Believing in someone is a concern of the spirit, and it matters in the classroom. Most of the students with whom educators daily work have little identity beyond home and school. It is through the way that they are treated, challenged, and coached that they become somebodies. The willful act of believing in a student's ability can overcome even severe problems. These days schools seem to emphasize testing, standards, and educating students for the workplace.
Holistic education is about just that.
Through balancing different learning approaches, including all students and learning strategies in the classroom, and connecting students to the classroom community, to the school community, and to one another, we can provide a broader vision of education and human development. 49-52 Spiritual development has a legitimate place in the high school curriculum as young people begin to grapple with the big questions of life. The process of inviting soul and spirituality into the classroom, in a context separate from religious traditions, involves a highly structured form of discourse called council, in which students learn to listen deeply in an atmosphere of respect and safety. Throughout these yearnings runs the experience of deep connections to self, to others, to nature, to lineage, and to a higher power. By building on these yearnings and deep connections, educators can develop spirituality in their students.