tendent A. S. Downing. In addition, I am a member of a committee to revise the course of study for the Pennsylvania normal schools.

My reason for not presenting the courses here referred to is the same reason which I must offer for not presenting this paper in person-my health is in a precarious state, and my physician forbids me from doing any work that it is possible for me to avoid. I am sorry to be compelled to present this paper in an incomplete form, without being able to "work it over" as carefully as the requirements of the meeting demand, and without being able to add to it the courses of study above referred to, which would have given it a value which it painfully lacks without these courses. I am sorry, too, not to be able to enjoy this year the inspiration and good fellowship that I have participated in in the past. Whether I shall be able to meet with you in the future is a problem for the future.

DISCUSSION

R. N. ROARK, president, State Normal School, Richmond, Ky.-Whether this question is approached from the side of local conditions or from the side of theoretical ideals, the result will be practically the same. The sole function of a state normal school anywhere is to prepare teachers for trained service in the public schools. It is no part of a state normal school's business to prepare for college or to offer courses leading to academic degrees. The normal school should prepare teachers for all grades of work in the public schools.

It is entirely safe to say that in no state can the normal school afford to assume that its students have the sort of knowledge of subject-matter that they should have in order to profit best by the work of the normal school. In the school of which I have charge we started from the assumption that the legislature of Kentucky created normal schools in 1906 for the benefit of the public schools of the state, and, basing our work upon the further assumption that the schools which most need help and have the best right to demand help are the schools of a majority of the people-the rural schools--we put the curriculum in reach of students who expect to teach in these rural schools. Academic work and professional work are carried on concurrently. Of the academic work nothing need be said except that two aims are kept constantly in view in every class; namely: thoroness of scholarship in whatever branch is studied, and the constant illustrating of the best methodology of the subject by the instructor in handling his class. Every normal-school man knows that a teacher will teach as he has been taught rather than as he has been theorized upon. By safeguarding this point, we escape the anomaly of having an instructor in arithmetic contravening the teachings of the professor of method.

The academic work is arranged to reach from the needs of the rural school teachers for a thoro grounding in the elementary subjects to the needs of those who are preparing for high-school departmental work, principalships and superintendencies. The requirements of schools in the territory served by the State Normal are met on the academic side of the curriculum. If a school board asks for a principal who can teach Virgil or secondyear German or first-year French or trigonometry, we propose to meet the demand. As a rule, we do not find such preparation as our students may have made in high schools quite adequate for our requirements in thoroness of view point. A reciting knowledge is so different from a teaching knowledge. No matter what academic credits are brought by a student, therefore, we require at least one ten-weeks' term of work with us in some division of the subject-matter of each branch. This term's work frequently reveals a startling weakness in academic soundness of scholarship in even the elementary subjects. Since the efficiency of a teacher is more often tested by his knowledge of elementary sub

jects than by any other, we are at much pains to secure in our students soundness of elementary scholarship.

On the professional side, our work consists of two elements: one theoretical and fundamental, presenting the science and philosophy of teaching, and the other the practical side, designed to give some training in the art of managing and teaching a school. The distinctively professional side of our work, therefore, consists of a certain amount of general pedagogy giving, as the name indicates, a general view of school economy and teaching method. This is followed by a fundamental course in psychology as applied to education. But little work is done in psychology except as it is applied to education. Questions in speculative psychology are raised with the students, and library references are given bearing upon them which may be used by the students according to interest and opportunity, but it is kept constantly in mind that speculative psychology has little or nothing to do with teaching. Following the work in psychology, and based upon it, is a certain amount of general method and following this two terms or more of specialized methodology, ranging from primary methods to high-school methods. Following the work in method are two terms of educational economy which subject covers all the ground of the old-time school management and a good deal more. One subject which receives special emphasis

in the work in educational economy is graded-school organization and administration, designed to prepare students to take hold of a village school and organize it into a three- or four-room graded school and conduct it successfully, staying with it until it grows into a fully equipped and fully officered school of twelve or more teachers.

On the practical or art side of the teacher's work we require a number of terms of observation in the model school, between which and a practice school there is a sharp distinction. In the model school the pupil observes the method and management of the teacher in charge and discusses these matters with the teacher in classes especially organized for that purpose. After the student is well grounded in the theory, in the philosophy and science of the teacher's work, and has observed the best illustrations that he can give of the practical working out of these by expert teachers, he is required to do a certain amount of practice-teaching under the direction of critic teachers. This aspect of our work is not yet fully worked out because our school is only a little over a year old and we have not yet the facilities for practice work that we expect to have within a year.

In our work it is assumed that the successful teacher must not only know the subjectmatter of his branches and the methodology of their teaching, but must bring to bear all the general culture possible. This culture of the teacher is provided for by a study of history, of literature, of sociology, and the history of education. This last-named subject is placed toward the end of the curriculum for the reason that it is believed no teacher can fully understand the causes and moods of change and growth along educational lines, by an individual or a people, until he knows somewhat of the philosophy and science of education and general history of nations. Not only are daily recitations required in certain terms in the subjects just named, but the student is expected to do much collateral and illustrative reading in the library.

