Breaking down barriers to help teachers do what they do best
Each time Monica Milligan visits a Gradient Learning partner school and meets with the educators in the building, she’s reminded of the long-lasting impact of Whole Student learning.
“I leave with so much hope for the future,” Milligan said.
In her role as Executive Director at Gradient Learning, Milligan knows all about the various challenges facing schools across the country. But she also deeply believes that school leaders and teachers in those communities want to do whatever they can to help students be set up for success in all aspects of their lives.
“I know from personal experience that being a teacher, a school leader, and a district leader is incredibly challenging,” Milligan said. “And I truly believe that if they could, every teacher, school leader, and district leader would want every child to get what they need. But there are barriers standing in the way.”
Milligan recently spoke about breaking down these barriers during an engaging conversation on the All Things Marketing and Education podcast.
“I want to ensure that we are doing all that we can to reduce the barriers for (educators) to do what they are best at,” Milligan said. “So I consider my role at Gradient as being kind of a ‘barrier-buster’ for lack of a better term. How do I get rid of all the barriers? How do I make it as easy as possible for a teacher to do what they’re uniquely qualified to do?”
Milligan said the answer lies in Whole Student education.
“Whole Student education is about helping students grow as whole people throughout their K-12 journey by supporting them academically, emotionally, and cognitively,” Milligan said. “It’s about helping students master not only academic content, but also critical life skills like curiosity, communication, critical thinking, and self-direction. So that by the time they graduate high school, they are graduating with a stronger sense of self, a greater ability to learn, and better life outcomes.”
Milligan said a common misconception about Whole Student learning is that it’s a one-off type of lesson that is separate from the reading, writing, and arithmetic portions of the school day. When done right, educating the Whole Student begins with a warm greeting each morning and is evident throughout all parts of the classroom experience.
“We like to think about it as a really kind of integrated lens into the whole day,” Milligan said. “It’s not a separate time in the day, but it’s in your math classroom and in your history classroom.”
"How do I make it as easy as possible for a teacher to do what they’re uniquely qualified to do?”
The goal, Milligan said, is that every student feels seen and heard throughout their school experience. Milligan knows firsthand the importance of that as she looks back on her own scholastic journey.
As an immigrant student who didn’t speak English, Milligan spent her first two years of school in the U.S. falling behind academically and largely going unnoticed by her teachers. The turning point for Milligan came when her third-grade teacher recruited a local Korean minister to translate for her, including in-home English lessons for her and her family.
Reflecting on this experience, Milligan realized having an authentic relationship with a teacher was the key to creating opportunities for students beyond the classroom.
“She changed the trajectory of my life and my entire family's life,” Milligan said. “My third-grade teacher gave me exactly what I needed at the exact moment that I needed it. I want every student to get what they need at the time that they need it.”
To ensure this is possible, educators must be given the tools they need to teach both academics and life skills to help all students grow, learn, and find their place in the world.
“We want students to graduate with the skills that will allow them to thrive,” Milligan said.
