"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all." —Aristotle
Many at-risk students in schools are crying out for help with their real-life issues, yet many educators respond with an emphasis on academic proficiency skills. With today's stress on academic achievement at all costs with little regard for the mental, social, physical, emotional, or spiritual aspects of the whole student, many teachers teach tests and not students. Students become grade-point averages and not people. And many students tune out and drop out, literally or figuratively. What do our at-risk students need? What can you do to make a difference?
Teaching across the country, from the poor inner cities to the rich suburbs and on isolated reservations, I have had the opportunity to dialogue with at-risk youth. In these diverse settings, I have asked students for suggestions on how we can reach and teach the whole at-risk student. Students shared their thoughts, reproduced below, on how to retain, engage, challenge, support, and educate all students.
What problems would you remove from your school?
- Apathy of teachers and students
- Not being challenged
- Not feeling welcomed
- Bullying and fighting
- Discrimination
- Boring classes
- Standardized
Bring Yourself to Work Every Day to Build Trust, Morale, and Culture — Whole Child Education
Bring Yourself to Work Every Day to Build Trust, Morale, and Culture — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGBring Yourself to Work Every Day to Build Trust, Morale, and CultureFebruary 27, 2014 by Whole Child PodcastDownload Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save]Educators working in a positive school culture experience collegiality, trust, and tangible support as leaders and peers, creating an en