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niCO STATE COLLEGE LIBRAE 50908 2 THE NORMAL RECORD. away with their spirit, is to turn teacher. Thus a revival of the art of teaching becomes a logical and natural sequence of a revival of learning. A notoble instance of this truth is one of our many heritages from the 19th century. That century found its greatest and most striking intellectual achievements in the development and application of science; it was a century of exacter scientific methods, of infinitely patient and penetrating research, of the revelation both of a vast field of scientific knowledge and law, and finally of the practical control and application of science in human service. This great wave of intellectual self-assertion on the part of mankind has at times lashed the very foundations of all the old-time castles,—theology, history, art, philosophy, literature. Like the hot-blooded adolescent, science proposed to make or break; but while it was strenuously living the years of its own preparatory discipline and working out its own refinement, it was also leaving very perceptible marks upon every human institution,—upon education no less than upon the others. For in the closing years of the century we find the scientist also taking up the cry of that most Christlibe of all teachers, Pestalozzi, a great part of whose work belonged to the century's opening years, and repeating "I will turn Schoolmaster." And the scientist has turned schoolmaster in the broadest sense. He is taking his place in all discussions and experiments bearing upon the aims processes, means and methods of educational work. The revival of scientific interest and research of this age is to work out a revival, not alone of the science, but of the very art of teaching. Third and finally, the protest against a mere mechanics of teaching has been registered in the past, still, is often registered in the present, by that spirit which looks with distrust if not absolute skepticism upon the very idea of a science of education and the possibility of trained teachers. This skeptical spirit raises the pertinent question: Is it possible to teach this art, which rests for its ultimate and genuine success upon foundations that are at once instinctive and racial,—such as sympathy; that must be present more or less abundantly in the individual before he can safely essay the tasks of education ? The question points a perfectly legitimate issue. Now we must mark that a common feeling with respect to teaching actuates each of these three impulses,—to imitate the great intuitive teachers of the race, to become the apostle of one's own new light, to rely upon one's individual racial heritage. These three impulses evince a common sentiment, which is that teaching is most perfect when it partakes of the nature of the instinctive, of the inspired,—when it is effected as an art rather than as a purely mechanical craft. It should occasionally occur to every Normal School Faculty to ask: Is this sentiment well founded? Like every sentiment that has not only persisted but acquired constantly increasing definiteness of content in the genius of the race, it is probably very well founded. Let us inquire as to what these foundations may be. First, teaching must in. the ultimate ideal remain an art because it deals not with the type as does a purely mechanical craft but with the individual as such; and because the development of the race has emphasized variation among its individuals by placing a premium upon individuality. Despite all community of powers human beings vary greatly. Their very institutions are a proof and a guarantee of the further emphasis of this fact; witness the modern tendency toward extreme division of labor, specialization and expert service, in the industrial and professional world. There is everywhere a premium upon individual resources. Hence education is forced more and more to measure its success by the extent to which it can achieve the social fitness of the individual by utilizing his peculiarly individual traits. In the end, then, the most successful teacher is the one who possesses the power of almost infinitely varied, unforseen reactions; the possession of this power ranks the teacher with the artist. Her art finds its call and its constantly shifting themes in the infinite variability of childhood. Second: This power of almost infinitely varied, unforseen reactions is exercised by the teacher in her field just as is the same power by the artist in his field. In the development of the human race, again, emphasis has also been placed upon the power for
Object Description
Title | The Normal Record. February 1901 |
Original Date | 1901-02 |
Description | The Record. Published by the Associated Students of Chico State College. |
Creator | Chico State College |
Location of Original | Archives |
Call Number | LD723 C57 |
Digital Collection | The Record: Chico State Yearbook Collection |
Digital Repository | Meriam Library, California State University, Chico. |
Description-Abstract | The Record served as both a student magazine and a commencement program for Chico Normal School. In the year 1901 it was published every month - excluding the summer months of July and August. |
Date Digital | 2013 |
Language | eng |
Rights | For information on the use of the images in this collection contact the Special Collections Department at 530.898-6342 or email: specialcollections@csuchico.edu |
Format | image/tiff |
Filename | index.cpd |
Description
Title | 1901_02_NormalRecord_.008 |
Original Date | 1901-02 |
OCR- Transcript | niCO STATE COLLEGE LIBRAE 50908 2 THE NORMAL RECORD. away with their spirit, is to turn teacher. Thus a revival of the art of teaching becomes a logical and natural sequence of a revival of learning. A notoble instance of this truth is one of our many heritages from the 19th century. That century found its greatest and most striking intellectual achievements in the development and application of science; it was a century of exacter scientific methods, of infinitely patient and penetrating research, of the revelation both of a vast field of scientific knowledge and law, and finally of the practical control and application of science in human service. This great wave of intellectual self-assertion on the part of mankind has at times lashed the very foundations of all the old-time castles,—theology, history, art, philosophy, literature. Like the hot-blooded adolescent, science proposed to make or break; but while it was strenuously living the years of its own preparatory discipline and working out its own refinement, it was also leaving very perceptible marks upon every human institution,—upon education no less than upon the others. For in the closing years of the century we find the scientist also taking up the cry of that most Christlibe of all teachers, Pestalozzi, a great part of whose work belonged to the century's opening years, and repeating "I will turn Schoolmaster." And the scientist has turned schoolmaster in the broadest sense. He is taking his place in all discussions and experiments bearing upon the aims processes, means and methods of educational work. The revival of scientific interest and research of this age is to work out a revival, not alone of the science, but of the very art of teaching. Third and finally, the protest against a mere mechanics of teaching has been registered in the past, still, is often registered in the present, by that spirit which looks with distrust if not absolute skepticism upon the very idea of a science of education and the possibility of trained teachers. This skeptical spirit raises the pertinent question: Is it possible to teach this art, which rests for its ultimate and genuine success upon foundations that are at once instinctive and racial,—such as sympathy; that must be present more or less abundantly in the individual before he can safely essay the tasks of education ? The question points a perfectly legitimate issue. Now we must mark that a common feeling with respect to teaching actuates each of these three impulses,—to imitate the great intuitive teachers of the race, to become the apostle of one's own new light, to rely upon one's individual racial heritage. These three impulses evince a common sentiment, which is that teaching is most perfect when it partakes of the nature of the instinctive, of the inspired,—when it is effected as an art rather than as a purely mechanical craft. It should occasionally occur to every Normal School Faculty to ask: Is this sentiment well founded? Like every sentiment that has not only persisted but acquired constantly increasing definiteness of content in the genius of the race, it is probably very well founded. Let us inquire as to what these foundations may be. First, teaching must in. the ultimate ideal remain an art because it deals not with the type as does a purely mechanical craft but with the individual as such; and because the development of the race has emphasized variation among its individuals by placing a premium upon individuality. Despite all community of powers human beings vary greatly. Their very institutions are a proof and a guarantee of the further emphasis of this fact; witness the modern tendency toward extreme division of labor, specialization and expert service, in the industrial and professional world. There is everywhere a premium upon individual resources. Hence education is forced more and more to measure its success by the extent to which it can achieve the social fitness of the individual by utilizing his peculiarly individual traits. In the end, then, the most successful teacher is the one who possesses the power of almost infinitely varied, unforseen reactions; the possession of this power ranks the teacher with the artist. Her art finds its call and its constantly shifting themes in the infinite variability of childhood. Second: This power of almost infinitely varied, unforseen reactions is exercised by the teacher in her field just as is the same power by the artist in his field. In the development of the human race, again, emphasis has also been placed upon the power for |