Bridgewater State University - Alpha Yearbook (Bridgewater, MA)

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OFFERING I5 carefully made by Mr. Boyden that, when the appropriations were made by the State, they invariably covered the necessary outlay. Another proof of Mr. Pnoyden's executive ability is the discipline under which the school is managed. This discipline is firmly but kindly administered, infactyit is so adjusted as to execute itself. Young men and young women come here torprepare themselves for training the young. It is therefore sup- posed that they behave in an exemplary manner and make the best use of their opportunities. They are put upon their honor to do what is right before God and man. The regulations that have been adopted from time to time were at the solicitation of the pupils and as experience has shown their necessity. The principal is only carrying out the wishes of the pupils and parents, that the Wayward should be warned, the indolent encouraged to work, and the good and industrious protected against temptation and contamination. All pupils, on en- tering the school, are requested to sign a pledge that they will faithfully keep these regulations, and so those who are unwilling to conform cheerfully are presumed to be unfit to become teachers in the public schools. Having shown Mr. Boyden's executive ability by describing the material upbuilding of the school and the discipline under which it is managed, we come to his qualifications as educator. Here is Mr. Boyden's definition of Education, as it is found in his work The Educational Study of Man. To educate a child is so to stimulate, di- rect and control his activities through his childhood and youth, as to bring him up to that state in which he will make the best use of all his powers, physical and rational. This definition is the basis on which he builds his work in the schoolroom. It is surely a good, broad, solid foundation to build on. In his schoolroom one hears such expressions as: Think, think on your feet, think before you speak. Again, Present the object as a whole, then notice its parts, the relations of the parts to the whole and to each other. Present the subject as a whole by defining it, analyze it into its main divisions, separate each main division into its sub-divisions in the order of their dependence. This is the topical method, now so universally used in all newspapers, peri- odicals, etc. No one would think of doing without a process that brings at once light and order into every department of mental activity. This topical method was introduced first by Mr. Boyden after a careful study of his own mind and of the minds of his pupils. It is the natural, and therefore the logical way of teach- ing. And yet this method was at first very much misunderstood. Prominent educators had their doubts about it, saying that it was fine to look at, but could not be applied with success in the schoolroom. The fact is, that it is now the common mode of procedure. With this clear and concise way of handling any subject, Mr. Boyden set to work to have all the subjects in the course arranged on the topical plan. He himself outlined the work in nearly all the branches. He held frequent meetings of his teachers, presented his method to them, invited them to discuss it, impressed it so strongly and so convincingly that it was fully

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I4 OFFERING manner of diseases. However, under the fostering care of Principal Boyden this infant grew, waxed stronger and stronger, so that it soon outgrew its pina- fores. The good work of the graduates became known, the pay obtained by teach- ers who were carefully trained was higher than that of the untrained, the attend- ance increased rapidly, the school became crowded to its utmost, filled with en- thusiastic young people eager to learn. The school began to look like a hand- some woman dressed in clothes which were too small for her. By constant en- treaties, polite appeals, and urgent invitations on the part of the principal, some of the wise men at the State House came out to see what was needed. These good men from the State House came, saw, and were convinced that such an anomaly should not exist, so went home and voted that the young lady should have a long dress of good material and well made, and some adornments, that she might take her place in society. In 1861 the building was enlarged 70 per cent. I The tact of Mr. Boyden had accomplished the end sought. He had already drawn his plans, had provided for all the details, had given, his vacation to the performance of this arduous task. This was the beginning of the grand im- provements which have been made since. Again and again the dress- of that young lady had to be altered, and as she grew into strong womanhood, very sub- stantial, line, new clothing, befitting her station, was necessary, and under the principal's watchful care it was procured, until she stands before us in all her glory, the pride of the State. In 1869 Normal Hall was built, and enlarged in 1873 , in 1871 the Normal school building was enlarged by the addition of a third story, in 1881 the labo- ratories were built and furnished with modern appliances, in 1883 and 1887 a farm and Boyden Park were purchased, in 1887 Normal Grove was presented to the school by two alumni, Dr. Lewis G. Lowe and Samuel P. Gates, in 1890 the old wooden building was moved back and the present handsome brick struc- ture, eighty-six by one hundred eighty-seven feet, was erected in its place. At the same time the laboratories were moved on the adjacent school lot, which the town gave to the State, and turned into Woodward Hall, in 1894 the new school building received an addition of one hundred twenty-seven feet so as to accommodate the Model school, which has now over four hundred scholars. The school building now is eighty six by three hundred fourteen feet, of three stories above the basement, heated by hot air, lighted by both, gas and electricity, and equipped with all the modern appliances of a school building. In 1895 Tilling- hast Hall and a laundry were erected, both of brick, and the South ,Field was purchased. The value of the pla.nt is now over a quarter of a million dollars. All these great improvements were planned in every detail by Mr. Boyden. It took, as one can readily see, the vacation of nearly every year to think out, draw plans, and make estimates for all these vast improvements. A fact worthy to remember in this connection is, that in all these various operations, improve- ments, alterations, and in the erection of new buildings, the estimates were so

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I5 OFFERING adopted by all the teachers of the school. It is a pleasure to recall the enthusi- astic manner in which he taught the teachers, in those teachers' meetings, many of the objects and subjects in order to show what he considered good teaching. To prove the soundness of his doctrines, the teachers in rotation were required to prepare topics suitable to be taught to the whole school during the period of the general exercise in the morning, and to teach them. Since this work was to be discussed and criticized in subsequent teachers' meetings, it stimulated the teachers to make their best efforts, so the benefits derived from it were of incalculable value to the principal and teachers. If Mr. Boyden had done nothing beyond the introduction of his topical method in the school, his ever-enduring fame would be secure, for through this method the pupil has the key to self-instruction, he knows what to study, in what order, and how. It is frequently found that pupils who come to the Nor- mal school do not know how to study. Considerable time must be devoted to every new class in giving them directions of how to study, but this time is well spent, nay, it is absolutely necessary that it should be spent for this purpose, for if a person once knows how to go to work intelligently on any given task, he can by application master that task. This power of knowing how to study shows its results most plainly in the case of those who go to college after their Normal course, and who uniformly testify that they can do more work in a given time, and do it better, than those who did not have that training. Mr Boyden was one of the prime movers in all the steps taken to shape the courses of study which are now in force in the Normal schools of the State. When new subjects needed to be added, when improvments could be made in the schoolwork or apparatus, he was always on the alert to keep his school in fhe front rank. X In 1870 the four years' course was started, and so a heavy task was placed before Mr. Boyden, for he had to rearrange the whole work of the school so as to meet this new demand. Higher work and more subjects were required to fit pupils for teachers of secondary schools besides those for primary, intermediate and grammar grades. But there was compensation in this, that the applicants who came were better prepared, and infused a desire for higher culture in their schoolmates. While in 1870 a graduate from a High School was a rare acquisi tion. the standard of the scholars was gradually raised so that now only graduates of High Schools, or of Schools which have High School standing, are admitted. The requirements are now as those for colleges. Within a few years college graduates and teachers of successful experience who have not had Normal train- ing, have been coming to take special courses to fit themselves for teaching. ln 1893 a Kindergarten training school was added to make the system complete from the lowestvround to and including the highest-the High School. To adjust all this work properly, and to carry it on successfully can be accomplished only by a man of exceptional ability as teacher and executive officer. g What have been the results of Mr. Boyden's fifty years of teaching, forty years of which he has been principal of this School? The results in buildings