A normal school, also known as a teachers’ college, is a school that prepares teachers for primary (or elementary) school. In the late 1600s, one of the first normal schools was established in Paris.
The concept of normal schools had made its way to the United States by the early 1800s. In the 1820s, one was established in Concord, Vermont. In Lexington, Massachusetts, the first state-funded school for teacher education opened in 1839. Prior to this time, colleges in the United States offered education in fields such as law and medicine, but not teacher education. There was no formal teacher training prior to the establishment of these schools. Because women did not have the same educational opportunities as men, the majority of teachers were men.
The Massachusetts Normal School was considered an experimental plan. These teacher training programs allowed women to enroll. James G. Carter, a state legislator, was instrumental in the formation of Massachusetts’ first Board of Education. Horace Mann was the first secretary of the Board of Education.
Prior to the establishment of the normal school, strict memorization was the primary method of instruction in the United States. The traditional schools promoted critical thinking and guidance as preferred teaching methods. A class of 26 graduates from a normal school in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, went on to lead teaching schools in other states, including Illinois and Michigan.
Teacher education expanded to include model classrooms and a learning laboratory environment as the concept of the normal school spread to other states. The school program was usually two years long. During the years 1870-1890, many schools in the United States were founded to promote the art and science of teaching. County-level teacher institutes were also held to supplement the teaching schools.