Our Needs: Maslow's Hierarchy

Understanding both our and our students’ needs as people goes a long towards establishing productive and caring relationships in our schools.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs consists of five levels, usually represented as a pyramid. The bottom four needs are generally classified as those that must be met at a physiological level. They underpin our growth. Should these needs not be met then higher growth needs are very difficult to achieve. 

As teachers we should understand ourselves first on how well our physiological needs are being catered for, if we aren’t happy in ourselves then we have little chance of being there for our students. 

Also, when our students present with unacceptable behaviours in class, there is a reason for it in terms of their needs, and we must be empathetic to the cause not the result. 

The fifth level of Maslow’s hierarch relates to our everyday motivators and drivers of our behaviours to grow ourselves. It is all about our inner desires to bring out the best in ourselves. 

The issue for us as educators is that if our students needs in the four lower levels aren’t met, then they’ll present as disengaged and disinterested; we can’t teach them if we can’t reach them.

Maslow’s Hierarchy is classified as:- 

• Level 1 – Physiological Needs – our requirements to exist include breathing, water, sleeping, eating etc. if all of these aren’t met, we will feel ill and sick.
   
• Level 2 – Safety Needs – our requirements for feeling safe include security of employment, family relationships, health and resources to live life.
   
• Level 3 – Love and Belonging Needs – our requirements for social and emotional fulfilment include friendship, close personal relationships, being accepted in a group, feeling loved and valued.
   
• Level 4 – Self Esteem and Status – our requirements include to be respected by others, be recognised for what we do, have self confidence and a sense of contribution to the overall good of society.
   
• Level 5 – Self Actualisation – our requirements include to optimise our creativity, acceptance of the world’s realities, problem solving, appreciation of life and to be developmental, not judgemental in our thinking.

Time spent investigating Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs will benefit the climate in our classrooms, nurture quality relationships and enhance our students’ learning outcomes.

 “CARE – Care, Appreciate, Respect, Enjoy” Trinity Bay State High School