#10 Educating the WHOLE Child

Schools are under enormous pressure to close educational gaps, respond to community expectations and needs, and meet students where they are.  It’s no wonder students, educators, and parents are on a seemingly never-ending anxiety feedback loop.  Dr. Kimberly Granderson, School Psychologist for Aspire Schools and I talk about the importance of helping kids to name what they feel and develop appropriate coping strategies to deal with setbacks, disappointments, and difficulties they will experience within their lifetimes.  As a January 24, 2022 blog post on the American Psychological Association, “youth alone offers no shield against the emotional hurts, challenges, and traumas many children face.”  Parents and educators working together as partners can guide students through the many uncertainties and disappointments that happen along the way.  However, as adults, we, the educators and/or parents, also have to recognize when we ourselves are in need of guidance and assistance to cope and build resilience.  Through a conscious focus on the WHOLE child, we can help students to weather small, temporary, momentary experiences in a broader context of life-long learning.Recommended Resources:Childhood in an Anxious Age and the Crisis of Modern ParentingResilience guide for parents and teachersChildren’s mental health is in crisis