Educating The Whole Child

Today was a cold one outside that cause the schools in my area and most of the state to be closed. It is one days like that that I think of students that I know who I wonder if they are getting a hot meal, a warm place to sleep, and so much more. As an educator we tend to think about those children who we know may not have the best of home life. These are the children that we know come to school with other things on their minds that distract them from their academics. 

So what can we as educators do? We need to focus on how we can help educate the whole child. What does that mean? Well, it means making sure that all children get a hot meal to eat. Making sure that each child gets a hot breakfast and lunch is essential. If a child is not getting things to eat then they will not be able to focus on learning. In my school students are offered a free breakfast and lunch through a grant that we got. Students are offered a hot breakfast at my school till 9:00am. 

Another things is that children who don't have a place to sleep at night worry about where they will sleep. Often times this is because they are shuffled between their parents. Sometimes they are living on the streets, in their cars, or bouncing from family member to family member. As an educator it is our job to report to our administrator children that we know who don't have a warm place to sleep. In my school system we have programs in place to help families get a place.

There may be times that children come to school worried about their parents. If they are a child from a single parent household hey may worry about the parent that takes care of them. I know that after my dad passed (I was 15) that I worried about Mom. I was worried that I was going to loose Mom too. We have to assure children that it is ok. That they will see their parents after school. 

It is a good idea to talk to them about their feelings no matter what age they are. That way you can understand better what they are dealing with. Most days I talk to students in my building who are not in my class who I know need an adult that cares about them. Just someone to ask them how they are doing or to hug them and tell them that it is going to be ok. 

Life is not always perfect, but for a child to know that an adult cares about them is a great feeling. They know that they have someone that they can talk to about what is going on in their life. It may not always be a teacher. It can be the janitor, aide, bus driver, cook, or coach. Sometimes the service personnel know more about the students than the teachers do. 

We need to stop pushing the tests and start educating the children of today as a whole. Educating the whole child will in turn help them to do their academics. If we fail to do that then we have failed as educators.