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Teaching the Whole Child: How Focusing on Students’ Unique Gifts and Building Relationships
Anna Latimer
Wesleyan College
Having been through a full academic career from Kindergarten all the way up to a
teacher, of course, has her own unique style of teaching, but almost every action they take is
rooted in some kind of educational philosophy. Many teachers may not understand why they are
doing what they are doing, but an understanding and synthesis of the educational philosophies
are crucial for the developing educator to determine how she will run her classroom, and why
she makes the decisions she does. The majority of schools in the United States seem to be based
on the essentialist and behaviorist philosophies, relying heavily on a core set of standards and
testing, what B. F. Skinner called “programmed learning” (Edigar, 2006, p. 179). However, I
believe that students cannot be treated as if they are all the same, because they are not. Howard
Gardner proposes that all individuals possess varying levels of seven intelligences (1993), as
opposed to just linguistic and logical-mathematical, which are frequently tested. I believe that
teachers should run their classrooms with multiple intelligences in mind, teaching an [expanded]
essentialist core set of knowledge and skills, focusing on the individual learners (progressivism),
(constructivism). Not only that, but the magic ingredient to student success in any classroom is
The first schools were developed under the perennialist school of thought, which held
that eternal truths are of utmost importance, and that instruction should stay consistent through
the ages (Webb, Metha, & Jordan, 2010, p. 70). While my younger self might have agreed with
this traditionalist perspective, I disagree with this because society changes over the years, and so
should education. In fact, education has somewhat stagnated over the past decades, while society
TEACHING THE WHOLE CHILD: CLASSROOM PHILOSOPHY 3
and technology are developing at rapid rates. Essentialists are very similar to perennialists; they
advocate a core set of knowledge and skills to be taught in the schools. They emphasize
discipline, regularity, and uniformity (Webb et al. 2010, p. 82). While I agree that a core set of
knowledge should be taught at the elementary level, uniformity is the opposite of what is
necessary for a successful classroom. Students are unique individuals and should be treated as
such. So, as elementary school teachers, we must nurture our students’ gifts from a young age
and encourage them to find what they are passionate about in life. Then, once students enter the
upper levels, they should be able to choose whether or not they want a pre-higher education
track, vocational training, or schooling that will help them to enter the workforce. Each student’s
unique ratios of multiple intelligences will guide her to the appropriate track; we can’t force
them all to go in a single direction (like we have been doing with the emphasis primarily on
college prep programs). We must give students the freedom to explore their interests so they can
discover what it is they want to do with their lives, as opposed to sending them all down a path
of uniform education and uniform goals for life after high school.
promote desired behaviors in their students. They are also proponents of scripted programs that
present information from basic concepts to specific details, with measurable results as the
outcome (Edigar, 2006, p. 180). Teachers who utilize behaviorist strategies often use extrinsic
rewards in the form of charts, colored cards, etc., to motivate students to behave. In these
classrooms, students will generally behave just well enough to get the reward, or just badly
enough so that it doesn’t break the rule, thus making the behavior charts and expectations
meaningless. I believe that the classroom shouldn’t be a place where students’ behavior is
TEACHING THE WHOLE CHILD: CLASSROOM PHILOSOPHY 4
controlled for the sake of controlling it; instead, the teacher should foster a sense of community
and respect amongst her students. Yes, there should be guidelines for behavior, but these should
respect and security, where learning is valued amongst all. The ideal progressivist, however,
believes that the curriculum “would not consist of a given set of predetermined facts or truths to
be mastered, but rather a series of experiences to be gained” (Webb et al. 2010, p. 74). While
knowledge should indeed be gained through experiential learning, I believe that certain subjects
should still be taught. However, these subjects should be taught in ways that are accessible to all
goes hand in hand with this: students construct and build upon their previous knowledge when
they have these experiences. Teachers help students build on what they know by pushing them
into their zone of proximal development. However, Debbie Silvers brings up an important point:
“we sometimes behave in ways that imply the only way to get kids to do anything we desire is to
make them do it” (2011, p. 29). So many students hate going to school because teachers and
force them to do certain things. We as teachers need to make learning meaningful to students;
once we do that, they will be intrinsically motivated to learn, not only in school, but for the rest
of their lives.
