My philosophy:
Some say that a child is like a blank slate. Some say that the school's job is to educate children. Although both of these statements are true to a point they do not grasp the entirety of education and its goals. Education is a complex system. It must reach various levels of the child's needs, not just one. Let us look at a parallel example. Writing a book is a complex matter. If the author chose to only develop one thing, characters, but never a plot, the book is not going to be complete. The schools a lot of times educate but one small part of the child, their academic side. I propose a more comprehensive way of thinking. One in which we would look at the entire child.
The entire child is a complete child made up of various components. There are the academic side, the emotional side, the explorative nature and the physical side. I also look at these four as the head, heart, hands, and feet mentalities. Now, let's explore each one briefly.
The head or academic part of the child is generally well addressed in schools today. I would even guess that 90% of the day is spent working on this part of the child's needs. In my school I would ask that staff look at each child as an individual and not as a part of a whole. Tracking indicators individually would be instrumental in being able to diagnose areas of strength as well as areas of concerns. These would then be further explored and lessons would be developed around these needs. Small group sessions reaching the top, bottom and middle would be key components.
The heart or the emotional side of the child would be another area of focus. Many children come to us today with family issues or having been victimized in some way. Without being able to help them get past that they cannot do their best. Guidance counselors as well as outside resources may be important to a child's emotional health. Too many children are unable to concentrate in a class due to wandering thoughts about situations not in their control. The school needs to be a safe haven wherein we can assist them to be their best. We need to help some children heal.
The explorative nature or hands side of a child is the hands-on learner in each of us. This is not just important in the lower grades but all through school. Reading about something versus exploring something is totally different. Let's look at science as an example. Bobby wants to learn about soil. He reads in a book that clay cannot grow crops like humus can. The book defines each type of soil and even shows pictures. But Bobby in the end fails the soil test. Now, take that same topic, soil, and change the lessons. This time bring in samples of clay and humus. Allow Bobby to look at it with a magnifying glass or microscope. Then have him compare and contrast the two. Next, plant seeds and allow them to grow in each soil type. Measure the plant's growth and graph it over a period of time. Bobby now should not only understand the concept better but he has also learned many new skills along the way. He can also create new experiments changing one variable and see what happens. This lets him understand the concept in more depth. Learning versus memorizing is the key. Let them get their hands dirty. It will pay off in the end!
The physical side of the child or legs is my final category. Children need to get up and move! Too many schools have been cutting back on gym and recess times. They also wonder why we are having a trend of obese children. Even adults need time to rejuvenate. We need to be sure to work into our schedules time to have children get exercise. Even simple things like having the children get up and move to a new area or a new group can help. Even a penned up pet has more behavior issues. I believe children can too. We cannot expect them to sit still for hours.
The complete child is what I would inspire my staff to teach. If Johnny is hungry his physical side wants to have him get up and walk to the refrigerator. If Amy was a witness to a fight between mom and dad last night her emotional side is taking over and her mind is wandering. Tests do not pick up on these things. But, teachers' intuitive side should.
A portrait is a picture wherein you only paint the torso. A painting includes more. My goal is to lead a school in creating masterpieces. The old connect the dots mentality needs to be put aside. Our world is changing. Let us rise up to the needs of a global economy as well as a highly mobile world in need of leaders. Let's teach the whole child and paint a future for all.