Lately the term “holistic education” has come to be associated with a focus on social-emotional health at the expense of academics…
A phrase with an undeserved reputation for “academically underperforming”…
Like many labels with negative connotations, we’ve seen it done wrong and those are the examples that strike fear into our hearts when it comes to the trajectory of our children’s education. As I enter year 9 of coaching high achieving science teams (where I don’t teach any science!!), I have watched how year after year, a holistic approach actually produces higher than average achievement with better outcomes in emotional regulation and resiliency.
In fact, our team has had to sometimes turn away “tiger parents” who are drawn to our level of achievement but can’t connect with our holistic approach because they just do not believe it can work. I was even once criticized for not being “hard enough” on my middle school team kids.
Holistic education is an approach that focuses on the complete development of an individual, rather than just their academic abilities. It views each child as a complex and interconnected being, aiming to develop well-rounded, regulated and capable individuals. This form of education seeks to connect different learning experiences and create a rich and engaging curriculum that goes beyond rote memorization and standardized tests. It often includes experiential learning, emotional and social development, and an emphasis on creativity and critical thinking. It nurtures students by fostering self-awareness, responsibility, and a sense of belonging to a wider world. The idea is to prepare learners not only for academic success but also to live meaningful and satisfying lives in an ever-changing global society.
And so it goes for our organization: integrative topics and Socratic learning to foster critical thinking and analysis, incorporation of social behavior skills that help individuals grow competent and comfortable working in groups and presenting their ideas, incorporation of executive function and self-awareness skills to create habits to last a lifetime, a culture where failure of a task is repeatedly treated as part of a process with focus on how to move forward, and adults that can pause to deal with “big moments” that make a difference.
The result is that our students become more resilient, humble, compassionate, articulate and more importantly – analytical thinkers with a strong skill set.
Join us. Change their trajectory.