TEACHING HOLISTICALLY
“Indigenous people believe that all things are invested with spirit. Thus religion, or more appropriately spirituality, infuses all aspects of life. There is no separation of life into compartments; everything is seen as related and connected.”
(MILLER, 2007, p. 33)
HOLISTIC EDUCATION strives for wholeness in the classroom that teaches all parts of the student—not just the mind. This means teaching students in a manner that allows them to feel and grow more than just intellectually.
Holistic education therefore doesn’t just look at the material or teaching practices alone, but all aspects in the experience, including the teacher, the classroom environment, and social interactions with the other students in the class (S. Nyary, lecture, July 24, 2020). Learning information transmitted from teacher to student limits the ideas, opinions, creativity and critical thinking that can branch off. However, with lessons that tap into the MIND, BODY and SOUL of students, deeper connections are made, and more authentic learning occurs (Chao & Stovel, 2002, pp. 116-117). Holistic education therefore is much more than just the method of delivery, but it is also the types of connections made through the nature of the design, the physical space, opportunity for meaningful reflection, and overall takeaway for the whole being of the student.
