USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Our county and its people : A history of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Volume 1 > Part 24
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Yet in these motley gatherings of students were those who had found in teaching what they were fitted by nature to do. They had also found ideals of a useful and satisfying life, such as to them was discoverable in no other employment. They cheerfully endured hardship, grudged no toil, and labored on with unlimited patience, if they could but gain additional knowl- edge and skill serviceable in teaching. As one became acquainted with these students he could but admire their devotion, and, even if they were somewhat narrow in their mental vision,one could see that it gained in intensity what it lost in breadth. These Normal students saw, within the four walls of a district school room, the greatest opportunities for developing true manhood and woman- hood, for uplifting communities and for helping forward the
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plans of God. To bring such together in a Normal school was like bringing Loyola and his companions together at the Univer- sity of Paris. It fanned to a flame an enthusiasm that could never wane.
These earnest men and women, in a single generation by their work in the schools of the state, proved the value of the Normal school, disarmed opposition, and made the people of the state willing to provide liberally for the professional equipment of teachers.
In 1856, John W. Dickinson became principal. During his college course, Mark Hopkins, the almost peerless teacher, had been his instructor. Mr. Dickinson frequently visited Williams- town and conferred with him during the years he had charge of the school. Mr. Dickinson's success as a teacher was in no small degree due to President Hopkins.
Mr. Dickinson had been assistant in the school four years, first under Mr. Rowe and afterwards under Mr. Wells. Mr. Wells was an organizer. He had arranged the course of study and completed the mechanism of the school, so that the way was clear to give full attention to the principles and methods em- ployed. In developing these he was aided by his associate teach- ers. James C. Greenough, who had the experience of a success- ful teacher in country district schools, in a village grammar and high school, and as principal of the Hacker grammar school in the city of Salem, was appointed first assistant principal. Mr. Joseph G. Scott became second assistant in 1861. He also since leaving the Normal school had won high approval as a teacher. Each of these gentlemen at later dates became principal of a Nor- mal school. Though the lady assistants were less permanent than the assistants named, among them were some of unusual ability.
The first improvement in the work of the school consisted in putting each study into topical form for teaching. This was carefully done by each teacher in his own department. These topics were arranged in the natural order, if the object was to teach elementary truth, in the logical order if the object was to teach scientific truth. The principal in the meantime was study- ing and teaching psychology mainly in the lines of Hamilton,
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and evolving some general principles of teaching. His severely logical mind and concise style were adapted to this work. The essential truths of mental activity upon which all true teaching depends are principles of teaching. The exposition and applica- tion of these principles constitute the philosophy of teaching.
The Westfield school now began to base all its teaching on clearly enunciated principles; this, hitherto, it is believed, had never been attempted with like originality and thoroughness in any normal school in the country. That the philosophy of teaching here evolved was complete or perfect, none of its framers would ever claim, but here was a philosophy that in one
School Building, 1860
normal school put an end to mere empirical haphazard modes of procedure. There had been much genuine teaching of the ele- ments of the common branches and of the objects of nature be- fore; but it had been mingled with, and marred by, the misuse of books and the continued use of traditional but incorrect methods.
Now, whether an object or a subject was the thing taught, principles were recognized in its teaching. For instance, in teaching a geometrical form, the form was presented to the pupil, not words describing it; the pupil was led to study it for himself
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under the guidance of the teacher, to express his ideas orally or in writing, and was then led to secure correct expressions of his ideas, if his expressions were incorrect. In learning a general truth the method was the same. The pupil learned the specific truths that led to it by his own observation and thought, and for himself made inferences by which the general truth was reached, being so guided by his teacher as to proceed in proper order and reach correct expressions of the knowledge gained.
One principle recognized in such teaching is, that mental activity and knowledge are primarily occasioned by objects of thought. As this principle is observed in all true teaching, such teaching is termed objective teaching. As the principle that the mind gains knowledge, first of the whole and then of the parts, involving analysis, is also recognized in all true teaching, such teaching is termed analytic teaching. Other principles that were recognized together with these need not here be stated. The Normal school at Westfield it is believed was the first of the nor- mal schools of our country to evolve, by the study of the human mind, the principles embodied in the Analytic-Objective method of teaching and apply them in teaching all objects and subjects of a normal course. This method is often called the laboratory method.
