(_C_) Organization of schools in Europe, especially the schools of
France, Germany, Sweden, and England. Typical schools described, and
educational principles illustrated by them, expounded and discussed.
References made to important literature, and the work may serve as an
outline for further study. One hour a week, half a year.
(_D_) School Hygiene, following and supplementing his “Outlines of
School Hygiene,” and considering special topics. One hour a week,
half a year.
(_E_) Educational reforms, involving the discussion of a few
fundamental educational principles and the presentation of chapters
in the history of education. One hour a week, half a year.
(_F_) Motor Education of children. This course will endeavour to
elucidate the principles that should govern this side of education,
and will involve the study of writing, drawing, manual training, and
of play and gymnastics as means of motor education. The course may
include also the study of motor training and muscular development
in relation to intellectual ability and moral character. One hour a
week, half a year.
(_G_) The work of the Seminary, once a week throughout the year, will
be, for the most part, adapted to individual students. It is hoped
that each student will select, after conference with President Hall
and Dr. Burnham, a topic for special investigation. The results of
such study may be published.
The courses as announced above may be modified somewhat as the needs of
the students or other circumstances may require.
The library of the department is especially rich in foreign educational
literature, and a considerable amount of illustrative apparatus has
been collected. The Worcester Public Library and the library of the
American Antiquarian Society are also accessible to students.
The _Pedagogical Seminary_ is published by this department, and offers
facilities for printing digests, reviews, and more valuable papers
prepared by the members of the department.
This department has the twofold aim of (1) preparing professors,
superintendents and teachers for their future work, and (2) making
contributions to the Science of Education. The second of these aims
is being vigorously taken up, research of some kind being expected
from every one. The fact that there is no school of observation in
connection with the University is of course a drawback to the complete
carrying out of both of the above aims. Visits, for purposes of
observation, are however made to schools in the neighbourhood, the
records now numbering some fifteen thousand made by the students of the
Worcester Normal School, in connection with the study of children, are
available for reference, and a scheme for establishing a University
School is even now under consideration. Should this scheme become a
reality, we might look forward hopefully to getting fresh light on many
school problems. One especially, to which Dr. Hall drew my attention,
might well have its solution attempted in such a school. It concerns
the duty of teachers toward the bright, quick-working children in a
school. In every class some will be found who work quicker and have
more intellectual power than the others, and at the same time some who
are dull and slow-witted. Now the power of detecting and directing
one’s teaching to the latter is often made the test of a good teacher,
and in a very true sense it may be said to be so. But there is
another side to the question, and those of us who have taught cannot
fail to have often been conscious that while the needed attention
and explanations are being given to the dull ones, the time of the
quick-working children is being practically wasted. As Dr. Hall points
out, we have perhaps not yet realized how much power is lost to the
world in consequence. It would be an interesting experiment to select
such bright, quick-witted children, and putting them into a class by
themselves, in charge of an able teacher, to note the results of thus
allowing them to work at their own rate.
The Clark University is unfortunately not open to women, if the summer
school (to which they are admitted) be not considered.
Students are expected to possess a reading knowledge of the French and
German languages, and a knowledge of Elementary Psychology is also
considered desirable.
There are many other Universities which have opened more or less
complete pedagogical departments; but these which have been described
will suffice to give a general idea of the courses offered in them. On
the whole it appeared to me that while in America excellent provision
is made in many of the States for the training of teachers for the
Primary Schools on the one hand, and for the positions of professors,
lecturers, superintendents on the other, far too little attention is
given to the training of teachers for the High, Collegiate and Private
Schools. High School teachers are mainly those who have worked their
way up through the grades (salaries tend to increase with the grade,
which brings about that inexperienced teachers are too often put to
the lower classes), while the teachers in Collegiate and Private
Schools have usually taken up the work straight from college without
any special preparation at all. England and Wales have, I think, made
much better provision for the training of such teachers, but I think we
have a good deal to learn from America in providing for the training
of lecturers, school inspectors, etc., etc., and perhaps also in the
matter of setting the seal of University approval upon training, by the
bestowal of educational degrees.
_TEACHERS’ INSTITUTES._
Teachers’ Institutes form an integral part of most state and city
systems of education. They have been defined as “normal schools with
a very short course,” and this definition is substantially correct.
The work done by them is of much the same character as that done in
the Normal Schools, and they have the same end in view--that of making
teachers more fit for their profession. They, however, vary somewhat in
character, and it will be perhaps well to distinguish between--
1. Those which are held on Saturdays for teachers in the city or
district, and which are usually conducted by the superintendent,
who gives lectures on the Science and Art of Teaching, discusses
educational problems and methods, or follows out with them a
course of reading. Attendance at these institutes is often made
compulsory, and loss of part of salary is sometimes made the penalty
for non-attendance. By the statistics returned from ninety-six
cities holding institutes, it appears that forty-four thus enforce
attendance.
2. Those lasting for about six to ten days, having short courses in
certain subjects, and especially on the theory of teaching. These are
usually those organized by the State Superintendent, who has however
the power of delegating the conduct of these institutes to other
persons whom he may deem qualified. Again, attendance at many of
these is made compulsory.
