Resident Editor's Department. NEW YORK. The annual meeting of the New York Teachers' Association will be held at Utica on the 1st, 2d and 3d days of August. Addresses are announced as expected from R. D. JONES, Esq., and President ANDERSON of Rochester; J. D. PHILBRICK, Superintendent of Common Schools of Connecticut; Rev. T. S. CUYLER of New York; Prof. DAVIES of Fishkill; and D. B. Scott, Esq., of New York. VERMONT. The Vermont State Teachers' Association will meet at St. Albans on the 21st, 22d and 23d August. AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF INSTRUCTION. This pioneer Association will hold its annual meeting in the city of Boston early in August. The usual Rail Road and other accommodations may be expected by those who attend. APOLOGY. Owing to a misunderstanding on the part of the printer, the first form of our present number was put to press before the proof had been properly corrected. This will account for several errors which, we are sorry to say, occur in this issue. AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION. We would call the attention of Teachers and the friends of education to the annual meeting of the "American Association for the advancement of Education," a notice of which we give above. Henry Barnard LL. D. is President of the Association and has made every arrangement for securing a large, interesting and profitable meeting; and we earnestly hope that the friends of education will cheerfully and promptly second his well-directed efforts. In addition to the very able corps of lecturers announced, an address may be expected from Dr. Barnard, as President of the Association. GRADATION OF SCHOOLS. It is desirable that Schools should be graded wherever it is practicable. We are confident that nothing is needed to secure this object, but the diffusion of information on the subject. The following remarks are designed for beginners. The progress and efficiency of a school must always depend very materially upon the degree of perfection to which its classification is carried. To enable a teacher to produce the greatest results with a given amount of skill and labor, it is essential that the scholars under his instruction be nearly of the same degree of attainments. In colleges, and in some public schools, for example the English High School in Boston, all the scholars under one teacher constitute but one class, in all the branches of study pursued. Such a refinement of classification is desirable and useful in schools of a very high grade, where the instruction is given chiefly in lectures, and the lessons are prepared in private; but in the Common School, where the individual pupils are to be subjected to thorough drilling in the elementary branches, and the tasks are to be learned in the school room, upon the forms, it is not important to carry the gradation to such a degree of nicety. I know it is often said, that if the scholars are of the same grade, a teacher can teach an hundred as well as one. But experience does not confirm this assertion. If teaching is simply lecturing, then it may be true. But if teaching consists in discriminating, personal, individual training, then it cannot be true. But in this, as well as in all matters, there is a golden mean, in which we can locate ourselves with safety and profit. Let us see where this point is. Now if there is anything settled in the business of teaching, it is that the faithful study of the lessons on the part of the scholars, can in all cases be effectually secured only by a rigid exaction of the recitation on the part of the teacher. When a lesson is assigned, it must be regarded in the light of a debt, due from the pupil to the teacher; and the teacher who aims at high success, must not fail to demand all that is nominated in the bond. In this, he must be as inexorable as Shylock himself. But with a class of one hundred, this would be an impossibility; for a minute to a scholar, together with necessary interruptions, would make the recitation two hours in length. Such a system would be but little better than the opposite extreme, where a multiplicity of short recitations necessarily renders all the instructions imperfect and superficial. But suppose fifty scholars be assigned to each teacher, which is as many as can be governed and taught to advantage. Let these fifty be so nearly on a level, that they may be arranged in two classes. With such an arrangement, while one class is engaged in recitation, the other is preparing one; the teacher is constantly employed in teaching, without having his mind distracted and his mental vigor dissipated, by too great a variety of recitations; the scholars have sufficient time to study, and time enough to recite all they have studied. This conclusion is not the result of theoretical speculation merely, but it is derived from actual experience and observation. But how can this gradation be effected? What are the conditions necessary for it? It is commonly supposed that this gradation of schools is practicable only in cities and populous towns, where a considerable population is concentrated upon a small territory. But let us analyze the matter, and see how far it is practicable. Suppose we have 250 children between the ages of 5 and 16. Now let us divide these horizontally, according to age and proficiency, into five divisions, and place them under five different teachers. Then divide each of these divisions into two classes. We shall have then 10 classes in all, of 25 each. The lowest class will be 5 years of age, the next 6, and so on, each class being one year younger than the next in rank. In practice, it will be found that the attainments are not always according to age. But this diversity will not very materially affect the classification. With 250 