William Nicholas Hailmann

William Nicholas Hailmann ( born October 20, 1836 in Glarus, † May 13 1920 in Pasadena ) was a native of Switzerland, American educator who kindergartens introduced as part of the school system in the United States.

Life

Hailmanns father Alexander Wilhelm Hailmann came from Thann in Alsace and drafted pattern for the Glarus textile industry. His mother was Barbara Hailmann, nee Weber. Soon after Williams birth the family moved to a big house in the canton of Thurgau, where the boy received a holistic education based on the ideas of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Thanks sympathetic teachers William was able to enter into the Polytechnic School in Zurich, where he studied natural sciences, ancient languages ​​, as well as Italian, French and English at the age of thirteen. After two years, he completed the studies at the age of fifteen.

Although William wanted to become a doctor, he traveled in the spring of 1852 with his from Texas to visit because end cousin to New York. In Louisville he visited the Swiss consul, a friend of the family, and worked in a grocery store and in the embroidery of the consul. By a well-known music teacher him he began the age of seventeen to teach at a girl 's college modern languages. In addition, he began to study medicine at the Louisville Medical College. Thanks to his language skills and his talent as a teacher, he was hired in 1856 to 1865 as a teacher of modern languages ​​and natural sciences at the high school where he could test his progressive teaching methods. During his teaching Hailmann recognized the inadequacy of the official teaching methods and decided to get involved in their development; particularly the elementary level interest him.

At the age of 21 years Hailmann married 1857, one year older, Eudora Lucas, who campaigned for training for girls, women and parents. The couple had one daughter and three sons. 1860 both traveled to Switzerland, where Hailmann visited numerous schools, especially kindergartens and primary schools. In Zurich he heard of the work of the German teacher Friedrich Froebel, the " father of the kindergarten ." Hailmann became familiar with his ideas and thus traveled back to the U.S..

After serving as a major in the Union troops in the Civil War Hailmann built in Louisville, the German -American Academy in Froebel's principles on whose head teacher and director he was. He propagated the kindergarten as a separate part of the school system. In 1865 he taught at the Academy after Froebel principles the first kindergarten room a. Together with his wife built Hailmann on Milwaukee 1879 in Detroit schools and kindergartens. From 1883 to 1994 Hailmann worked in La Porte (Indiana ), where he re- hosted as head of the public schools, the education system. Indiana became the first state in the USA, in the kindergartens officially part of the school system were. 1885 became Hailmann doctoral degrees Ph.D. Ohio University.

Together with his wife Hailmann published the magazine "The Kindergarten Messenger and the New Education ." They founded the Froebel Institute, which became the kindergarten department of the professional organization National Education Association. In addition to the teaching methods Hailmanns also developed numerous educational materials such as doll houses, building blocks, children's songs and opportunities for group work.

1894 appointed the Democratic President Grover Cleveland Hailmann the National Superintendent of Indian schools, for Hailmann developed its own teaching materials and Indian teachers trained. After three years, the project of the new Republican President William McKinley was canceled. Hailmann - now a man in demand - held several high school offices in Dayton, Chicago and Cleveland, where he realized Froebel's ideas.

Hailmanns wife Eudora died in 1905. 1907 he married Helena Kuhn from Detroit. 1914 Hailmann went to Pasadena in California inn, where he died on May 13, 1920.

Works

Hailmann author of several writings on education, instruction books, was co-editor of various magazines and translated in 1890 Froebel's major work, " human education " into English.

• Outlines of a system of Object - teaching ( 1866)
• History of Pedagogy (1870 )
• Kindergarten Culture (1872 )
• The Law of Childhood ( 1878)
• Primary Methods ( 1887)
• Application of Psychology to Teaching (1887 )
• The English Language ( 1902)