3. Such institutes as are held at some country or sea-side place
for a length of time, varying from a fortnight to six weeks. These,
however, are mostly started by private agencies, and have little
besides the name to distinguish them from Summer Schools. The summer
meeting of teachers at Martha’s Vineyard is known as an Institute,
and is of this class. The Teachers’ Institutes do not aim at
supplying a complete course of Training, but rather at supplementing
the work of the Normal Schools and Colleges.
_SUMMER SCHOOLS AND COURSES._
A Summer School seems to differ from an Institute mainly in relation
to the amount of professional work undertaken. It is usually open for
from four to six weeks, and has a great variety of courses. I was able
to attend several of these, and was kindly allowed to hear some of the
lectures given and to observe the work.
One of these held at Benton Harbour, Michigan, was chiefly attended
by those district teachers who wished to prepare for the teachers’
examinations. It was really a private Normal School, which used its
buildings in July for a Summer School. The subjects given were mainly
those necessary for the teachers’ certificates, with some classes on
Methods, and School Management and Drill and Elocution.
Of quite a different kind was that held at the Cook County Normal
School. This was almost entirely professional, and held on much the
same lines as the ordinary work of the school.
The Summer Assembly at Chautauqua includes a Summer School, which
again may be said to include a special course for teachers, called the
Teachers’ Retreat.
In addition to the Summer Schools, there are summer courses provided
for teachers at many universities. Cornell University makes special
provision for such a course, of which the following is an announcement.
“In the summer of 1892, courses of instruction were offered by
professors and instructors of this University in Botany, Chemistry,
Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, English, French, German, Drawing, and
Physical Training. The Summer School has now been made an integral part
of the University, and for the summer of 1893, courses are offered in
the following subjects:
Greek,
Latin,
German,
French,
English,
Elocution,
Philosophy,
Pedagogy,
History,
Political and Social Science,
Mathematics,
Physics,
Chemistry,
Botany,
Drawing and Art,
Mechanical Drawing,
Physical Training.
Without excluding others qualified to take up the work, these
courses are offered for the special benefit of teachers. They afford
a practical scheme of university extension, by which the teachers
themselves are taught under university instructors, by university
methods, and with access to university libraries, museums, and
laboratories.
The courses are open to women as well as to men, and the same
facilities for work are extended to these students as to the regular
students of the university. The amount of work implied in these courses
is so great that students are advised to confine their attention to
one or two subjects. Every opportunity will be given for original
research under the guidance and with the assistance of members of the
instructing corps.”
In 1892 a summer course in Psychology and Pedagogy was held for
two weeks at the Clark University. All the resources of the
University--books, apparatus, etc.--were placed at the disposal of the
students. About seventy men and women attended. Other universities
arrange for similar courses, but these two suffice to indicate the
lines of work.
The Prang system, which aims at the complete organization of Form
Study, Drawing and Colour teaching in the schools, demands also the
training of its teachers. The system is being introduced into an
ever-increasing number of schools, and necessitates some preparation
on the part of the teacher in order that its principles shall be
rightly understood and effectively carried out. This preparation is
being carried on by correspondence. The courses of study are definitely
arranged, and the student chooses the one she desires. The text-books
and materials are sent to her; she works lessons at home, and
forwards to the instructors the results of such work--clay modelling,
paper-folding, drawing, etc., written observation exercises describing
the appearance of models placed in prescribed positions, written
outlines for various class exercises, together with any questions she
desires to ask. This work is examined and returned to the student with
full criticisms. At the end of the course a certificate is awarded to
those who have successfully completed it. This plan of training appears
to answer well, and will ensure the success of the system.
MILLICENT HUGHES.
Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, and London.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] This is, of course, not the ordinary deaf-and-dumb language,--for
which sight would be required,--but a special variety in which the
thoughts of the speaker are conveyed by means of varying pressure on
different parts of the hand of the one spoken to.
[2] The term “Commencement” is always used in America to indicate the
ceremony which takes place at the _end_ of a School or College course.
The idea appears to be that the close of the College career really
marks the beginning of life in the world.
[3] The word “_recitation_” is always used in the United States to
signify lesson, class or lecture. Its use in this extended sense may
be explained by the fact that in early days of American education (and
the practice still survives to a greater extent than is desirable)
_teaching_ a class merely implied the hearing of lessons learnt by
heart from a text-book.
[4] _i.e._, specialist in the subject of physical exercise.
[5] The Connecticut School Law provides for the establishment and
maintenance of such schools for the benefit of the students.
[6] _i.e._, allowance to cover railway or other fares.
[7] It should be noted that although the _design_ of these schools is
professional, yet in all of them academic studies are pursued.
[8] The idea of making special provision for a supply of teachers to
act as substitutes in case of emergency is almost universal in the
States. In many cities a certain number of teachers receiving regular
salary are set apart for this work alone, while in some places students
in a Normal School or Training Classes undertake such work by special
arrangement.
[9] The University of Iowa had, however, in 1873 made pedagogics a
sub-department of general philosophy. As early as 1860 a course of
lectures on the Science and Art of Teaching had been given by the State
Superintendent, Dr. Gregory, in the University of Michigan.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.
Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.
The table on page 167 has been reformatted from the original to better
fit a narrow screen.
The cover image for this eBook was created by the transcriber and is
entered into the public domain.