Educating the Heart

Caitlin Eyestone

"Educating the mind without educating the heart, is no education at all."

-Aristotle
Education comes from books, writing assignments, tests, quizzes and papers,
but knowledge is also attained through classroom communication, conflict resolution,
community building, hands-on experience, and friendships. A successful school career
graduates one into the world with not only math, history, science and language arts
skills but also human skills like kindness, integrity, communication, morals and
ingenuity. Socially, academically, and developmentally, school is the catalyst for the
rest of life. Students in classrooms are learning both for the future and for today.
The role of a teacher is the classroom is complex and multifaceted, changing
daily and in accordance to the needs and capacities of the students. Even in a constant
state of adaptability, I find there are overarching goals for teaching. Based upon the
research and theories of Blooms, Nodding, Maslow, and others, I view the classroom to
be a place where students learn academics, social conduct, and morality, children have
their needs met, and relationships grow.
Teaching the whole person represents an essential tenet for effective educator.
Considering the individuality of students, it is imperative that a teacher considers all
angles when approaching students in the classroom. Knowing the student as an
individual and highly valuing the gifts and capabilities of the person allows me to see
students, and the disabilities that accompany, as people instead of goals to be
accomplished. In a world where there are checklists to accomplish, data to collect, and
plans to make and fulfill, it is easy to lose sight of the people at the root of all the work.
Putting individuals first is the key to setting attainable goals and working to meet these
points of growth.
Taking the acknowledgement of individuality to another level, it is paramount for
classroom communities to celebrate each individual's differences. Not only noticing
and accepting the ways in which people are different, but taking time to rejoice in the
diversity of a classroom teaches students to value themselves and others. This
pluralistic community is a rarity, especially in a culture pushing for assimilation.
Highlighting the ways in which classroom community members are different and alike
sets the foundation for discussing inclusivity and acceptance of people from all corners
of the world and all situations of life.

Establishing an undercurrent of pluralism through the celebration of diversity

comes the next tenet of my philosophy of teaching: that which is fair may not always
be equal. If every time one student experienced injury and needed a bandage on the
elbow I dressed the elbows of every student in the classroom, much effort would be
wasted and very few needs met. Just as students are unique individuals, the needs of
the students are widely varied and ever-changing. Some students may be lacking on
the lowest levels and need foundational needs met before higher-level needs are even
considered. I consider fairness to be the knowledge and commitment to meet the
individual needs of students in the classroom.
Students with varied levels of ability and differing backgrounds require
different instructional, disciplinary, and social approaches. What is appropriate for some
students may not be for others. Working with students personally to determine what
best suits their needs in the classroom and taking time for proper accommodations is
the healthiest way for students to learn in the classroom and increases the chance for
generalizability into all areas of life, both during and after school years.
Such individualization is realistic and absolutely necessary in a special education
setting, but one commonality for all in the classroom is high expectations for self.
Students with differing goals and abilities are all capable of working at their highest
potential. The most effective way to teach students how to set and meet high personal
expectations is through modeling. Transparency about expectations I have for myself in
the classroom and in life demonstrates to students personal growth and persistence.
Sharing successes and failures gives students a front seat to the hard journey of
perseverance and urges students to follow the lead.
These tenets of effective teaching are just a sample of the many aspects of
education which I hold true, but these ideas work together to teach the whole person.
Emphasizing individuality, setting high personal expectations, and demonstrating
equality in the classroom are ways in which students can feel valued and accepted in
classroom communities, learn to build relationships with the people around them , and
derive as many learning experiences as possible from the setting. With these guiding
principles, students will leave my classroom with educated hearts and minds.