Educating The Whole Child
It is ridiculous to think that a teacher or parent can educate just a part of the child, but that is the traditional approach, with each subject taught separately, relying solely on books, pen and paper. I hesitate to use terms like Holistic Education or Whole Child, because these terms are embraced by educational businesses (such as tutoring agencies), and by the Common Core Curriculum, both examples of non-holistic education.
The "whole child" view implies that the whole child is influenced by everything, and interacts with everything, with the whole world. In turn, the whole world is interacting with the child. Our children are aware of far more than they can express, and they are learning all the time. Taking this view, I can never fully plan what a student will learn. My understanding of their learning happens in hindsight, as I watch their development and reflect on the experience. Most often the child reaches for or receives something unplanned. The nature of this learning can be social, linguistic, creative, physical, mental or logical, or all of the above. It is impossible to plan or foresee this, because each child is different and each situation unfolds unpredictably.
Visiting Museums With Children
I was a rambunctious, strong-willed, independent child, and my mother was determined this would not stop her from pursuing one of her passions: museums. She devised ways to keep me interested. I probably raced down the museum galleries yelling my head off, but somehow she kept me amused.
We played treasure hunt games, where she would direct me to find something. "Look for the hidden dog in a painting in this room," which I proudly pointed out once discovered. I never forgot the "Three Musicians" by Picasso, with a wagging tail keeping time and the rest of the large dog sitting in shadow under their legs. You can see it at MoMA. At the Metropolitan Museum you can pick up treasure hunt guides developed by curators just for kids. Browse the Greek galleries for animals or gods and goddesses mentioned in the Percy Jackson books. Find scenes and objects From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Search the African galleries or the arms and armor collection, or look for games of chess. You can download the guide before you go or pick it up at the information counter.