Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed his “Hierarchy of Needs,” a model for psychological health, based on the yogic system of seven energy systems in the body, called “chakras.”
According to
traditional educational practices, we build upward on a solid foundation
codified in Maslow’s five-part pyramid: (1) safe walls, warmth, proper
ventilation, food, water, time-outs, sanitation; (2) a safe place to park our
cars, security systems, vetted teachers and staff; (3) loving teachers, staff,
and friends; (4) opportunities for high
grades, awards, career opportunities; (5) support and appreciation for our
individuality, originality, interests.
Naturally, I believe in creating an environment in which my students feel safe, secure, loved, confident, and special. But as a practicing yogini for almost 40 years and a certified yoga teacher, I decided to return to the original system of chakras to articulate more deeply where I believe contemporary education, imprisoned by assessment systems, stop teachers and students alike from reaching the stage of self-actualization. I have adapted Maslow's pyramid to reflect on teaching and classroom dynamics.
Naturally, I believe in creating an environment in which my students feel safe, secure, loved, confident, and special. But as a practicing yogini for almost 40 years and a certified yoga teacher, I decided to return to the original system of chakras to articulate more deeply where I believe contemporary education, imprisoned by assessment systems, stop teachers and students alike from reaching the stage of self-actualization. I have adapted Maslow's pyramid to reflect on teaching and classroom dynamics.
The chakras correspond to sections of the physical spine that send energy to various portions of the body. Starting at bottom center there are seven: root, reproduction, solar plexus, heart, throat, eye, crown of head. To the left, I inserted the human need these chakras serve: Survival, Security, Power/Intellect, Love, Communication. The top two chakras move us into what psychologist Mihály Csikszentmihályi calls “flow”—absorption, fascination, freedom. On the right, I wrote the predominant psychological state for each level: anger/fear, manipulation, focus, generosity, honesty. The top two stages lead to ultimate joy and bliss. Bracketed, in the center, are my pedagogical correlates. And here is where I want to focus for this post.SURVIVAL STAGE
Most
of our educational practices focus on the bottom three chakra dynamics. At its extreme, a class stuck in the survival
stage is fraught with anger, fear, and frustration on both sides of the teacher’s
desk. Everyone will be constrained by strict
requirements, grades, digitalized assessment, getting-it-over-with, and the
need to escape. Questions will tend to
be of the yes/no or multiple choice variety. Entrained to be vigilant
people-pleasers, students will be constantly afraid of being wrong. Teachers will,
in turn, be afraid of the disapproval of their superiors and the possible loss
of their own jobs if students don’t measure up to assessment criteria. Student
and teacher will gossip about how awful each other is. Negativity, robotic actions, and despair
reign.
Bogged down in this stage, teachers will be focused on
reproducing their own beliefs and ways of thinking in their students—attempting
to clone themselves. Teachers will
chronically ask “guess what I’m thinking” questions. The subject matter—whether science or
literature—will be treated as normative systems; that is, built on a foundation
of accepted laws, algorithms, and dogma.
Teachers will manipulate students to, as in the first stage, “get things
right”—a.k.a. be me. Some students will thrive at this stage,
because, not having to think for themselves, they can just give the teacher
what he wants and make the grade. Other students will balk at the lack of
freedom and act out in different ways, mostly to their own detriment.
POWER STAGE
All three bottom stages are about exerting power over others: think what I think, do what I want you to do. But in stage three we are introduced to the
possibility of disagreement and intellectual discourse and argumentation
(without the anger or manipulation of the Survival and Security stages). Teachers will ask open questions and create
an environment of lively discussion.
Nonetheless, there is still a hierarchy and power structure in place: the teacher is, de facto, the ultimate expert: the last, and too often only, word. Students who prefer the security stage will
be more challenged in this stage because they will have to take some responsibility
for their own thinking.
LOVE STAGE
The very name of this stage will make those who are
devoted to the bottom three stages balk.
But the bottom three levels are where our educational systems
falter. And there is nothing negatively “touchy-feely,”
the usual slur on non-traditionalists, about the Love Stage. What’s true is that there is nothing positive
about students losing the sense that they have their own minds or
experiences. Stuck in the bottom three
stages, students are more vulnerable to falling into addictive use of social
networks, games, substances, YouTube, and Netflix. We have an innate need for
freedom and these first three stages can imprison us.
Psychologist L. S. Vygotsky coined the term “zone of proximal
development” to identify where learning happens: on the edge of what the
student and cannot do for herself.
