What was the purpose of a normal school?
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A normal school, also known as a teachers’ college, is a school that trains teachers, generally for the primary, or elementary, grades. One of the first normal schools was founded in Paris in the late 1600s. Show
By the early 1800s, the concept of normal schools moved to the U.S. Vermont opened one in Concord in the 1820s. In 1839, Massachusetts opened the first state-funded school for training teachers in Lexington. Prior to this period, U.S. colleges existed for education in other fields such as law or medicine but not for teacher education. Before the establishment of these schools, no formal teacher training existed. Most teachers were male because women did not have the same educational opportunities.  The Normal School in Massachusetts was considered an experimental plan. Women were allowed to enroll in these teacher training programs. James G. Carter, a state legislator, was significant in the formation of the first Board of Education in Massachusetts. The first secretary of the Board of Education was Horace Mann. Prior to the formation of the normal school, strict memorizat the primary teaching method used in the U.S. The normal schools encouraged a process of critical thinking and guidance as preferable teaching methods. Another normal school in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, graduated a class of 26 who went on to lead teaching schools in other states, including Illinois and Michigan. As the concept of the normal school spread to other states, the idea of teacher education expanded to incorporate model classrooms and a learning laboratory environment. Typically, the school program was two years in length. Many schools, promoting the art and science of teaching, were established in the U.S. during 1870-90. To supplement the teaching schools, county-level teacher institutes were also held. normal school, teachers
collegenoun a two-year school for training elementary teachers Freebase(3.75 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:
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Word of the DayWould you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?CitationUse the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:Are we missing a good definition for normal school? Don't keep it to yourself...Why is a school called normal?Normal Schools have been in existence since the 16th Century when a group of schools in France became interested in preparing people for teaching. The French concept of "école normale” was to establish schools to model best teaching practices thereby setting a standard or norm for student teachers.
What was the intended purpose of schools?“The main purpose of the American school is to provide for the fullest possible development of each learner for living morally, creatively, and productively in a democratic society.” “The one continuing purpose of education, since ancient times, has been to bring people to as full a realization as possible of what it ...
What was the purpose of the first school?The earliest schools often focused more on teaching skills and passing along religious values, rather than teaching specific subject areas like is common today. In the United States, the first schools began in the 13 original colonies in the 17th century.
Who created the first normal school?Samuel Read Hall brought the concept of Normal Schools, or teacher training schools, to the United States, starting the first one at Concord Academy in the 1830s. He believed that teachers needed training and supplies to do their jobs well. Several Vermont colleges began as Normal Schools.
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