Holistic Approach – Learning Introspection

It has been decades where the buzzword on the holistic approach is used and abused with much fanfare. However what the intent of the usage of the word and the actual usage is very satirical. It looks like most of the educators have taken a sabbatical and looking forward to each other to take the first step. The more egalitarian usage that we see in today’s education system especially in K-12 segment, the whole lot is confused out there. The maze that the so called humans have created has become an educational and occupational hazards in the Child’s growth. 

The kind of wisdom that is depicted by a chosen few is actually devoid of any narrative correlated to the emotional quotient of an individual. The loads of projects moreover getting done by the parents themselves so as to showcase their ward the best is alarming. This leads to a very interesting phenomenon in the designing curriculum in itself. There are two aspects in designing a curriculum; Intelligence and Emotional. The other similar nomenclatures like co scholastic, scholastic, co curricular activities; extracurricular activities, etc. are raising enough doubts on the system to practice the same. The basic understanding should be very clear. 

What is a holistic approach?

The purpose of education is to build a happier society; we need a more holistic approach that promotes the practice of love and compassion – The Dalai Lama

How I as an educator engage the student completely. Human being is a natural thinker and has conceptual building platforms that propagate in multi direction. Am I as a teacher, as a mentor facilitating enough to raise the participation of an individual with or without a team and guide the participation physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually? 

I as an educator have to inculcate the habit of exercising the mind and body. Physical endurance is an important parameter to lead a sustainable life forward. The mind plays an important role. It knows the things that we like - to accept and the things that we dislike - to reject. It is the Yin and Yang in the mind that truly identifies with the theory of acceptance of selective wisdom. As an educator I have to remove the blocks formed in the minds of my students. 

In my interactions with various mentors, teachers, educators over a decade I have observed that somewhere people are caught in the dichotomy of knowledge dissemination and syllabus completion. As a teacher I need to be facilitated as well. If I have to take a holistic perspective then my suggestions should be heard. Holistic approach is not about only making the students techno geeks, hands on learning activity experts and wizards. The onus on the education system is to help them acquire enough skills so that they can build upon a sustainable career over a period of time. In my interview with 200 Principals only 2 Principals have taken session on importance of nutritional value that to once in 6 months. However, some have made charts on what to bring in the lunch box. 

Teach them the values and life skills that will make them better human being. Ironically we see that the life skills session is narrated, mind well I am using the word narrated and not taken as participative, once in a fortnight or a month. The physical education session is hardly there. Even if it is there the part timers are there to operate. So clean that mess created by our inhibitions, shrug them and stride ahead. The small differences that we make in each other’s life carry a long way and inculcate the pride of developing roundabout personality in a true – Holistic Approach