2010 - Teachers Tame the Prairie

This exhibit was displayed at Booth Library October 12 - December 10, 2010

Teachers have truly helped tame the prairie. From the one-room schoolhouses spread across Illinois at short intervals to the gigantic universities of today, it has been the teachers and professors who have shaped the curriculum, challenged the students to achieve their best, and directed young minds to imagine alternative paths and viable solutions.The Normal School tradition, of which Eastern Illinois University remains so proud to have been a part, set the pace to influence all things school-related. Where there were no teachers or only untrained teachers, the regional Normal School made advances to remedy the situation. From diplomas and certificate programs to degrees and postgraduate studies, from credit units to continuing education and beyond, the Normal built a solid foundation for the teaching profession by attracting, developing, and training candidates who would lead our schools and spread education throughout the land.