Show i I. I THE NORMAL DEPARTMENT t i It w was s in inthe the University building Monday morning July 7 1873 that with f 11 a membership member hip of fifty-eight fifty students the first Normal School in Utah Territory was vas was organized The instructors In charge were Dr J. J R. R Park Pr Prof Prof f. f Karl G. G M Maeser ser Miss M. M E. E Cook and Prof Dusenberry and the cot course of 11 stu study y comprised Normal Lectures instruction in Primary Teaching and l lessons in Natural History U U. S. S History Geography Writing Reading s. s ll Arithmetic ei c Gl Gi Grammar r a and and Composition t Spelling g and nd Gymnastics f The special features of f the cOUl course se w were were re the N Normal lectures and andin instruction in in- in methods of teaching primary grades and in ord order r that all desiring r to 10 pr prepare themselves to become teachers min have might the benefit of this in instruction instruction in- in 4 no tuition was vas charged Two years later the Legislature passed an y 1 act providing for the annual instruction free of charge for tuition of of one onehundred onehundred hundred normal students to be appointed by the Territorial Commissioner of P District Schools The only conditions of their appointment were that they d should be able to pass the entrance examination and for every year of free y i tuition received they should if called upon by their respective County Super County Super Superintendents serve one year as district school schoolteachers teachers This was a great great opportunity S 'S for a large number of ambitious young youn men and women Women whose circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances would otherwise have prevented their receiving these advantages From this small beginning the field of study has been gradually bro broadened and extended as circumstances permitted and demand required In 1891 a I long-felt long need was satisfied by the establishment of the Utah Training School in in which the students have an opportunity of putting in pl practice the theories I advanced in the classes classes' in Methods and obtaining actual practice in sch room room ol-room r y work under the direction of skilled and ex experienced eri teachers before assuming i the the cares and responsibilities of a a school As prosperity has smiled upon the people of our Territory th they y have nave r found round more leisure to devote to obtaining an education and the i e lin Y the Normal Department has gradually increased until the enrollment f for forthe the fy year year ear just drawing to a close is over r two hundred J i r 1 i the thirtieth session of the the visions During Legislature following P provisions I were ma made d e f for or gra graduates d I. I t Graduates in the Normal course shall receive a certificate which h ifor x the term of five years thereafter shall be sufficient evidence of the holder without examination as to scholarship to teach in the common schools in t the e grade or grades mentioned in the certificate and the University may I provide for granting a degree to graduates in the Normal course who have satisfactorily satisfactorily J taken a course of study prescribed and leading to the degree and the 1 degree b shall be sufficient evidence of the holder to thereafter teach in in th the common schools without examination as to scholarship t i After this year the University will not confer the degree of of- Bachelor of Didactics but all graduates from the Normal C Course urse will take out the degree of of Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Letters in Pedagogy Ped Ped- This change will require the graduates to complete a course of study which will make their scholastic qualifications equal to those of the graduates ates in the scientific scientific courses Our course of study compares very favorably with the courses offered by the leading normal schools of this this' country and the students students' have one advantage not enjoyed by those attending similar institutions in having the benefit of instruction in n the sciences and lang languages ag s 1 rund under r professors who are s specialists in their different bra branches ches This has ha a a l tendency to broaden and liberalize their views and prevent their becoming to tol the narrow-minded narrow pedants school teachers are are te popularly supposed r 1 i k 21 i 1 j J A The theoretical part of the course in pedagogy comprises psychology with special reference to the work of the teacher th the history of pedagogy and the ideas advanced by the principal educators of the past ast a and d present methods of teaching the different common school branches and the art of managing a school successfully In all of these studies free and liberal discussion discussion dis dis- is is' encouraged for the subjects they embrace offer a greater greater scope forthe for forthe the opinions and individuality of the student than any others After discussing in class the methods of teaching any study each student is required to write an essay on the method of of presenting the subject to his his- I t pupils treating in detail of every step from the first instruction ion received by bythe bythe the child in that branch until he is prepared to enter the high school Several of these essays being deemed worthy have been given for publication to t some of our educational journals i At the close of the work each student is required to make out a program pro pro- gram gramme me and plan a course of study for one year for the school he expects or hopes to teach These are looked over by the professor and after being commented on by him him are returned to the writers with any suggestions he het t thinks inks will aid them in planning their work This causes the students to ta think for themselves and will be a great aid to them when they enter the schoolroom as teachers During the fourth term following the study of methods of teaching school management is disc discussed Special attention is is- given to school o organization rules and conditions of study the art of securing ing attention class management courses of study school government and kindred subjects Methods of managing various hard cases are suggest suggested dt i and their application explained This department is in charge of a man who has had a long and varied experience as school teacher and Superintendent of Schools and has had ex excellent excellent ex- ex ellent opportunities for investigating and thoroughly testing the educational principles he advocates He was a very successful teacher himself and does all in his power power ower to prepare those who seek his advice by giving them the benefit of his own experience and research to become teachers who will withstand stand in the front rank of their profession If they do not fulfill his desires and expectations it will not be for want of zeal and energy on the tl part of Prof W. W M. M Stewart F The ideas advanced in the theoretical work can be more clearly understood understood understood under under- stood by visiting the training school than by any other means for it is there that these principles and theories are put into practice the students spending four hours a week there instructing the children children under the direct supervision of of the teachers of the school The Utah Training School consists at pre present ent of about eighty district l school children of the first two grades and is in charge of two excellent teachers The prin principal Miss E. E R. R Kees who has dire direct t charge of the first grade is a graduate of the famous CO Cook k County Normal School and is thoroughly qualified to fill the responsible position she occupies Her