Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Chapter 11 Motivation
Maslow broke down the psychological needs of people or more importantly our students needs. His theory is based that if a persons basic and physiological needs are met they will be successful. In my experience I have noticed that my kiddos work better when they have a full tummy of food. In addition, our faculty spends quite a bit of time caring for other basic needs like clothing and school supplies. We are always reminded of how fortunate our campus is because it is brand new. I believe putting value and worth into what we have and do is very important to me and my students.
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I definitely have to agree with you! I've had several students whose parents can't even afford school supplies. Good thing I can provide them with them, if not, how would they succeed? When I assign projects, some don't even turn them in because their parents don't even have money for a simple poster board. I always have to "modify" the assignment for them to where it doesn't require for parents to buy anything. But yes, their needs need to be met.
ReplyDeleteShannon you are right that meeting the basic needs of our children can make them perform at a higher standard in school. I love the commercial for Frosted Mini-Wheat’s. The little frosted guy speaks to the importance of eating a good breakfast before starting your day. He might as well be saying “Meet Maslow’s basic physiological need before you can start your pursuit of self –actualization.” It is a cute commercial with a very important message. We need our children basic physiological and social needs met to be successful students in school.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting that your students work better with a full tummy. I have found that the classes I have right after lunch are my worst behavior wise and motivation wise. It seems as if my students are either hopped up on sugar or they have such a full tummy that they would rather nap. It is great that your school focuses on making sure that all students have clothing and school supplies. Students do better at school when they feel as if they are prepared or have nice clothes. I have noticed that a new school can also make a difference when it comes to the behaviors and outlooks of students. When students are surrounded by an updated, clean and new environment they are often more motivated than students are in an environment that is old, dirty or dilapidated. You make some excellent points!
ReplyDeleteShannon i really like the simplicity of how you explained Marlow's Hierarchy of Needs. You are completely correct. If a child's needs are met, his/her learning will increase to a much higher level. All these needs are so important. It's amazing to see how if a child eats breakfast in the morning, it can make a world of difference. This is why these tools are so important perhaps not only for teachers but for parents as well.
ReplyDeleteThe emotional needs of students are important as well. In Maslow’s hierarchy students must have the basics in order to even begin feeling good about the next level – Safety and Security. Begin is the key word here. Safety and security have to be established before a student will be open emotionally to feeling loved and like they belong. The theory continues in this fashion until each level of the pyramid is met. However, even if a student is receiving the basic needs and they feel physically safe, there is no guarantee they will feel emotionally safe. If students don’t feel this safety it will be difficult for them to be open to certain learning opportunities.
ReplyDeleteMaslow's hierarchy works like a bank account. I think of it as an emotional bank account. This bank account can grow and be rich through deposits. It can also reach a steady place and stay there for a long time. Or, life events can deplete this bank account. I used to think of Maslow's hierarchy as set in stone. A person has either reached a certain level and they stay there or they don't. Now I believe differently. For example, I think my families emotional bank account grew stronger last night. We played a game called like\dislike. Each person has a turn. If there are three people A, B, and C, and C goes first C gets to say one like and one dislike for both A and B. There are rules like you can't say you don't like someones hair. You have to say something that has to do with family life. Also, if someone says something they don't like about you you can't defend yourself at this time. You can only ask clarifying questions. I think this game helps us all feel emotionally safe and secure according to Maslow's hierarchy.
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