G. W. NASH, president of the State Normal School, Aberdeen, S. D.—A Pennsylvanian or a New Yorker might have his normal course of two, three, or four years follow the high-school course of four years with the latter a prerequisite to the former; while the dweller in a less developed state might have his course of the same length, but so constructed as to follow immediately the common-school work usually comprehended in the eight grades. The striking difference in these extreme courses is due in great part to the vastly different conditions which prevail in the sections where they operate.

To my mind, the person who assumes to teach in the grades below the high school should continue his school course at least three years beyond the eighth grade. The higher work should be largely academic, but should have in its make-up enough of professional study to show plainly that it is intended for teachers. If this were counted a mini

mum of preparation, a great body of budding pedagogues would be compelled to undertake the work, and the pressing demand for better trained teachers in the country schools would thus be met. The rural population of the United States still outnumbers the urban population and public education in our country districts should no longer be so sadly inferior to that of our cities.

My ideal course for normal schools would begin immediately above the commonschool grades, with an elementary division covering a period of three or four years-four years in case introductory reviews in such branches as arithmetic, grammar, geography, and American history were necessary; otherwise, three years. Above the elementary part of the course, I should provide an intermediate division of two years, this more heavily loaded with professional subjects and designed to fit teachers for important grade positions, ward principalships, and minor supervisorships. A third, or advanced division, would consist of at least a single year, and would prepare for high-school places, superintendencies, and school room positions carrying the heavier responsibilities.

To those completing the elementary division I should have the state award a teacher's certificate limited to, say, three years; to those finishing the intermediate division, the diploma of the school and a five-year certificate; and to those completing the advanced division, the diploma of the school and a life certificate. The plan could be strengthened and inefficient teachers could be forced into the normal schools, if the minimum requirements for teachers' certificates secured on examination were made to parallel the elementary division of the course. Personally, I should not be averse to an expansion of the advanced division sufficient to command the baccalaureate degree, but should grant the degree in no case for less than four years' work in addition to that offered in the best high-school courses of the land.

My course would permit of very few electives, but would make possible specialization in English, German, French, Latin, mathematics, history, science, or industrial work. One completing it and taking, for instance, the six years' work in Latin would be as well equipped as the average college graduate to teach his specialty. I should insist that graduates of the complete course be properly recognized and awarded teaching positions in the high schools on an equal footing with the college men and women who have in the recent past assumed to monopolize such places.

In line with these ideas I suggest the following outline of a normal-school course of study. This contemplates five fifty-minute recitations weekly unless otherwise indicated.

NORMAL SCHOOL COURSE OF STUDY

ELEMENTARY-LEADING TO A THREE-YEAR STATE CERTIFICATE

ADVANCED-LEADING TO A FIVE-YEAR STATE CERTIFICATE.

POST-GRADUATE-LEADING TO A STATE LIFE CERTIFICATE.

As is readily seen, provision is made for six years' work in English, Latin, science, mathematics, or industrial work; five years' work in German; four years' work in French; three years' work in history, etc.

I should admit graduates of approved four-year high schools to the fifth year of the course and require of them the following work:

First Semester

Professional Reviews in

Grammar and Arithmetic

Psychology

Methods and Observation 3
Child-Study 2

Practice Teaching

Second Semester

Professional Reviews in

Geography and Physiology
History and Philosophy of Education
Methods and Observation 3
School Law 2

Practice Teaching

High-school graduates seeking the life diploma would take, in addition to the foregoing, the sixth year of work already outlined. With two electives offered in the last year, this would give opportunity for double courses in language, mathematics, science, etc., in harmony with the student's high-school preparation. To the scholastic training suggested, I should incidentally add sidelights on manners, morals, and good citizenship. I assume sufficient equipment and teaching force to give effectively the work proposed.

These are mere hints at a course of study and must be accepted as the suggestions of one who draws his inspiration largely from the prairie stretches of the Dakota country.

WHAT RELATION SHOULD THE HEAD OF THEORETICAL AND SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION SUSTAIN TO THE

PRACTICE SCHOOL?

WIS.

JOHN A. H. KEITH, PRESIDENT STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, OSHKOSH, There has been much controversy in recent years regarding the relation of theory to practice, one group holding that theory shows that by which practice should measure itself, while the other group maintains that successful practice is that by which theory should be determined. This opposition was revealed clearly at the alumni banquet of a normal school recently. A graduate of the class of 1875 said, in substance, "The first lesson the new graduate needs to learn is that the actual school is not the school studied about in pedagogy and psychology." The graduate of June, 1908, said, in substance, "If the actual school is not the school we have studied about, the actual school ought to be transformed and glorified until the real school is in truth the ideal school." Both apparently overlooked the interrelationship of theory and practice. Genetically, practice precedes theory and theory in turn modifies practice. Modified practice demands a new interpretation or theory-and so, by a dialectic process, both theory and practice develop.

Theory is, after all, but a generalized interpretation and ideal projection of successful practice. By its nature, therefore, it exists as an introduction to, and a suggested modification of, existing practice. Theory is to possible successful experience in teaching what mathematics is to successful railroad building a body of knowledge that has value, not in and of itself and for its own sake (whatever that may mean), but in its relation to concrete achievement.

In some quarters, however, theory has become partly synonymous with "speculative hypothesis." Hypothesis is, at best, but a bold guess at the uniformity underlying phenomena. If unverified by subsequent experiment, the bold guess of hypothesis deserves the approbrium of the adjective, speculative. The topic for discussion this afternoon, however, makes clear its