The whole child -- what does that mean? It means seeing a child beyond numbers, levels, test scores, and to instead know family histories, struggles, responsibilities, things that matter to the individual--what they enjoy or are good at. It means getting to know the child as a person--a human being with opinions, strengths, and passions.
Campano argues "wouldn't it be possible to imagine life experiences not as a deficit, but as a resource and a potential theoretical orientation to the world, one that can deepen my own understanding of teaching and learning in an ethnically diverse neighborhood?"(p. 15)
Knowing the child to help us empathize with her, but also to build on her strengths. What are her experiences outside of school that she can lean on to navigate her day better and succeed inside of a curriculum that can be so far removed from his own life? Using what she knows can make all the difference. How can I as her teacher encourage and influence this to happen?
Campano continues, stating "that when children come to class, however, they are often led to believe that these realities don't matter, except as a barrier to learning. Many are reticent at the beginning, eager to defer to the wisdom of teachers and administrators. With persistent disappointment, this reticence may evolve into feelings of frustration, disengagement, and eventually disenchantment. What would it mean to develop curricular that acknowledge our students' unique social identities, not as problems, but rather as profound sources of knowledge that could help us illuminate aspects of our shared world and inform the ways in which we conceptualize our pedagogies?"
(pp. 15-16)
How difficult would that be to do in our classrooms? Surveying each student at the beginning of the year. Visiting their homes (or giving caregivers that choice), leading parent/teacher conferences differently. Asking questions like “What is your child good at?” “What is his life outside of school?” “What responsibilities does he have at home?” “Where does he fall in the birth order?”
Campano discusses accountability, stating "to be mindful of engagement of others, to learn productivity from and respond to the experiences of others, and to cultivate mutual empathy and understanding. It is about relationships" (p. 46)
Why does it feel like the only real thing that matters around accountability is a test given on a single day? In life, many people can do well on tests and not be successful. It is one measurement. A person is so much more than that one day’s test result.
Campano continues, noting that "some of my most profound teaching moments occurred when our classroom literacy engagements become informed by the students' own experiences and identities. When this was done well, they performed at levels equal to or surpassing those of any peer group across the country, even by conventional measures such as standardized-test scores.” (p. 41)
Getting to know the "whole child" can seem so overwhelming, but I think when we don't acknowledge that kids have their own experiences and identities we do ourselves (and them, of course) a huge disservice. I think what you said above about creating curriculum that acknowledges student's unique backgrounds and life experiences, rather than seeing them as problems is something all teachers should consider when they step inside the classroom.
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