isua-isnscatalog-1882-1883-011

Description: ANNUAL REGISTER. 11grades of school. All knowledge is the product of the minds
action. To attempt to force the mind to form products which it
has no power to form, is not only a great waste of energy, but
a positive injury. We see, therefore, that the teacher needs a
peculiar knowledge of both the sciences to be taught and of the
science of the mind. Upon this knowledge as a basis he can be
helped to construct a science of teaching
and this is the prime
object of one of the two departments of normal school instruc¬
tion. But the science of teaching is not an exact science. It is
even less exact and complete than are the numerous sciences from
which it is derived. The less exact and complete a science is, the
more need is there that it be illuminated by the experience re¬
sulting from the practice of the art. It may be safely affirmed
that but little reliable and practical knowledge of the science of
teaching can be gained without constant observation and practice
of the art of teaching. It is through actual experience in the
doing that the meaning of the rules becomes clear.This necessitates a system of schools for observation and prac¬
tice in teaching, containing a class of every grade, from the
lowest primary to the high school. A portion of each day needs
to be spent by every student, during his entire course of prepara¬
tion, in the study of the work done in these schools or in practice
in teaching in them. It is by such training that the normal
student comes through the school an experienced teacher, able to
do efficient work from the first. Any school not having this
department of practice in the art of teaching, falls far short of
being a normal school. This is another reason why the college
and university can not afford those opportunities which a thorough
preparation for teaching demands.We may summarize our conclusions as follows:
A Normal School is one whose controlling aim is instruction
and training in the science and art of teaching. It consists of
two departments co-ordinate in importance—the Theory and the
Practice Departments. The theory department must lead the
student: (1) To construct for himself the different sciences
which he is to teach
(2) to construct a science of mind with
special regard to the nature of the different conditions, processes
and products of mind-action in the different periods of growth
Source: http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/33056
Collection: Indiana State University Archives

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