The concept of mind, body, and soul has always loomed around the psychological sphere for decades. However, with psychology and the state of mind responsible for every activity becoming a trend, ‘holistic’ learning is now finding its place in the mainstream media.
Especially in schools, because there was a dynamic shift in the academic world after the pandemic. To notice the thinnest silver lining of the devastating disease engulfing the world, academic admiratives have found countless drawbacks of traditional learning methods.
The list can go on from being restricted within the four walls to having no practical knowledge to utilize later in their lives. However, with this realization came reforms in the educational sphere.
Starting with adding elements of philosophy and psychology to help children learn better. One such concept of philosophy is holistic education – the art of educating the whole person and not just the mind to excel in examinations.
If this is your first time stumbling across this word, then here is a short and simple definition of it:
Holistic learning is a dynamic approach where the teacher is not restricting themselves to one format of teaching. Rather they are adorning the classes with new ethical, emotional, and social learning methods (all integrated into one).
This helps students to relate to their core curriculum. Hone their curiosity towards a subject and encourage self-learning rather than enforcing education upon the child like a burden they need to carry for more than 20 years of their life.
There are a few benefits of holistic learning, as mentioned by faculties of one of the top international school that have incorporated this form of learning in their classrooms.
An authoritarian air often looms in the classroom, often restricting students from asking important questions beyond the syllabus. Holistic learning, however, changes this dynamic with a more authoritative model.
The teacher is in control but also has a positive and friendly relationship with their students. This often comes into play because of personalized teaching methods or a one-on-one discussion between the student and teacher.
When the student realizes that the teacher is able to understand their pain points, enlist their strength, and help them work on their weaknesses, a special bond is formed between the two. Since building a strong EQ (Emotional Quotient) is an important part of holistic learning, the student feels more nurtured and learns better.
Since this dismisses the idea of ‘one size fits all’ in the means of education, it opens the floor for exploration. The student can explore through self-studying techniques and help the child find groundbreaking techniques exclusively to help them.
On the other hand, it allows the teacher to review and analyze how the children prosper in different categories. Holistic exercises are a healthier way to let the child’s unique talent show organically rather than forcing it out.
Although mastering difficult subjects is important to put oneself against any advanced academic challenge in the future, learning relevant life lessons is equally important. Holistic learning provides ample opportunity for a child to polish their curtail thinking and problem-solving capabilities from a very young age.
Top charting international schools have started exercising daily activities, which subtly improve a child’s social interaction, communication, sharing & cooperation, and emotional quotient. Which is essentially “preparing them for the future.”
The aim of holistic learning is cultivating a child’s emotional, moral, physical, spiritual, and psychological attributes. The lessons in holistic education are usually conducted in a supportive as well as safe environment. Given below are some holistic educational methods:
Top global schools focus on the experiential form of education as it offers hands-on learning experiences. For example, students collaborate in groups and work together to explore multiple learning styles.
It helps them determine which style is the most efficient for them. Holistic and experiential techniques usually include problem-solving activities to devise innovative products and address the concerns of the community.
As the name suggests, teachers let students gain knowledge in their own style, particularly the one that suits them the best. In self-taught learning environments, there is a possibility of personalization.
This ultimately mitigates the inefficiencies of the “one-size-fits-all” educational models. In order to align with the curriculum’s pace and content, low-stakes assessments were previously deployed. Classrooms might be a bit smaller with students of different age groups.
Thirdly, community centers depend on the idea that individuals find meaning by establishing connections with other people in the community. Community members and teachers come together along with family members, organizations, and residents to offer integrated support.
An aspirant gets expanded learning opportunities along with summer and after-school programs. Schools form a hub of any community that brings academic, social, engagement, and development activities together.
A large portion of holistic learning is the concept that the cognitive growth of students is enhanced when various subjects are collaboratively addressed. Various schools are working on introducing integrated programs.
The base of these programs are teachers belonging to multiple disciplines of life. They come together and give lessons on thematic courses addressing concerns from various perspectives. Assignments might also include travel, internships, independent research, and fieldwork.
Holistic learning is famously known to build strong adults and prepare them for the world’s challenges.
There is often a misconception that children with holistic learning do not learn enough. That the syllabus is made easier and skimmed down to thin learning. However, that is not the case in many top-tier international schools.
They do promise to provide the child with a rigorous academic curriculum for their future educational challenges. However, they do so by not pressuring their child to mug up a book!
With this, we bring an end to our guide on holistic learning. Share your thoughts about this by commenting down below. Thank you for reading!
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Arnab Das is a passionate blogger who loves to write on different niches like technologies, dating, finance, fashion, travel, and much more.