In order to make learning meaningful, we have to teach in such a way that students will
learn - and want to learn. Not every student learns well (or enjoys learning) from a lecture or
from a discussion. We need to involve all of the multiple intelligences: musical, visual-spatial,
(Gardner 1993). Now, this doesn’t mean that we have to include them in every lesson (that
would be extremely difficult), but we should make the effort to accommodate every student’s
needs. Not only that, but we should take the opportunities that we can to make learning come
alive. This can take place through classroom transformations and themed lessons that promote
high levels of engagement, such as scavenger hunts and review games. In this way, we can
ensure that maximum learning takes place. For example, when I taught states of matter to my
second grade placement in fall of 2017, I dressed up as a witch and made ‘witch’s brew’ with
lime sherbet and Sprite to introduce solids, liquids, and gases. Then, I involved students in
playing with oobleck, a substance that possesses qualities of both solids and liquids. Finally, I
showed a video about the states of matter and discussed with students specific characteristics of
each state of matter. Throughout this unit, I was able to attain high levels of student engagement
In the process of trying to attain this maximum learning, we could get caught up in
forcing our students to learn. We don’t have to do that - children are born natural learners. They
are always changing and responding to the environment, building on their prior knowledge
through what is happening both in and out of the classroom. It is the teacher’s job to create
experiences in the classroom that will contribute to the natural learning process of our students -
rather than impede it. They are social creatures, and much of their learning happens through
cooperative work with others in their academic community. The teacher is there to guide the
students to the right actions and to facilitate the learning process, not to be an authoritarian
presence that the students are afraid of. At times, the teacher will be a disseminator of knowledge
TEACHING THE WHOLE CHILD: CLASSROOM PHILOSOPHY 6
– but students should not be “passive recipients of knowledge” (Windschitl 1999, p. 755). So,
she will do all she can to let learning be a process of discovery and exploration, rather than
standing at the front of the classroom speaking at length about the information to be covered.
engaging students in group readings and discussion about the freedoms guaranteed in the 1st
amendment. Any step we can take as teachers to be facilitators of the learning process is a step in
the right direction. The school, in turn, should function as a model of democratic society with an
atmosphere of respect for all individuals (Webb et al. 2010, p. 74). The facilitators of such a
As teachers, we have the power to inspire students to become lifelong learners. However,
this doesn’t mean that the curriculum should entirely focus on student interest. Elementary
schools nationwide should all cover basic skills in reading, writing, and math, because these are
essential for succeeding in life. In addition to these skills, students should also learn about a wide
variety of topics in social studies, science, art, music, etc. The arts should have an equal place in
the curriculum as science and math because they synthesize all the disciplines, providing “unique
and vital opportunities for students with a wide range of learning styles…to find and make
meaning” (Davis, 1999, p. 27). Students who engage in arts education are more creative, are
more likely to develop a growth mindset, and even demonstrate improved performance across
academic areas (Swapp, 2016). The curriculum of my elementary school years was primarily
reading and math, with little emphasis on art, social studies, or science. As a teacher, I believe
that the curriculum should be equalized, while still focusing on students’ individual needs in
TEACHING THE WHOLE CHILD: CLASSROOM PHILOSOPHY 7
every subject. In this way, we can invigorate every child’s education, while providing an
individual boost to those students who have musical and artistic strengths and passions.
