The training of teachers in the United States of America — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The training of teachers in the United States of America
John Stuart Mill · en
I had, however, many and valuable opportunities of supplementing
personal observations by a further study of educational matters in the
exhibit of the Educational Department of the World’s Fair, and by
attending the Educational Congresses held in Chicago in July, 1893.
The meetings held during the Educational Congress were, in themselves,
disappointing. Nevertheless they enabled me to meet educationalists
and teachers of all kinds from all parts of the United States, and
to learn, by personal interviews, facts which it would have been
impossible to gain by merely visiting educational institutions. I found
throughout my visit that personal interviews were an important means of
supplementing the observation of work actually done in the schools. In
some departments, the most valuable information I gained was acquired
in this way, this being especially true in connection with the Training
of Secondary Teachers in the Eastern States, where the subject,
although widely discussed, is only just beginning to have any practical
outcome.
In reporting on the Training of Teachers in the United States, I have
chiefly confined myself to the work done in:--
i. State Normal Schools.
ii. City Normal and Training Schools.
iii. Departments of Pedagogy in Universities and Colleges.
It will be seen that I make constant references to methods of Science
taught in the training schools, and adopted in their connected model
schools. This is due to the fact that my observations were made with
especial regard to that branch of training. I have not reported on
the training of Kindergarten teachers, for although the question of
Kindergarten instruction is one of great interest and importance at
present in America, I had little opportunity of seeing and judging the
methods employed in the preparation of teachers in that department.
I wish to record my grateful thanks to those who so readily helped me
in my work; and to express my appreciation of the great kindness and
hospitality shown everywhere throughout my visit. I should also like to
take this opportunity of thanking the Gilchrist Trustees, through whose
liberality I have been enabled to gain much that will be very valuable
to myself, and possibly something that may be of interest or help to
other teachers.
_STATE NORMAL SCHOOLS._