Educational Theorists: Guiding Students to Success
There are so many factors that contribute to student success. If a student is not prepared to learn, then the process becomes much more difficult. Abraham Maslow, a well known American psychologist, established a motivational theory that typically consists of five tiers, each of which needs to be met in order to move on to the next. These tiers include categories of physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Maslow's hierarchy of needs can be seen in the image below:
.gif)
What does this mean for teachers, and why is it so important?
We should start by considering the fact that not meeting any one of these needs can often inhibit a student's ability to learn and retain information. Here is an example...
An adolescent girl has to walk two miles to get to school because her guardian picks up an early morning shift at work. In order to get to school on time, she leaves her house 20 minutes earlier than she would if she was being dropped off. In those 20 minutes, she normally spends time eating her breakfast and packing her school bag for the day ahead. When she arrives to school, her teacher finds that she is missing her homework, and is exhausted even before the bell rings
By looking at Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we can conclude that this student has not met the basic physiological need of rest and food. By missing her breakfast, and straying from her normal routine, she arrives to school tired and not ready to learn.
It becomes our jobs as teachers to create an environment that fosters open communication with students. It is also incredibly important to be aware of what is going on. If a student arrives tired and unprepared, as the example student did above, it is our job as educators to ask if they have had breakfast, or if they need anything before starting their day. Only then will they be able to learn and have a positive experience in the classroom.
What structures exist in school to help meet these needs?
A great example of a structure put into place to help students reach all five tiers of Maslow's hierarchy of needs can be found in teaming. Teaming, which is gaining popularity in middle level education, allows students to feel safe, supported, and secure in their environment. It not only fosters strong relationships between educators and students, but it also fosters respect and friendship between peers. Strong peer relationships are crucial in reaching Maslow's love/belonging and esteem tiers. And since students are supported in small team dynamics, educators are better able to identify if needs are not being met in the bottom tiers as well. Teaming allows students to be their best selves in an environment that is conducive to learning.
For more information about teaming check out:
Comments
Post a Comment