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.