The term teaching is commonly applied to processes that are quite unlike. It is often applied to lecturing. The lecturer studies and presents in his own language to his pupils what he has learned. The pupils through the lecturer's statements are supposed to apprehend the thought of the lecturer and in subse- quent recitation, or in examination, to utter or write it. The danger is, that pupils will utter the words of the lecturer with- out in their own minds apprehending his thought. The term teaching is more properly applied to analytic-objective teaching. Since in this teaching the principle is recognized that the mind gains a knowledge of specific truths and by thinking of them comes to a knowledge of general truths, the method is sometimes called the inductive method. As the pupil by this method finds truth for himself as he studies, it is called the heuristic method of teaching. This name now seems destined to supersede the
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others. It is used in later pedagogical books. Mr. Dickinson regarded analytic-objective teaching as the only teaching worthy of the name ; all other teaching was but informing.
The teachers of the school entertained no antagonism to the appropriate use of books as aids to teaching, nor to informing by lectures. They held that if the elements and main outlines of subjects were taught by the heuristic method, the pupil would gain real knowledge, facility in thinking, and definite language that would form a reliable basis for the acquisition of supple- mentary knowledge by means of books and lectures.
The method of teaching now adopted in the school was di- rectly opposed to the traditional method that fixed the attention of the pupil upon verbal statements, in the acquisition of knowl- edge.
The method was revolutionary and attracted much atten-
tion. 3 It was in accord with the progressive thought of Rous- seau, Pestalozzi and Froebel, then but partially understood. Edu- cators from different parts of the country visited the school. E. A. Sheldon of the famous Oswego training school came and studied it, claiming that by the aid of some of the followers of Pestalozzi, he had already applied it in some of his elementary teaching, but admitting that he had never before seen it used in all the studies of a course, nor employed in a normal school to habituate students to the recognition and application of the prin- ciples of teaching. E. E. White, from Ohio, a prince of edu- cators, in the course of an extended tour for the purpose of ac- quainting himself with normal schools, visited the school, and affirmed that it was one of the three normal schools in the United States. Lowell Mason, who had earned his fame by using a similar method in teaching music, was enthusiastic in his appre- ciation of this heuristic method. Joseph White, secretary of the Board of Education, was active in introducing it into the schools of the state, and for this purpose frequently employed teachers of the Westfield school in the state institutes. The principal of the Normal school at Bridgewater with some of his assistants made a prolonged visit to Westfield, and returned to make his school foremost in all the excellences of the method.
Enthusiastically adopted by two of the state Normal schools, earnestly presented in the institutes, and by graduates of the nor-
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mal schools in their teaching, the method began to be widely used. Other events contributed to this result. In 1869, the first as- sistant principal of the Westfield school was selected to reopen the Connecticut State Normal school at New Britain, and, though he aided in selecting some competent graduates of the Westfield school for assistants in the Connecticut school, who, with others, did much to introduce the method into that school and into the other schools of the state, Mr. Greenough decided to remain at Westfield. In 1871, however, he was elected to open as principal the Rhode Island Normal school at Providence, and secured graduates of the Westfield school as assistants. Thus the method was rooted in the normal schools of Rhode Island and Connecti-
School Building, 1869
cut, and by graduates of these and of the Massachusetts schools was introduced into the state normal schools and many other schools of Northern New England. The graduates of the West- field school were also in demand for the Oswego Normal school, for other schools in New York and for positions of influence in the western states.
When Mr. Dickinson became secretary of the board of edu- cation, in 1877, leaving Mr. Scott principal of the Westfield school, the spread of the principles and method of analytic- objective teaching, as Mr. Dickinson termed it, received new im- pulse. He increased the number and the efficiency of the in-
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stitutes and made them potent in training the teachers of the state to a knowledge and to the practice of better methods of teaching. It was his custom to open each institute with as clear, concise, and simple statement of the principles of teaching as he could frame. He then so directed the work of the other teachers, that each lesson was an illustration of principles and of their ap- plication in teaching. The result was that a simple, natural and rational method of teaching was so presented that not only teachers, but large numbers of others interested in public instruc- tion, came to see clearly and to approve of genuine teaching, and became enthusiastic in substituting it for the text-book work, the talking and the lecturing, that had hitherto, under the name of teaching, had so large a place in the schools of the state. During the years of service of Mr. Dickinson as secretary of the board of education, the principles and the methods of the Westfield and other normal schools became so well understood and appre- ciated, that additional normal schools were desired in several sec- tions of the state. One argument used was, that the establish- ment of additional normal schools would make them more readily accessible to a larger number of those desiring to teach, and con- sequently the supply of normal graduates would be increased.
