There are a number of theories that I felt connected to, however, the one I have chosen to focus on is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
What I connected and agreed with:
What I found I connected with (in terms of my experience teaching so far in Tanzania) is the satisfying of the most basic of needs. The physiological. Diet and sleep are the factors that most stood out for me because I feel these are needs that are met, however not adequately in many students I have taught thus far.
I also understand the need for students to feel secure and safe in the environment they spend their day in, as well as at home. Once again, this is a need I do not feel is sufficiently met whether it be because of parents working and leaving their children unattended with a nanny (who may or may not be proficient in caring for the child), or because the child does not feel secure at school (bullying, teasing).
What stood out the most for me however was belongingness. I have found many students I work with struggle to find the affection and love that they need to grow. Once again, this may be because of absent parents, divorced parents, or tension at home. I have found that students who have a healthy home environment tend to be more confident, as opposed to students who do not have these needs satisfied at home - who tend to be shy, quiet and unconfident. This obviously correlates to the esteem level of the pyramid. If the first three tiers of the pyramid are unmet, the 4th, the esteem, tends to suffer.
All in all, self - actualization (at its loosest definition for the students I currently teach), growth and the willingness and desire to learn is something that is absent for students who are not sufficiently having the first four tiers of the pyramid satisfied.
New ideas and what I learnt:
Upon further research into Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, I came to learn that movement between the different tiers of the pyramid is made when one tier of needs is fulfilled. I shall follow up on this when I discuss tensions that came about.
An idea I came up with is to perhaps have students analyze their own needs and wants by inquiring into foods they eat and whether these foods are good for them in terms of their health and their concentration. Furthermore, students can reflect on whether they think they spend enough time with their families and how safe they feel. This would be most applicable via a UoI, perhaps addressing the "who we are" unit.
What I found puzzling or that created tension, and questions that I came up with:
What caused tension for me is this belief that movement between each tier of the hierarchy is dependent on the satisfying of all the needs in the previous tier. I do not necessarily find this to be true. I feel that each tier of the hierarchy is interrelated and movement between the tiers is not dependent on the complete satisfying of the needs of the tier below. For instance, students will have the need for food and sleep - the physiological fulfilled, even if they are not completely satisfied, this does not mean that the student has to feel insecure about the environment they live in or go to school in. Moreover, a student may have their physiological, safety and love/belongingness tiers fulfilled, but that does not imply that the student will have self esteem or self confidence, but at the same time they may have the determination to learn and take risks and problem solve.
I suppose the question I came up with then is:
1) If I as a teacher feel that a students needs (based on Maslow's hierarchy) are unmet, how do I approach parents in a passive manner to perhaps reflect on their own home environment?
I'd also like to add that I do not feel that this one theory gives a complete picture of what education is. I chose to focus on this theory based on the environment I have worked in and what I have seen amongst the students I currently teach.
What I connected and agreed with:
What I found I connected with (in terms of my experience teaching so far in Tanzania) is the satisfying of the most basic of needs. The physiological. Diet and sleep are the factors that most stood out for me because I feel these are needs that are met, however not adequately in many students I have taught thus far.
I also understand the need for students to feel secure and safe in the environment they spend their day in, as well as at home. Once again, this is a need I do not feel is sufficiently met whether it be because of parents working and leaving their children unattended with a nanny (who may or may not be proficient in caring for the child), or because the child does not feel secure at school (bullying, teasing).
What stood out the most for me however was belongingness. I have found many students I work with struggle to find the affection and love that they need to grow. Once again, this may be because of absent parents, divorced parents, or tension at home. I have found that students who have a healthy home environment tend to be more confident, as opposed to students who do not have these needs satisfied at home - who tend to be shy, quiet and unconfident. This obviously correlates to the esteem level of the pyramid. If the first three tiers of the pyramid are unmet, the 4th, the esteem, tends to suffer.
All in all, self - actualization (at its loosest definition for the students I currently teach), growth and the willingness and desire to learn is something that is absent for students who are not sufficiently having the first four tiers of the pyramid satisfied.
New ideas and what I learnt:
Upon further research into Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, I came to learn that movement between the different tiers of the pyramid is made when one tier of needs is fulfilled. I shall follow up on this when I discuss tensions that came about.
An idea I came up with is to perhaps have students analyze their own needs and wants by inquiring into foods they eat and whether these foods are good for them in terms of their health and their concentration. Furthermore, students can reflect on whether they think they spend enough time with their families and how safe they feel. This would be most applicable via a UoI, perhaps addressing the "who we are" unit.
What I found puzzling or that created tension, and questions that I came up with:
What caused tension for me is this belief that movement between each tier of the hierarchy is dependent on the satisfying of all the needs in the previous tier. I do not necessarily find this to be true. I feel that each tier of the hierarchy is interrelated and movement between the tiers is not dependent on the complete satisfying of the needs of the tier below. For instance, students will have the need for food and sleep - the physiological fulfilled, even if they are not completely satisfied, this does not mean that the student has to feel insecure about the environment they live in or go to school in. Moreover, a student may have their physiological, safety and love/belongingness tiers fulfilled, but that does not imply that the student will have self esteem or self confidence, but at the same time they may have the determination to learn and take risks and problem solve.
I suppose the question I came up with then is:
1) If I as a teacher feel that a students needs (based on Maslow's hierarchy) are unmet, how do I approach parents in a passive manner to perhaps reflect on their own home environment?
I'd also like to add that I do not feel that this one theory gives a complete picture of what education is. I chose to focus on this theory based on the environment I have worked in and what I have seen amongst the students I currently teach.
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