Knowing your students outside of education
One thing that I took very seriously in my degree was the theory of multiple intelligences. I wish this would have been more prominent when I was a student. Growing up, I struggled with a number of subjects as I am a kinesthetic learner- I learn best by moving. I think that is why I gravitated to music- I was able to apply concepts and have immediate and measurable results. For example, my teacher demonstrated how to play an F-sharp on my instrument in tune. I applied that technique and was able to recall it whenever I read an F-sharp. The thing is, I had read about that in my technique book weeks before, but couldn’t retain the information as I didn’t know what to apply, when or how.
Maslow’s Discovery
In addition to the multiple intelligences, American psychologist Abraham Maslow realized that there is another level. He did much research with students and also adults. He found that the common factor for both groups is much deeper. In order for learning to happen, the person needs to feel a number of things. See the picture below!
The foundation of the pyramid is the most basic of all needs. And really, it makes sense. I am able to accomplish more before I become HANGRY than after. Hearing my stomach growl and counting the minutes until lunch becomes my priority rather than taking in foreign information. Once the first level of the pyramid is satisfied, the next level comes- Safety. And so on and so forth. To read more, check this out: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html.
Things I Think About
When creating the learning space, environment and even designing lessons, I consider the pyramid. Do I need to create alternatives? How do I teach a concept in a way that my students feel safe and included? It could be as simple as letting the student take a break and read a topic-related book, or using smaller groups. How do I ensure all of the needs of all the students are being satisfied? But even before that, how do I do that? It’s all circumstantial, and chances are you have a team of educators working together on this issue.
What do you think about? Who are your students really? How do you strategize to optimize your student learning?