Written by: Heather Fahenstock
In a world that is increasingly complex, fast-paced, and interconnected, the traditional model of education, which seems to place the majority of its focus on academic achievement, no longer suffices in preparing students for the demands of real life. Holistic education, by contrast, offers a more comprehensive approach that nurtures every aspect of a student’s development: intellectual, emotional, social, physical, and creative. This idea seeks to educate the “whole child,” recognizing that learning is more than textbooks and tests. It is also a lifelong process. By addressing the full spectrum of human experience, holistic education not only enhances student outcomes academically but also empowers individuals to become confident, compassionate, and capable contributors to society.
Holistic education is rooted in the idea that learning seems to be more impactful and effective when a student finds the lesson meaningful, engaging and relevant to the real world. All too often in a classroom setting, students ask themselves and the teacher, “Why?” They want to have an understanding of where and why the topic at hand is important and utilized in life. Students don’t want to just accumulate knowledge unless it feels purposeful. To empower students to answer the “Whys,” holistic education elements promote social responsibility, foster emotional intelligence and encourage students to discover their purpose in all aspects.
While there are several different approaches to developing an environment that facilitates holistic education, they all seem to incorporate six key components: social and emotional development, building strong relationships, academic and life skill connections, project-based learning, cultivating citizenship and empowering students as individuals. All of these layers are equally important and are interconnected. They are also very fluid and can be differentiated easily for the learner as an individual.
Building strong relationships seems to resonate with most as the best place to begin. These relationships are not just student to student, but teacher to student. As is in any relationship, trust is crucial to its success. With harassment and bullying being so rampant, students especially feel vulnerable when dabbling in areas of uncertainty. For the theory of holistic development to be successful, students will need to be open with so many personal attributes. Educators will need to provide encouragement to students to discuss a variety of topics, like their emotions,academic strengths and shortcomings, and how to establish personal boundaries, to name a few.
In summary, get to know your students’ stories. The student who falls asleep may have infant siblings or parents who fight. A student who complains of a headache all the time might not have access to food. These are all things that, in passing, may label a student as a “bad” child, when really all it is are cries for help. A strong teacher relationship will be able to identify these pieces and support the student in ways that will extend beyond the classroom.
Once an educator has a strong bond with their students, they can begin empowering them as learners. Students all too often see the world as a competition and that they aren’t good enough. If their perception could be shifted to acknowledge we are all individuals with different needs, the intent would be that they could cultivate a learning style that becomes a lifestyle. Being empowered allows students to gain skills that aren’t just useful in the classroom but will help them navigate challenges they will face in their professional and personal lives. The skillset of an empowered learner asks questions, accepts compliments, embraces creativity and can learn from a mistake and not see it as a flaw.
The social and emotional development layer of holistic education seems to be successfully intertwined with an empowered student. Creating and understanding personal boundaries is crucial to this step. Anxiety and stress seem to be a pandemic among the young, and being told no or even telling a peer no is extremely difficult. They simply want to feel accepted and will forgo self-respect to be part of a group. Holistic education creates a learning environment in which students can identify and learn to manage their own emotions, which in turn can be reflected in their interactions with others. They will build skills that will enable them to have empathy, effective communication and an understanding of self-regulation.
Lessons on emotional intelligence will lead to a learning environment where academics and life skills go hand in hand. Facilitating a curriculum that shows the connection between what is being taught in the classroom and where it is utilized in the real world provides students with the answer to “why.” Students today, regardless of their learning style, desire to understand the purpose in all things. This is true for both neurodivergent and neurotypical thinkers. Instead of simply teaching the formula for surface area and volume for recall, share how the development of their cereal box packaging utilized both concepts. When they read the fiction text in English, they incorporate how relating to the text is how they connect to the lyrics in their favorite song.
In an effort to truly provide a life skill purpose to academics, project-based learning is the most beneficial method. The act of moving and doing provides an exemplar that will stick with the student well beyond the classroom. Creating something allows the student to store the information for long-term use and not simply short-term recall for a test. This also utilizes the top tier of the Bloom’s Taxonomy model, which is what educators strive to achieve with each lesson.
Holistic education is creating a shift in the paradigm used in the classroom. Its core foundations see the student as a “whole person” and not a name and number on a roster. Society and technology don’t allow for the traditional academic model to work for most anymore. Holistic Education embraces the complexity of the world and prepares students to overcome obstacles and successes both personally and professionally.