Had the normal schools already established been made more accessible by a system of mileage that would in a sense have brought the schools to every town, making it as inexpensive for students coming from a distance as for those living near, to at- tend; had the legislators by increased appropriations increased the efficiency of the existing schools, making it possible for them to provide more complete and advanced courses of instruction- had this been done instead of establishing additional normal schools, departmental teachers could have been furnished for our larger schools, the professional instruction of teachers would have been better accomplished, and at less expense, and the in- terests of popular education would have been more rapidly ad- vanced.
Some seven years before the retirement of Mr. Dickinson from the office of secretary, early in the year 1887, Mr. Green- ough became principal of the Westfield school, Mr. Scott, at his
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own request, repeatedly urged, being restored to his former posi- tion, that of first assistant. A biographer of Mr. Scott has justly said of him: "A keen and accurate scholar, and well versed in all the departments of study, Mr. Scott's inclinations led him to cultivate, especially, mathematics and the sciences. In the lat- ter field, perhaps, was his success most manifest, not alone in lifting the school out of the ordinary in the manner of his in- struction, but also in kindling enthusiasm in his pupils. It is certain that he strengthened the foundations of the school, intensified its mental and moral effects on the pupils, and carried its well-known principles to a higher perfection than they had before reached."
When Mr. Greenough entered upon his duties as principal of the Normal school he was aware that the time had come when a better material equipment must be secured for the school, if its future progress was to be assured. Hon. M. B. Whitney, of Westfield, for several years chairman of the board of visitors, on the part of the board of education, assisted by other mem- bers of the board, obtained a legislative appropriation of be- tween seven and eight thousand dollars, to be expended in im- proving the boarding hall, erected several years before, during the administration of Mr. Dickinson. During the summer of 1887 the improvements were made. The principal was already urging the imperative need of a new school building. Mr. Whitney brought this matter to the notice of the board of edu- cation and would doubtless have secured their co-operation a year earlier than he did, had not a fire in the Normal school building at Framingham led the board to concentrate their efforts in securing the Framingham school a new building.
Early in 1889 the committee on education of the house re- ported in favor of a new school building for the Normal school at Westfield. While the matter was pending before the com- mittee, a meeting was held in Springfield of those who were anxious to secure a site for the school in that city, to remove it, and have the state erect the new building in Springfield. The people of Westfield could but regard such a measure as a "viola- tion of the obligation of contracts," for persons in Westfield
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had secured the establishment of the school in that town by the expenditure both of effort and of money. The arguments for and against changing the location were forcefully presented. It was soon evident, however, that the school was to remain in Westfield. It may be said that while no account of the remark- able influence of the school can omit notice of the ability of its teachers, both principals and assistants, something of its unique power has been owing to its position. It has developed and has done its work independent of any town or city school system.
Normal School Building, Westfield
It has been free to realize its best ideals in a community that has cherished the school as its own.
During the hour of debate on the bill for the Westfield school, when the bill was before the house, not a word was spoken derogatory of the school, but members of the legislature, from the eastern and from the middle as well as from the western sec- tions of the state, affirmed that they knew the value of this school to communities and to the state, by the excellent teachers they
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had known from the school, and that whatever the school needed, the state should grant. It was an hour of generous recognition, an hour of glad triumph to teachers and to the graduates es- pecially, who had won this meed of praise. It was an hour of unmeasured compensations and intense emotions to the writer, who had toiled many years to upbuild the school and help its students. The bill appropriating $150,000 unanimously passed the house to be engrossed, and in due time received the approval of the senate and the signature of the governor.
The new building at Westfield was dedicated with appro- priate exercises in June, 1892. It had been occupied by the Normal school and some departments of the training school, some months before.
It is fitting in this connection to notice the several training schools that have from time to time been connected with the Normal school. The first building built for the school in West- field had rooms on the ground floor for a "model or experimental school."
