Educating the Whole Child

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After reading articles “What Does It Mean to Say a School Is Doing Well, by Eisner” and “What Does It Mean to Educate the Whole Child, by Nodding”, I tend to agree with Nodding and support that focusing on the whole child and their motivation allows learning to be more effective. We currently live in a society that requires students to be prepared to think both critically and creatively and it begins at a very young age. They have to learn how to attain massive amounts of information, solve difficult problems and survive in an ever evolving society. A foundation in reading, writing and arithmetic has always been the subjects that support lifelong success. When I was a child, these 3 subjects were the main focus in the classroom. Today, administrators have focused attention on coursework, instructional methods, and assessments. Our current definition of student success is too narrow. The success of a student begins long before they ever step into a classroom and the needs are far more prevalent than a textbook and scores. It is time to put students first, align resources to student needs and advocate for a more balanced approach. I believe that education should be approached first and foremost at the early stages of life. I believe that it is a team effort from administrators, parents, the community and school board members to ensure that students have the best education. I also believe that nurturing a child from a very young age is very vital to their future success. A child who enters school healthy and feels safe is ready to learn and will most likely love school. Proper childcare, parenting skills and community resources play a major role in education. Statewide initiatives such as First Steps and Early Head Start are vital to children during the early stages of life. These programs meet the needs of the entire family including parenting classes,

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