320 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF EDUCATION. 
sit in front of the class and watch the children ; not to add to the knowl- 
2dge of child-nature, but to accustom students to observe children. Dur- 
ing this stage I arrange that the students shall come in contact with some 
of our fine specimens of English teachers, not to hear them teach, but to 
talk with them and catch their spirit. No model lessons, but a quiet talk 
with a great teacher is about all, I think, we want. 
Second Stage.—In the second stage the students continue to observe, and, 
-n addition, have teaching exercises. The students now begin to teach, and 
sach one begins where she is likely to find it easiest, as regards subject, 
class of schools, age of pupils, ete., and under the easiest conditions that 
we can arrange. Everything is done to make these first lessons a success, 
and during this stage we aim chiefly at enabling the student to get and 
keep control over a class under easy conditions—to succeed, in fact. As 
soon as she does succeed, something of the inspiring stimulus of success 
satches hold of the teacher’s spirit ; she passes to the third stage. 
In the third stage no further observation of children is demanded, but 
it goes on, and many are the keen discussions among the students with 
reference to some of the children that we teach. The student having now 
begun to succeed, we give her teaching under as varied conditions as pos- 
sible, and her teaching and governing power is developed. In many 
schools she also has the opportunity of sometimes hearing lessons, espe- 
»ially by fellow-students, towards whom she is naturally critical, and by 
no means inclined to copy them. 
In the fourth stage the teacher specializes in a direction. 
First, she teaches as far as possible-under those conditions under which 
she will teach when she leaves college. 
Second, she knows by this time in what directions she will best succeed, 
and will consequently to that end determine the kind of teaching that will 
rest help her to develop power in those directions. 
Observation of classes and observation of schools are now carried on, 
and the student can listen with impunity and with advantage to lessons 
from experienced teachers, because there is no longer any danger that she 
will make the fatal mistake of attempting to copy any one. At this point 
the student has acquired considerable teaching skill, and an individual 
way of teaching, and has learned to adjust herself to many conditions. 
She has learned to look critically at her own teaching, and to gain from her 
own experience and from the teaching of others; in other words, she is 
now capable of continuing her own training, and that is all we aim at. 
{ will venture to plead for one moment with teachers of all classes, from 
the presidents of colleges to the youngest teachers in the kindergarten. I 
would plead that every teacher is concerned in the satisfactory professional 
preparation of our graduate teachers. I believe in an aristocracy as a 
factor in rapid progress ; and by an aristocracy I mean the class who have 
privileges that at present cannot be enjoyed by all. All species of educa- 
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