In 1856 the training school was discontinued. The chil- dren were transferred to a new building, built by the town. For several years after 1856 the method of practical training in the Westfield school, was by each pupil teaching the lesson pre- viously assigned, or some part of it, to his classmates as if they were children for whom the lesson was prepared. Thus so much of the recitation hour as was not given to outlining the following lesson by topics, or by teaching or by both, was em- ployed by the pupils in teaching. There are strong arguments for this constant training in the art of teaching in normal classes. It certainly produced effective teachers. It was felt, however, that those who are to teach children should observe the teaching of children and have some practice with them. After some years of separation, the children of the central district in their several grades became again connected with the Normal school, under the name "School of Observation." This school rendered valuable service to the Normal school and attracted considerable attention. While Mr. Scott was principal, the con- nection of the Normal school with the "School of Observation"
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was again severed, and the annual appropriation made by the legislature, supplementary to the appropriation made by the town for this school, was discontinued.
Mr. Greenough, whom we have seen succeeded Mr. Scott as principal early in 1887, planned to have a training school so fully under the control of the authorities of the Normal school, that really excellent teachers could be retained, all necessary equipments secured, and the classes of such size and the super- vision such as to furnish ideal opportunities for the practice of normal students. The necessity of a training school was one of the arguments he employed when urging the need of a new normal school building. In this new building provision was made for the kindergarten and for several of the lower grades,
in all, for about 150 pupils. When the new building was com- pleted and the rooms for the training school occupied, it was evi- dent that the training school, though eminently serviceable, was not adequate to the needs of the Normal school. Mr. Greenough planned to secure some of the town schools as training schools; but to his successor was left the honor of securing the extension of the training schools.
Mr. Greenough was principal very nearly ten years. Dur- ing this period the course of study was reconstructed, more atten- tion was given to strictly professional study, a training school including the kindergarten was organized, and a system of prac- tical training developed which was adapted to better fit the nor- mal student for his work. The boarding hall was improved, the attendance of the school was increased, and a new school build- ing, admirable in its arrangements, was planned, built, and equipped, providing physical, chemical, mineralogical, geolog- ical, and biological laboratories. A library, sloyd room and gymnasium, beside the elegant hall and fine recitation rooms, are also included. Mr. Greenough retired near the beginning of the year 1897 and Charles S. Chapin was appointed principal. Like his predecessor, he was a college graduate, had pursued a course of legal study and had been admitted to the bar, before making teaching a life work. Each also had a varied and suc- cessful experience in teaching before taking up the work of a normal school.
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Mr. Chapin, aided by his able and loyal corps of assistants, accomplished much during the short period, nearly five years, he was principal. The beautiful and commodious building erected by the state on the site of the old Normal school building, the organization of this well appointed training school, its course of study, and the reconstruction of the Normal school course of study is largely his work. He has proved himself a successful teacher, a good organizer, and a christian gentleman. He re- signed his position in Westfield, to take charge of the Rhode Island Normal school at Providence in September, 1901. Clar- ence A. Brodeur, a gentleman of good scholarship and large pro- fessional ability as teacher and superintendent of schools, was appointed successor to Mr. Chapin.
Principals
SAMUEL P. NEWMAN Sept. 4, 1839-Feb. 10, 1842.
EMERSON DAVIS
Sept. 4, 1844-Sept. 3, 1846.
DAVID S. ROWE
Sept. 3, 1846-March, 1854.
WILLIAM H. WELLS
Aug., 1854-April, 1856.
JOHN W. DICKINSON
Aug., 1856-Aug., 1877.
JOSEPH G. SCOTT
Aug., 1877-Feb., 1887.
JAMES C. GREENOUGH Feb., 1887-Nov. 17, 1896.
CHARLES S. CHAPIN Nov. 17, 1896-Sept., 1901.
CLARENCE A. BRODEUR
Sept., 1901 -*
Assistants
SAMUEL C. DAMON.
Sept. 4, 1839-
NICHOLAS TILLINGHAST
EDWIN E. BLISS.
SAMUEL A. TAYLOR
JAMES S. RUSSELL
A. R. KENT.
WILLIAM CLOUGH . Sept., 1844-Sept., 1845.
P. K. CLARKE. Sept., 1845-Sept., 1846.
REBECCA M. PENNELL . Oct., 1846-July, 1849.
LYDIA N. MOSELY. March, 1848-July, 1849.
SYLVESTER SCOTT Sept., 1849-March, 1850.
JANE E. AVERY March, 1850-July, 1853.
EDWARD G. BECKWITH Aug., 1850-July, 1851.
GEORGE A. CORBIN Aug., 1851-Nov., 1851.
