation, thought, and power of expression so that he will acquire himself the idea of the object and its correct expression, and make such a recapitulation of what has been taught as to show the relation of the parts to one another and to the whole. How to secure the proper study by the pupil of what has been taught. How to make systematic and thorough examination of the pupils in what they have studied. How to conduct criticism by the class and the teacher. How to make daily preparation for school work, and How to secure his own general culture. 4. That he must have a thorough knowledge of the course of studies for the elementary and for the scientific work. That he may know what studies should be included in the course, and why these subjects should be studied. That he may know in what order the studies should come, and the relation which they hold to one another. That in each study he may be able to analyze the whole subject into its main divisions, these into their subordinate divisions, to consider the parts in the order of their dependence, and to teach and drill the class in the whole subject. 5. That he should thoroughly examine the subject of school organization. That he may know what it is to organize a school; the advantages of a good organization; the preliminary preparations for opening a school; how to open a school; how to classify pupils; how to apportion the time. and studies; what provisions to make in relation to order. 6. That he should carefully study the teacher's moral duties with. reference to the need of moral education; the object of it; the principles of government; school government, its necessity, and how the end of school government shall be secured; the effect of the proper arrangement of school exercises; the effect of good management and its requisites; what motives shall be used and how they shall be employed in governing the school; the teacher's personal habits, and his spirit. 7. That he should study the history of education to learn what has been done, and what men have failed to accomplish. 8. That he should acquire such a degree of skill in the application of these principles and this knowledge, as will enable him to organize and control his own school and to educate his pupils. It is the distinctive work of the normal school to secure to its students this knowledge and skill according to the measure of their ability. The first distinctive principle of normal school work is the thought that the normal student is to be a teacher, and as far as possible an educator. This thought should give tone to all the operations of the school, from the beginning to the end of the course. The normal student should be led to look at the course of studies, the acquisition of knowledge, the teaching, all the exercises of the school, his own spirit, purpose, manners, and conduct from the teacher's point of view. This makes all the work professional and the school becomes a normal training school in all its course. The second distinctive principle of normal school work is the thought that the normal student is to be educated for his work, not merely furnished with the knowledge of subjects and a set of methods, but he is to master the subjects, prepare his illustrations with special reference to teaching, come into the class, teach, and do all the kinds of class work that will be required of him in his own school in the education of his pupils. After the normal student has been trained in this way to teach philosophically, in as full a measure as time will permit, he should come, in the latter part of the normal school course, to the careful study of the physical and rational nature of man and learn the philosophy of his work by finding the principles which underlie the method he has learned to use. This should be followed by the thorough study of the art of teaching, the course of studies, school organization, school government, and the history of education. When the student has passed through this course in the normal school he is prepared to go into the different grades of the practice school, as an assistant under the direction of the model teacher. The third distinctive principle of normal school work is the thought that the method of instruction in the normal school is to serve as a model for its graduates. Not that it should be followed literally in all points, but in the arrangement, the principles, the spirit, and the manner of conducting, it will be imitated. The unconscious tuition of the school is in some things more potent than the conscious teaching. It should be worthy of imitation. Well defined principles, followed with the persistency and courage of strong convictions, are the only sure basis of successful normal school work. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ORGANIZATION, COUR- BY A. R. TAYLOR, PRESIDENT STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, EMPORIA, KANSAS. The material for this report has been gathered from every reliable source within reach. Inquiries covering thirty-five leading points upon which information was desired, were sent to the Normal Schools of the United States. Very satisfactory answers were received from about fifty. An examination of the list shows that scarcely a single representative school failed to respond. About thirty states reported and the committee flatters itself that there is little desirable information on the first two points designated in its title, which was not placed at its disposal. It was not expected that much would be done this year on the third point: Methods of Instruction. There are about 260 normal schools, so-called, in the United States,the number having more than doubled in the last ten years. 103 are supported by the state, 2 by the county, 22 by the city, and the rest by other agencies. It must be borne in mind, however, that some of the State Normal schools are but summer normal institutes. North Carolina reports ten State Normal schools, whereas seven of them hold summer sessions only; the three remaining (colored) holding a winter session of from five to seven months each. The normal schools and universities, so-called, supported by other agencies are, with fewer exceptions than I could wish, misnamed. They are not training schools in the strict sense of the word, but have a multiplex organization. The catalogue of one before me announces a Normal department, a business department, a music department, a law department, a medical department, a theological department, an art department, a department of telegraphy, a department of photography, et cetera,nearly twenty in all. We have no fault to find with these dear brethren for undertaking so much work, but must insist that the appropriation of the term Normal for the naming of such schools is unfortunate and unwarrantable, derogatory to the highest interests of our educational system. It produces confusion in the minds of the people and retards the |
