Lou Weber: The Whole Child Approach in the Library
RSSBy Lauren Barack
The Whole Child Approach to teaching and learning believes that each child deserves to be in a healthy, safe,
engaged, supported, and challenged environment. As a librarian at Malcolm Price Laboratory School in Cedar Falls, IA, for the past 11 years, Lou Weber knows exactly how to weave all of that into a child's schooling. No wonder her school recently won the Whole Child award from the educational leadership group ACSD. We asked Weber why the Whole Child concept is still so unique in schools, and how she supports the program through the library for the school's 355 students.
How did Malcolm Price launch the Whole Child concept?
We have a K-12 citizenship program, which we support with guidelines that talk about respect and responsibility. That's been around for quite awhile in the school and that got us engaged with ASCD in the first place. And then as they shifted to Whole Child, we shifted to Whole Child.
Do you think most schools incorporate at least some part of Whole Child into learning?
I don't think it is happening. I hate to say that. But, for example, we are very proud in our schools because we are offering healthy food. Our previous school lunch was not healthy. Nothing was cooked fresh. And I think that's happening in a lot of schools or we wouldn't have the obesity problem. But now we only cook fresh food from local farmers, and they talk about the food with the kids. And the students are actually eating things like kale, broccoli and Brussels spouts and to me that's the most outstanding thing about our school. But I would say at our school, is every class engaging? Does every child feel supported all the time? No. But is that an ideal we'd like to reach? Absolutely.
How does Whole Child get expressed in the library?
The most important place where the library fits in is safety. I've always viewed a library as a safe place for people. Before school, at lunchtime, there are kids that come to the library because that's where they won't be bothered. Librarians know there are kids that come in, who know the librarians will talk with them when no one else will talk with. It's knowing that when you get to school if no one will talk to you, it's an appropriate place to go. And it's not hiding in the locker room. I'm always going to be here. Teachers, and certainly classroom teachers, are in the same situation. But the classroom teachers might be taking kids here or there, while I'm here all the time. I tell students, 'If you don't know where you're going, I'm the one you can find.'
How does Whole Child get supported through research materials?
Certainly a library also wants to be a physical space where it's inviting, and has engaging materials so when students have an information need, you're going to be able to help them. I still get a chuckle out of when a kid asks for a really obtuse book, and they are astounded we don't have it. And I say we don't have every book in the world. They assume that we do. And that's a good thing.
How can parents work with their children to support the Whole Child idea at home?
We have just been talking about trying to come up with more options for parents to encourage their kids at home. That's a new thing for us. It's not like it hasn't happened before, but it's a new concentration. We've been talking about maybe sending things out over the summer. Like here's something new to try this week. I'm not sure whether it will pan out, but we're all worried about what kids lose over the summer. And I think that's happening already at most schools with newsletters that go out at end of each week that say, 'Here's what we're doing at home.' 'Here's a website if you want to work on multiplication tables,' hint, hint. But of course not everyone will follow through on it. What made us think of it this year is we purchased a database where kids can do online reading at home. It's been highly successful, and kids are really doing it, and we thought if they're doing this, maybe do other things as well. I like to send student-generated reading lists from their class. And that could be online. We can find things to keep kids busy all the time.
