What it really means to "Teach the whole student"

When we say that we wish to teach the whole student, what we are saying is that we desire to take on an added responsibility.This added responsibility will require more school resources.Teaching the whole student requires more than content. It is often said that a student doesn't care what you know until they know that you care. This is true. But in the beginning, schools were not designed to fill some of the roles that public schools have taken on in the last 20 years. Schools have adopted numerous programs to mitigate the consequences that come along with living in poverty in hopes to narrow the achievement gap. Many of these programs have found success, but as we seek to change, replace, or revise NCLB, it is clear that we aren't there yet and more needs to be done.

I believe that the issue is that we are missing the "follow-through."If we truly seek to close the gap and help students succeed, we can't take half measures. We have to be "all in." Many of these additional programs have nothing to do with what goes on in the classroom, but if a school decides to adopt a program, the execution of the program has to be excellent. If a student is hurting emotionally it may take months, maybe years to help that student get to a place in life where they feel comfortable enough to pursue their dreams. However the school calendar continues to turn over and there are tests that need to be administered. The student takes the tests and to the student the tests mean absolutely nothing because the student is still hurting and needs help. What happens to the student when he or she graduates? Is it more important that the student is present to take test or that the student is emotionally healed although they may not be present for the test?

Teaching the whole student means that you're willing to make certain sacrifices to make sure that that student has everything that they need in order to be successful when they transition from high school to college or into the workplace. That is what schools are taking on when they decide that they would like to teach the whole student. 

For more, please listen to my latest podcast titled, "Where are the soft skills?"

Marvin Byrd