Looking at Alternative Ways to Teach Students
Raji Swaminathan, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies, researches issues of holistic education and social justice.
Assistant Professor Raji Swaminathan thinks that the focus in many schools is narrowly intellectual. A more holistic approach to educating students can have marked results. Much of Swaminathan’s ongoing research centers on issues of holistic education and social justice, which she says looks at nurturing the child while, at the same time, fighting for a better world.
“By holistic education, I mean finding alternative ways to teach children and educating the whole child, which would include the intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual,” Swaminathan, who works in the Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies, says. “Children who are socially and emotionally mature are likely to be higher achievers.”
She also says that social justice issues come into play in education because students need to learn to maneuver and negotiate within diverse communities and school settings. “I think schools cannot be exact mirrors of society. We often talk about schools needing to prepare children for the real world, but in my view, we are not really about fitting children into the real world - that would mean simple conformity.” Instead, she says, schools should be safe places where issues about what should be kept or changed in society can be explored in a kind, but also challenging way. “We want students to understand that they can be change agents in society.”
According to Swaminathan, these ideas come out through dialogue and relationships. At one public school where she has been involved, she serves as a “critical friend,” observing classes, serving on the school council, and giving her perspective on issues that come up at the school.
At the school, she observed a semester-long seminar for students who wanted to change the name of the school because they didn’t identify with it. “Most public schools would say they don’t have time for this. But this school allowed students to challenge teachers and the school. There wasn’t conflict, but rather it was a wonderful space where students could speak freely.”
Along with student empowerment and dialogue, Swaminathan also studies silence and solitude and its place in schools. At another school she worked with, students had quiet periods throughout the day. She says this helps individuals find meaning in their lives, discovering their values or how they want to live their lives. In today’s society, she says, people feel they must be constantly occupied. However, she feels it is important to take time to stop and think - and this is helpful for students also. “Learning how to listen is important and makes a difference for students.”
When conducting her research, Swaminathan says she enjoys looking for spaces where extraordinary conversations take place and where she can give her energy to help teachers find new solutions to problems.
Of the schools she has studied throughout the U.S., England and India that have these types of innovative curricula and ideas, she has found that most students love schools. “The atmosphere, mood and emotion one creates in a school are important ingredients for school success. The climate is very dependent on the adults at the school. They can create a culture of collaboration, cooperation, and kindness and care – or they can create the opposite. I don’t believe the latter is conducive to living in any kind of community. Schools need to figure out how to collaborate and cooperate so students can go out and live in the community.”
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