When I was a child, I loved everything that was traditional about school. I enjoyed when
my teachers gave me typical pencil-paper writing assignments, spelling homework, and activities
during which I could work independently. As I grew up thinking about becoming a teacher, I
thought that I would emulate these models of teaching. I couldn’t have been more wrong. While
I still value these types of lessons, in order to teach students as individuals, I have to take into
consideration different learning styles and intelligences so I can ensure that my students learn to
the best of their abilities. In addition, the highlight of my entire academic experience was
attending gifted class one day every week during elementary school. Every year, we would focus
on three subtopics, and we would do all kinds of activities and research that would support those
topics. I think that, while we can’t just teach kids about pioneers, oceans, and Greek mythology,
students of all learning abilities would benefit from the kind of instruction I received from my
gifted teachers. These methods include group work, independent research, hands-on activities,
and much more variety that would accommodate students of all learning styles, intelligences, and
abilities. Students will be much more engaged with the material and the assignments if it is
assessment practices. While essentialist schools of thought favor standardized testing, this
approach does not give a fully accurate picture of the child as whole. Instead, we should seek out
assessment methods that demonstrate the learner’s capabilities, from her multiple intelligences
too her strengths and weaknesses in a variety of disciplines. These could include but are not
TEACHING THE WHOLE CHILD: CLASSROOM PHILOSOPHY 8
181). An accurate assessment should reflect the types of instructional methods utilized in the
classroom, both of which take into consideration the diverse individuals present in the learning
community.
A classroom management system should revolve around the integrity of this learning
community: the students will, with the teacher’s guidance, devise rules they will abide by in the
classroom. In this way, the students will take ownership of the rules and be more likely to
maintain the respectful and courteous learning environment. Disruptions of the learning
environment are to be dealt with fairly and appropriately. Because every child is unique, there
However, this learning environment will not be the positive one that it needs to be unless
the teacher builds relationships with every student and facilitates positive relationships among
the students in the classroom. The care that the teacher demonstrates for her students is
absolutely key to the students’ success. Her belief in their capabilities may be exactly what is
needed to foster their own belief in themselves. For some students, creating these solid
relationships may be difficult at first; however, these students are the ones who will benefit the
most from a teacher who does not give up on them. In my experience, the students who struggle
academically or behaviorally always possess a special place in my heart. Though all student
successes are worthy to be celebrated, I will be especially proud of these students who improve
academically and behaviorally. My goal as a teacher is to build relationships with every single
one of my students and to have a positive impact on them that will last beyond the time they
TEACHING THE WHOLE CHILD: CLASSROOM PHILOSOPHY 9
spend in my classroom and extend beyond the scope of what they learned academically during
their time with me. The ultimate triumph for me would be to inspire a love of learning in my
students that lasts far beyond their school years. In order to do this, I will have to modify my
methods and approaches to teach and bond with each student, but it will be well worth the time
Just as every child is different, so is every teacher. Each educator, whether she realizes it
or not, has developed a philosophy that guides her in the classroom. I have taken the curriculum
of the essentialists and combined it with the classroom foundation of the progressives and the
However, I must ensure that I do not stagnate. The most effective educators are open minded and
are always pondering a variety of new ideas; they actively seek to change and adapt to best serve
their students. While this may be my current philosophy, this may very well change as I
encounter more diverse perspectives. This is only the beginning for me; I cannot wait to see
References
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind : The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic
Books. http://www.gbv.de/dms/bowker/toc/9780465025
Hoffman Davis, J. (1999). Nowhere, Somewhere, Everywhere: The Arts in Education. Arts
Silver, D. (2011). Using the 'zone' to help reach every learner. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 48(1),
http://proxygsu-wes1.galileo.usg.edu.wesleyancollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://searc
h.proquest.com.wesleyancollege.idm.oclc.org/docview/903978557?accountid=14961
Swapp, N. (2016). Creativity and Academics: The Power of an Arts Education. Retrieved from
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/creativity-academics-power-of-arts-education-neil-swapp
Webb, L. D., Metha, A., & Jordan, K. F. (2010). Foundations of American education. Upper