TRAINING CLASSES.
In many cities training classes are held for one year. The students are distributed amongst the best schools of the city or town, and the instruction and criticism is given by the Superintendent and the highest teachers.
Table of Training Classes, Massachusetts.
| Graduates. | |||
| Average | Time of | Remarks | |
| Number | Training. | from Superintendents. | |
| per | |||
| Annum. | |||
| Chelsea | 17 | 1 year. | Practice limited to |
| four city schools, normal | |||
| graduates preferred. | |||
| Clinton | 5 | ” | Not equal to normal |
| graduates. | |||
| Concord | 6 | ” | All urged to attend |
| normal schools. | |||
| Dedham | 6 | ” | |
| Hingham | 8 | ” | Not given school in |
| town until experience is | |||
| gained elsewhere. | |||
| Leominster | 6 | ” | |
| Malden | ” | No teacher employed | |
| not a normal graduate | |||
| or person of experience. | |||
| Quincy | 30 | ” | |
| Watertown | 4 | ” | Graduates expected to |
| teach out of town before | |||
| being employed at | |||
| home. | |||
| Weymouth | 14 | ” | |
| Woburn | 5 | ” |
PEDAGOGICAL DEPARTMENTS IN UNIVERSITIES.
It has been seen that a certain number of college graduates enter the Normal Schools for a course of training, but most of the leading Universities of America are now providing courses in the Science and Art of Education for those who desire to prepare for the teaching profession. I was able to visit a good many of these pedagogical departments, and was much interested in the work I saw. This work, however, differs so widely in the various institutions in which it is carried on that it is hardly possible to make any very general statements concerning it. In some universities the only provision made for the special preparation of teachers is in connection with special classes held by the professor or lecturer on any subject, for those who wish to discuss with him the teaching of it. However insufficient for training purposes this plan may be, it yet has, I believe, very special advantages to recommend it, not the least being the influence that may be thus exerted by the University through those who are about to become teachers on the Schools. In addition to these discussions, some provide for a few lectures on Pedagogy, and in others, again, Pedagogy may be taken as an elective subject, and count towards an ordinary degree. The Universities of Harvard, Cornell, Michigan, Illinois, Syracuse and others have adopted one or other of these plans.
The University of New York grants degrees in pedagogy, while at the Clark University, to which only graduates are admitted, education may be taken as part of the Ph.D. work. It should be noted, however, that the courses of training provided at these Universities is almost entirely theoretical, little or no attempt being made to arrange for practical work. In so far as this is not arranged for, the training seems to fall short of the ideal, it being surely nearly as bad to attempt to train teachers without providing for practical work as to teach chemistry without giving any time to the laboratory, or to train a doctor without arranging for hospital work. Probably the fact that a course on pedagogics is usually taken at the same time as other subjects, and also that those who take such courses very often do not intend to teach in the schools, but rather to take posts as lecturers, superintendents, etc., has caused this side of training to be neglected, and a still stronger reason is to be found in the location of so many of the Universities at a distance from the schools. In many places, however, I found that the question was being faced, and schemes considered for the introducing of practical work.
Harvard has begun to realize its responsibility with respect to the training of teachers, and a subdivision of the department of Philosophy is devoted to Education, the following courses being arranged for:
1. Course of twelve lectures on Topics in Psychology of interest to teachers.
2. Course for Graduates and Undergraduates: