?A± 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



as there was no response, they were asked for 

 " quotations." Instantly one lady rose after an- 

 other in every part of the hall, and, without leav- 

 ing her place, recited a brief passage, sometimes 

 in prose, sometimes in verse. They were chiefly 

 from English and American authors, but, if I 

 remember aright, a few of the quotations were 

 French. On the whole, the selections were cred- 

 itable to the judgment and taste of the students. 

 As the time for this " exercise " was running 

 out, two or three often stood up together. The 

 eagerness of the young ladies to "quote" seemed 

 almost as keen as the eagerness of honorable 

 members to speak during an exciting debate in 

 the House of Commons. There was not a mo- 

 ment's pause from first to last. I did not count 

 the number of ladies whom we heard, but I had 

 the impression that there were between twenty 

 and thirty. Then, as a matter of course, came 

 the ominous formula which had now begun to 

 sound quite humorous ; the person disguised un- 

 der the flattering alias of " a distinguished stran- 

 ger" had by this time become accustomed to 

 the manners of the country, and was not taken 

 unawares. 



The students in the normal schools or col- 

 leges are not pledged to. become teachers. A 

 very large number of young ladies take the three 

 or four years' course in these institutions in or- 

 der to complete their own education. In Bos- 

 ton, the course of training is exclusively pro- 

 fessional ; in addition to practice in schoolroom- 

 work it includes instruction in psychology, physi- 

 ology, ethics, logic, and methods of teaching ; 

 the course extends over only one year, but before 

 entrance the students are required to have com- 

 pleted their course in the High School. 



The course of studies varies greatly in the 

 different colleges. The following is the pro- 

 gramme of the Normal College of New York : 



Grade I. — FirFt year, first term : 1. Latin ; 2. 

 History — Outlines of Ancient History; 3. German 

 or French" ; 4. Algebra — Simple Equations, Invo- 

 lution, Evolution, and Radicals ; 5. Geometry — 

 Plane. Music, Drawing, English Composition, 

 and Penmanship. 



Grade II. — First year, second term : 1. Latin 

 — continued; 2. History — Outlines of Ancient His- 

 tory continued ; 3. German or French — continued; 



4. Geometry — Plane, continued and completed ; 



5. Physics— Heat, Electricity, and Mechanics. Mu- 

 sic, etc., as during the first term. 



Grade III. — Second year, first term : 1. Latin 

 — Easy selections from the classic authors; 2. His- 

 tory — Outlines of Modern History ; 3. German — 

 Grammar and Reader, Conversation introduced 



gradually, or French — Grammar and Reader, easy 

 pieces of prose, Conversation introduced grad- 

 ually ; 4. Algebra — Quadratics ; 5. Physics — Light, 

 and Sound. Music, etc., as before. Botany, two 

 lectures per week. 



Grade IV. — Second year, second term : 1. Lat- 

 in — Extracts from Cfflsar, Sallust, and Cicero ; 2. 

 Bhetoric and English Composition ; 3. German — 

 Grammar and Reader, Conversation ; French — 

 Grammar and Reader, Conversation ; 4. Astrono- 

 my — Mathematical and Descriptive ; 5. Chemistry 

 — Notation, Nomenclature, and Atmospheric Ele- 

 ments. Music and Drawing. Geology and Min- 

 eralogy, two lectures per week. No lessons for 

 home study to be assigned in Music, Drawing, or 

 Composition, in any of the classes or grades. 



Grade V. — Third year, first term : 1. Latin — 

 Virgil, Book I. ; 2. English Language and Litera- 

 ture — Simple Outlines with Composition ; 3. Ger- 

 man — Grammar completed, Reader, Conversation ; 

 French — ibid. ; 4. Physics — Electricity, Galvanism 

 and Magnetism, etc. ; 5. Astronomy — Mathematical 

 and Descriptive continued. Also, Music and Draw- 

 ing. Zoology — Two lectures per week. Review 

 of subjects prescribed for the primary and gram- 

 mar school grades, with the methods of teaching 

 them : two hours each week. 



Grade VI. — Third year, second term : 1. Latin 

 — Virgil continued ; 2. Intellectual Philosophy and 

 Theory of Teaching ; 3. English Language and 

 Literature — continued, with Composition; 4. Ger- 

 man — General review of Grammar, Translation of 

 select passages, Conversation, Outlines of German 

 Literature ; French — similar ; 5. Physics — Astron- 

 omy, general review. Music and Drawing. Phys- 

 iology, two lectures per week. Review of subjects 

 prescribed in primary and grammar schools as 

 before. Practice in Training Department, under 

 the guidance of teachers of experience. 



On Saturday, all female teachers holding li- 

 censes to teach under the New York board are 

 required to attend classes at the Normal College 

 until they have had two years' experience as 

 teachers in public schools. These classes are 

 intended for instruction and practice in the art 

 of teaching, and are conducted by professors of 

 the college. 



The programme of the Girls' Normal School 

 at Philadelphia covers four years ; it does not 

 include Latin, French, or German, but it provides 

 for some subjects which are not touched by the 

 New York course. 1 



There are altogether 13Y normal schools in 

 the States and Territories, with 1,031 instructors; 



1 In the Central High School for Hoys at Philadel- 

 phia, which is of the same rank as the Girls' Normal 

 School, the course includes Latin, German, and Politi- 

 cal Economy. 



