Whole Child Education

As a parent, and therefore my child’s very first teacher, I aim to give my child (and children around the world) a whole person education today so they can have a whole purpose impact tomorrow.

My activities and learning resources are focused on helping children to develop creative-thinking and problem-solving skills without relying on an adult always telling them what to think and see when they look at the world.

It’s not that they won’t learn ABC’s or numbers and shapes.  Those things are certainly part of growing a clever child.  But we are different in our understanding that helping a child develop their social-emotional development actually sets them further ahead in their overall future academic success, as a better and more well-rounded, healthy-minded adult.

I Am My Child’s First Teacher, And I Focus On Building The Whole Child

I teach children how to make a new friend, and how to handle inevitable rejection on the playground they’ll certainly experience at least once in their childhood.  Often many more times.

I focus on helping a child to be clever, so they can have solid building blocks as a foundation for the rest of their academics.

I emphasize helping a child become confident, so that they won’t want to hide under a desk when it’s time to read aloud to their class.

I concentrate on helping a child become caring, because kindness and compassion in this world while learning to understand how to recognize the needs of their neighbors always brings joy to the giver and the receiver of kindness.

I highlight nature and the world around us so that a child can watch a butterfly that they’ve watched hatch from a cocoon fly away, and learn that loving something sometimes includes letting go.

I give children choices before they even know what choices are to show them that their voice matters.

I offer children activities for toddlers all the way through kindergarten without having one specific conclusion in mind so they can imagine and create a new set of possibilities for themselves!

Life skills, like learning how to set a table, and simple ways of tying a shoe is a constant part of what we share, and how we help the whole child grow.

I suggest giving objects that are easily breakable to a child so that they can learn how to be gentle to living creatures, and gentle with other people’s hearts.

I encourage two children that are struggling to get along to have dedicated time together so they can learn to work out differences with people they disagree with.

I give children activities that are intentionally meant to not be rushed, so they can develop a strong sense of sticking to one thing until it’s done at their own pace.

I make room for a child to be upset, angry, disappointed and frustrated because it’s a normal part of life, and I want to help them navigate their way through it in a safe environment.

I highlight mistakes as valuable teachers that help us learn and grow, and to help teach other children watching that we can all learn from other people’s mistakes and grow together as a community.

I emphasize hope because there are times that that’s all we have to get us through challenging times.