*Now teaching in the school.
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ALMIN B. CLAPP
Nov., 1851-July, 1852.
JOHN W. DICKINSON
. Aug., 1852-Aug., 1856.
ALMIN B. CLAPP
March, 1853-July, 1853.
MELISSA A. WOODBURY
Aug., 1853-July, 1854.
AREXINE G. PARSONS
Aug., 1854-Dec., 1856.
ELIZA C. HALLADAY .
Sept., 1855-Feb., 1860.
JAMES C. GREENOUGH.
Aug., 1856-Sept., 1871.
HARRIET A. WORTH Dec., 1856-March, 1857.
DORA C. CHAMBERLAIN
March, 1857-July, 1860.
WILLIAM B. GREEN.
Sept., 1858-Aug., 1860.
PHILO M. SLOCUM
Sept., 1860-Sept. 1861.
EMELINE PARSONS. Sept., 1860-April, 1864.
MALVINA MITCHELL. -1863-Sept., 1869.
ADELAIDE V. BADGER
March, 1864-Feb., 1868.
JOSEPH G. SCOTT
Nov., 1861- -- 1877.
ELLA E. CATLIN
- 1867-Sept., 1872.
ELVIRA CARVER.
Feb., 1868-Sept., 1875.
Sept., 1877-Jan. 1, 1897.
LAURA E. PRENTICE
Sept., 1870-Sept., 1887.
SARAH F. TOBIE
Sept., 1870-Sept., 1875.
S. ELLA MOLE
Sept., 1871-Sept., 1875.
LAURA C. HARDING
Sept., 1872-Jan. 1, 1897.
J. SILAS DILLER
Sept., 1873-Sept., 1877.
ALFRED C. TRUE
Sept., 1875-Sept., 1882.
NANNETTE A. STONE
Sept., 1875-Sept., 1879.
ARTHUR HINDS. . Sept., 1877-Sept., 1880.
SARA M. KNEIL
Sept., 1879-Sept., 1890.
WALTER B. BARROWS.
Sept., 1881-Sept., 1882.
ELMER T. MERRILL. . Sept., 1882-Sept., 1883.
FREDERICK W. STAEBNER
Sept., 1883-Sept., 1896.
A. C. LONGDEN . Sept., 1888-Jan. 1, 1897.
FRANCES C. GAYLORD Sept., 1890-Sept., 1897.
FLORA WHITE 1893-Aug. 9, 1895.
EDITH L. CUMMINGS Sept.,1895 --*
CHARLES B. WILSON Sept., 1896 -*
ADALINE A. KNIGHT Sept., 1896 -*
WILL S. MONROE Jan., 1897 -*
MILDRED L. HUNTER. Jan., 1897 -*
*Now teaching in the school.
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Feb., 1887-Feb., 1889.
FRANK W. SMITH Sept., 1882-Aug. 1, 1896.
OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
Teachers of Vocal Music
ASA BARR.
Sept., 1844-Sept., 1846.
TRUMAN CROSSETT
Sept., 1846-Mar., 1852.
GEORGE F. MILLER
Mar., 1852-Mar., 1858.
ASA BARR. Mar., 1858-Sept., 1860.
JOSEPH G. SCOTT. Sept., 1860-Sept., 1875.
NANNETTE A. STONE 1875-Sept., 1879.
LAURA C. HARDING Sept., 1879-Jan. 1, 1897.
A. LOUISE ROGERS. - 1897-Sept., 1898.
STERRIE A. WEAVER Sept., 1898 -*
Teachers of Drawing
MRS. A. G. (PARSONS) DICKINSON . Sept., 1864- --- 1877. NANNETTE A. STONE Part of the year, 1875-1876.
A. MARIA SPALTER Sept., 1875-Sept., 1881.
CLARA WILSON. Sept., 1881-Sept., 1883.
ANNIE R. SLAFTER
Sept., 1883-Sept., 1887.
FANNY H. SMITH
Sept., 1887-Jan., 1889.
ANNIE N. SINCLAIR
Jan., 1889-Sept., 1894.
EDITH S. COPELAND Sept., 1894 -*
Teachers of Penmanship
PAUL W. ALLEN, now M. D., Barnstable, Mass. Before 1844.
JOHN A. MARTIN Mar., 1849-July, 1849.
D. F. BROWN. July, 1849-July, 1851.
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