children then, of the ages specified, assembled in one building, or brought together at one point, the classification requisite for all practical purposes may be made. But what must be the conditions of population, to admit of this concentration of pupils? It will be found that in the country towns, about one-fifth of the whole population are of legal school age, or between 5 and 16. A population of twelve or fifteen hundred therefore, would contain the requisite number of scholars; and when this population is embraced within the limits of two miles square, that is, upon the area of four square miles, the children might easily assemble at one point; for in that case, no child would have much over a mile to travel. It is obvious that the obstacles in the way of this gradation, increase with the sparseness and diminish with the compactneas of population. This concentration of scholars and classification, is one of the greatest improvements which have been made in the Common School. Our limits will allow us to glance at only one of its advantages, and that is the saving of expense. Suppose the population of 1200, instead of the plan I propose, have five district schools, of 50 scholars each, of all ages, kept 5 months of the year, by male teachers, at $40 per month, and 5 months by females at $4 per week. The annual cost will be $1,400. But if all the children are brought together in one building, they may be taught by a male principal and 4 female assistants, whose salaries at the above rates would amount to only $1,040, a saving of $360. This sum added to the salaries of the principal and assistants on the graded system, would secure teachers of high qualifications, and of course secure a good school. WHAT IS DOING IN OTHER STATES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF COMMON SCHOOLS. The individual who compares himself with himself alone, and never measures his strength by another's, is apt to fall into vanity and selfconceit. Things are great or small, only by comparison. So it is with progress. We may have conquered some difficulties, surmounted some obstacles, achieved some victories. But let us not therefore boast too much, nor put on airs, nor lift our head quite to the stars, till we see whether others have not done as much, or even more. The question is not what speed we make, but where are we in the column of march. Do we lead the van, or lag in the rear? We have set down some notes of our own progress, for our encouragement and instruction. Let us now take a glance at the movements of our enterprising neighbors, and see if we cannot learn a lesson from them. The following communication will give us some idea of the spirit that has been awakened in New Jersey. "What is New Jersey doing for her Common Schools? "Within two years the Legislature has authorized the holding of a Teachers' Institute in every county in which forty teachers shall signify their desire to have one; and appropriated one hundred dollars towards defraying the expenses. Last year, Institutes were held in seven counties. This year, already in three. The Legislature at its recent session, passed an act to establish a State Normal School, and appropriated ten thousand dollars a year, for five years, for its support. The Trustees are now actively engaged in its organization, and have announced October next as the time for its opening, "At the same Session, a commission was established for the revision, codification and extension of her school laws, to be reported to the next Legislature for consideration. This commission is at work. At the same session, provision was made for placing in every school district in the State, a copy of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. "Within two years, a State Association of Teachers has been formed, the first important step of which was to procure an essay on the necessity and means of improving the Common Schools of N. J., and scattering them widely. Its second, was to appoint an Agent to visit teachers, promote the formation of county associations, be a medium of communication between schools and teachers, and aid in the establishment of Institutes. His labors have already been successful in stimulating the efforts of teachers to form or resuscitate associations in several counties. "The third step associate editor for and it is high time. done in some details. was to adopt an educational journal and appoint an EDUCATIONAL JOURNALS. We welcome to our table the Rhode Island Schoolmaster, a very readable and instructive paper, with a very prepossessing physiognomy; the Illinois Teacher, fresh and vigorous from the great Prairie State; and the Michigan Journal of Education, a worthy organ of the teachers of the noble Peninsular State. Here is our right hand of fellowship, and a good, hearty grip. We are laborers in the same cause. "Cur dextrae jungere dextram Non dautur." May your shadows never be less, and may you never fail to make your monthly visits. CORRESPONDENCE. DEAR SIR: I would like to inquire of you, where I can procure some good works on the subject of teaching. I am anxious to procure a teacher's library, amd have tried, but with ill success. I did not know but I might obtain the desired information by addressing you. If it will not be too much trouble, will you please drop me a line when convenient ; naming some of the standard works on teaching; also the prices and where they can be obtained. If you can, I would be very thankful. NEWTOWN, May 18th, 1855. Respectfully yours, E. L. This is a decidedly good omen. We do not know this correspondent personally, but we set him down on the list of live Connecticut teach"Standard works on teaching ;"-they are what you need. Get them by all means. What sorry work many teachers make, for the ers. |