Teaching the Whole Child

The Whole Child Approach is one of those things that you'd think would be a common sense, standard practice thing-- until you see how many educators stress this approach because they have seen the repercussions of students who were not taught with it. The Whole Child Approach is an approach in education that respects the humanity of each teacher and student. This approach reminds us of something everyone should already have taken into account: students are individuals, and deserve to be treated with respect, understanding, and caring for all aspects of their life (academic and nonacademic). When we are teaching, we are teaching the whole child, a child with feelings, intelligence, interests, everything that makes them human. Teaching the whole child encompasses many aspects of their life, as we consider their physical health, mental health, social emotional development, identity development, academic development, and cognitive development. Children spend such a significant part of their day at school and thus a significant part of their development within our classroom. It would not only be uncaring to not consider the various factors of our students, but ignorant. 

A tutor smiles at her student as she guides her
through a writing exercise. 

There are a variety of ways we can check up on these aspects of life for students as we teach using the Whole Child Approach. First and foremost, we must ensure a safe and respectful learning environment for our student, one in which we have clear rules, procedures, and classroom management plans. This sense of routine coupled with an understanding, comfortable environment is our first step in providing for our students' quality education. Students must know that teachers, counselors, and other administration are there for them when they need it. For their mental health, they can come to teachers and counselors for help. For their identity development, they are provided with after-school activity programs and participate in dynamic class discussions that their voice can be heard in. There are so many aspects to a student's identity, more than just grades on a report card. Teaching the Whole Child acknowledges this and seeks to help us better understand our students not just as academic achievers, but as whole individuals. 

I have seen firsthand the importance of using the Whole Child Approach. As I write this, I am only a senior in my undergraduate program at UTK, but I have been a student my whole life, and this past semester, I am a tutor at the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center. There, I have been taught the importance of tutoring the Whole Person, as they call it. Students walk into our thirty minute writing sessions, and I have no idea what they are going through. I don't know if they're having a bad day, if they are going to get even more frustrated after this meeting. All I know is that if I can keep a comfortable, open environment for them as I tutor them, then that is going to set the groundwork for how we get our work accomplished. I can't just consider their writing draft, but must consider their feelings, experiences, and intellect as well. I am not just tutoring a student for their comparative rhetorical analysis essay; I am tutoring the whole student. This simple approach, one of open-mindedness and understanding, is one that is absolutely essential in the classroom. 

The Arts and its Importance in Our Lives

Upon entering college, I would say that the advice I heard everywhere was always that of, "Just make sure you don't choose a useless degree, okay?" And when I'd ask these "advisors" out of curiosity, "What do you mean by a useless degree?" I often got the answer, "You know, like, art!"

Artwork featured in The Knoxville Museum of Art's
exhibit Higher Ground, devoted to East Tennessee's
artistic achievements. 

I assumed that this vague exclamation of "art" encompassed the variety of fields in the fine art world. Painting, illustration, animation, or graphic design are a few tracks many artists go to; or perhaps the musical world, in which you can learn the art of composition or how to master a instrument. The fine arts are the expression of human imagination and potential at its most beautiful and emotional. So, why did I always have to hear about its uselessness, when we are in a society that could not function without art? The music we listen to on our playlists, the architecture we see in our libraries, the paintings we buy to decorate our homes-- these are all things that massively contribute to society. So, when did all of a sudden art become useless? 

This piece of "college advice" is only one example of the disregard our society has towards fine arts. Disregard or disrespect towards the arts is not just adults trying to ensure that child has a job after college. It also reflects an ignorance of the fine arts and a shift in societal value of capital above all else. It is thus unsurprising that self-expression and exploration through art is sidelined in favor of advanced STEM classes, business internships, competitive youth sports-- all things that seem to ensure future capital and employment. And people are not wrong to want that! We all want a roof over our heads, food on our plates, and a retirement plan one day. The things I listed before also hold immense value for a young person's development and experiences. Yet, it is not just ignorant but untrue to suggest that the fine arts do not provide avenues towards those goals, just as other jobs and careers do. Furthermore, this disdain towards the arts deprives our youth of creativity, imagination, self-expression, and self-betterment. 

Throughout history, perceptions towards art and artists have changed repeatedly. There once was a time that artists were housed, paid, and respected in the high courts of local lords (such as Renaissance Italy, for example). Now, in a world valuing capital and career mobility, there is the stereotype of the "starving artist," in which artists are often unappreciated despite society's need for creativity and entertainment. This attitude has unfortunately extended to advice towards students, who are often discouraged away from the arts as they "can't make any money with it." As I said before, this is untrue, but also detrimental to the development of our youth. Who are we to stop the fostering of creativity, imagination, and expression? We have forgotten the personal benefit of art classes, of trying new mediums, as we enter this "adult world." We don't give ourselves time to sing with others anymore because we worry we'll sound bad, and we don't go to pottery classes at the local studio because we think we'll never use it. 

This thinking has to stop, if not for its misconceptions, then for the amazing creativity and development that we may see students express as they participate in the fine arts. Creativity, critical thinking, empathy, self-confidence, communication-- fine arts education allows all of these positive attributes to flourish. Whether it is through sculpting classes, theater programs, or the school's marching band, we must allow our students to express themselves and realize the importance of the arts. 

LGBTQIA+ in the Classroom

"Everyone is different” is something that, I think, most people could agree on. Their life experiences, upbringings, preferences-- every person is a unique individual, and this is something that we, as educators, must acknowledge in and out of the classroom. But we have to go a step further with that statement, "Everyone is different, and that is okay!" Crazy idea, right? Well, to some people it just might be, and that is exactly why I would like to discuss LGBTQIA+ experiences and how we may ensure our classroom is a place that welcomes everyone.

A neighborhood shows its
support for the LGBT community
by hanging rainbow flags on their homes.

LGBTQIA+ is one of the many acronyms for members of the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Queer community (with much variation in these terms, such as the communities of Intersex folks and Allies in this initialism). This term has been in use since the 1990s, but the members of its community have existed long before such labels. These labels may seem new and unfamiliar to some, but these communities have been around forever, just with different names and experiences. We can look at ancient societies, for instance, and see remnants of loving relationships, often obscured or destroyed as societies have encouraged secrecy and shame rather than love and acceptance. From a perspective of both history and empathy, we must acknowledge and ensure that members of the LGBT community feel comfortable, respected, and heard in the classroom-- just as everyone should! This comfort in the classroom is of utmost importance to the success of not just a child's education but of their experience in life.  

Personally, I believe it to be my priority in teaching that my students feel safe, respected, and comfortable to be their true selves in the classroom. I have firsthand seen the effects that discrimination and intolerance have had on students, whether it is misogyny or homophobia. We must remember that the classroom has no place for making any student feel lesser for how they express themselves or how they simply are. There is no taking sides when it comes to ensuring a child feels safe, happy, and respected in their classroom. At the end of the day, a person is a person, and a kid is a kid-- so who are we to do anything but respect their identity and make them feel at home in our classroom?

As a history educator, I ask that people keep an open mind regarding the experiences and identities of others. Time and time again, we have had major shifts in perceptions on the differences of others. It was only in 1954 that Brown vs. the Board of Education ruled that racial segregation in school was unconstitutional, thanks to the work of tireless activists who sought to demolish negative perceptions of differences. If people did not see such changes in society, stop for a moment, and reflect with an open mind, then we would have lost even more lives to intolerance and discrimination. And if changes in history do not sway you, then I hope a basic sense of respect, kindness, and empathy for others in my classroom will instead.