assistant Miss Ella is a young lady of wonderful abi ability i y for gov governing and instructing children and ands is one of the the best primary teachers in our Territory ry t J 3 t u t l 3 For the practice work the school is divided into eight 0 groups and t two wo or F more moie students are appointed to take tak charge of each group The members s' s of of I the practice class lass meet the the teachers of the 5 meet training school once a week yeek to i receive criticisms on their work and plans for the coming week The plan of unification of study is followed Natural Science work furnishes furnishes furnishes fur- fur t the basis for reading from the blackboard drawing painting tI number and language lessons For example a rabbit labbit is taken as the subject J Jo il o of a lesson in science Its habits habit are observed by the pupils they notice what kinds of food it prefers how it moves from place to place the parts of its 1 f finfer fj body their comparative number umber size shape etc They are continually led to infer the uses of the different the I parts why legs are not all of the same length why the ears are long the reason the animal has sharp teeth and why it is covered with fur The rabbit is then compared with other animals that that- have been studied This work creates in the the- childr children n an interest in the things things- r of nature and cultivates the p perceptive and reasoning faculties 4 After the animal has been thoroughly discussed in the science lessons the children tell wh what t they have observed and their sentences are written on the the- blackboard furnishing material for a reading lesson At first the children read their own sentences but by degrees the te teacher chet introduces simple ones of her own and nd it is surprising to see how quickly they learn to read these little little- stories By this method the children learn to read naturally and no books books- are given to them until they read fluently from the blackboard When an animal has been thoroughly examined by the pupils it is comparatively easy for them to mould draw and paint it The Th accompanying cut shows the the- children with the clay in their hands the swan The science work is adapted to the seasons of the year In the fall fruits seeds and insects are studied and Nature is observed getting ready for winter when the ground is covered with snow lessons are given on the air and moisture in the form of rain mist snow ice and hail and in the spring Nature Y is observed putting on her summer dress The children plant seeds and watch the germination and growth of the plants and the bursting forth of of- buds and leaves on the trees A foundation is laid for history by the study of primitive people Their manners and customs are discussed their app appearance arance dress animals and tools are illustrated by pictures and stories of their their life are told In the past year the Eskimo and Indian have been taken up and some of their tools and the the- animals familiar to them have been When the Eskimo was being considered the children made clay bricks to represent the blocks of snow used to make the Igloo and the teacher put them together The literature work or story telling goes right along wit with the science science- and history work When fruits and seeds are being studied the story of Ceres and and similar narratives are related and when the Indian is being disc discussed portions of Longfellow's Hiawatha that can be understood by bythe bythe the J children are read while other parts are related in language capable of being comprehended by the pupils J jt J JAll All kinds of geometrical forms forms seeds leaves sticks and o other h. h r objects ts J I j J i i J i i ri n u J J L t II t d irY f J e v ii t j ff Y t t t t t Kj 3 fj iJ 9 i i o x i lK N 1 aleI Ill us u's dt f for performing in the concrete the operations of addition of s addition subtraction subtraction tion tio tion division divisio and and I tIle the children make i multiplication on partition problems H off of fr r their Own wn to illustrate the principles involved No arithmetical language or symbol is used until the latter r part of the the first first year when they are introduced intro intro- di very gradually During each practice hour a period of five minutes is devoted to to physical exercise cise to rest and refresh the pupils i JJ The employment in the training scho school school- l. l has been very beneficial and I it Th isto to be regretted that more extensive work in this this' line is not offered Our Te Territory can support but one one training sch school ol so let all the eff efforts of the people be directed to the building up of that one that it may be made in e very way equal to fo any in this this' co country With the addition of a kindergarten to to direct the early energies of f the child and the higher grades to continue its education each grade h having ving a skilled instructor and ancl critic in charge teachers could be trained who wo would id be artists artists' in their profession ion and our public schools having the benefit of such preceptors wo would ld improve exceedingly But with But But with ith the advantages we enjoy at t present and d we have better opportunities ti ties tie's s 's in this this' dire direction tin than Ithan the majority of normal scho schools ls' ls few having any training schools the N Normal Normal- ormal graduates of of the University are some of the l best est teachers in the Territory Such Stich S ch marked success has crowned their labors t that t t the demand for teachers who are graduates of the Normal t greater than the supply j rf You may think this training unnecessary and say that the old teachers had bad no such advantages and their pupils learned quicker than those i tn tHese se new new new-f angled ideas The latter part of this assertion is untrue You ou it are right to judge a system by bi its its' fruits but consider carefully before you t cond condemn n all on account of the failures of of- ofa a few unskilled persons who but F partially understand the great principles they endeavor to put into practice t Such condemnation is an an argument in favor of the normal schools they condemn for if all all' who teach h had d the benefit of proper normal training 4 ma many y injurious errors errors' and discouraging failures might be avoided If w we ewe F. F have a rare and tender plant to raise the advice of one skilled in the care of tr sc such flowers flowers by years of experience is sought Why then do we not train r those who are to guide th the mental development of the precious children b- b to our care by our Creator that they may blossom into noble and intelligent men and women to be an honor to their parents and their nation f sY 0 and a glory to their God Y Some young people are apt to think the Normal course would be oft no benefit fit to them because e they never never intend to become school teachers But tb wha whatever ever our occupation may be we are all teachers in the great schools school of ofa a life and and- the influence we exert over those with whom we are continually ass associated may be of untold benefit if if- used in the proper way j I When our Normal Department has been extended and developed until it offers s all the advant advantages of of- an an ideal institution our graduates will occupy the positions of instructors in our schools now filled by men ands and women educated educated edu edu- i- i cate in other parts of the country and they will fill them honorably and s successfully lly Then will the Normal Norm l Department be known and commended throughout the whole of our beautiful country EDNA HYDE P S g 1 i if j i ki 4 |