Teachers stuck in the Survival, Security, and Power stages rarely take
the time to discover the zone where an individual resides—too desperate to get through
their lesson plans and reassert their ascendancy.
One
of the first things I ask my literature and writing students is “What do you love
to read?” The question stuns most of
them. Rarely has anyone, let alone a
teacher, asked them that. School has
been about prescription and proscription: read this, don’t read that. With some rare exceptions, they will not cite
what they have read for classes. They
devolve into genres and texts that are not taught—it is an expression of the
need for self-regulation.
If we are in a course that promises certain texts—as in
my Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson course—I ask them of the readings for the day
Did you like it? Where?
What did you not like? Why? In
this, I am decentering myself as the source of knowledge—given the climate of
our education, that reads as an act of sharing of power, an act of
generosity. What they have to offer—their
giving, their generosity—is encouraged (a word derived from corage—to give heart to). The classroom becomes a place of mutual
appreciation and discovery.
COMMUNICATION STAGE
In
the Communication Stage, the classroom is based on trust and honesty. Students and teachers alike openly express opinions,
share experiences, are open about emotions.
INTUITIVE STAGE
In the Intuitive Stage, a class becomes a place of
energy, creativity, experimentation. Students and teachers draw on their intuition. The syllabus is adjusted to allow for spontaneous
adventures and activities.
INSIGHT STAGE
In the INSIGHT STAGE, a class scintillates with new ideas
and inspiration.
Students learn who they
are, what they need, and why. They
actualize their individuality.
ILLUSTRATION
To
illustrate these stages, consider what happens in a literature class focused on
the various stages:
Survival Stage: Paraphrase, summary, focus on
plot. Frequent short quizzes to proctor students’ reading and comprehension.
Security Stage: Focus on teacher’s interpretations
and canonical criticism. Prescribed essay assignments with given points to cover in
mechanical formats, such as what illustrator Sandra Boyton depicts as the five-paragraph
dinosaur.
Power Stage:
Prescribed discussion questions and detailed instructions for group
work. Creative thinking is treated as an end point,
not a beginning.
Love Stage:
Student input on choice of texts, discussion direction, and
self-evaluation.
Communication Stage: Creative and critical thinking, helping
students individuate.
Intuition Stage: New perspectives and interdisciplinary
projects. Spontaneous activities and experiences. In the proximal zone of development. In the flow.
Insight Stage:
Students, having formed a supportive community and gained confidence in themselves, are self-motivated and inspiring to others.
FLIP THE PROCESS
Some will argue that, in the case of literature, we
follow the normative model of sciences where there are strict protocols that
follow what I posit as the traditional pyramid of learning. That was a
political decision made in the last century, when the literary world was attempting
to garner credibility so that they could form departments at universities. If we must follow a Survival model that
prescribes linear and hierarchical systems, let’s at least start at the Love
Stage. Ideally, education should have
the heart at the heart and not devolve or be mired in the Security and Survival
stages. Let education acknowledge children’s free, intuitive, synesthetic, and
unguarded experiences. Instead of instilling
anger and fear—inspire trust, wonder, discovery, and love. Instead of manipulating
them to be our clones—inspire them to realize their joy.
Works Cited
Boyton, Sandra. Oh My
Oh My Oh DINOSAURS. Boston: Boyton, 2012.
Csikszentmihályi,
Mihály. Flow: The
Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper, 1990.
Maslow, Abraham. Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences, Columbus,
Ohio: Ohio State UP, 1964.
Vygotsky, L. S. Mind in
society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1978.
Hi Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteNot only do I think your theory is brilliant, I also appreciate that you connected it with the chakras (yogi for life!). As a student teacher getting ready to enter a full time career in the field, I find myself dealing with students "basic" needs often, way more often than I expected or was prepared for. Both your and Maslow's bottom levels of the pyramids address basic needs and desires that drive us to survive. It was VERY heartbreaking to deal with so many students who's basic survive needs are not met. Just yesterday, I realized that one of my students was way more tired than she usually seems to be. I asked her to stay after class. I asked her if she ate breakfast. She told me "I didn't have breakfast or lunch today." I asked her "Why not?" and she told me "I woke up late, and then I had to do my hair, and get dressed, and then I had to find my shoes. So, my mom said I couldn't have breakfast." I asked her "What about lunch?" The student replied "Well, I didnt have time to make my lunch." At that moment I asked her if she would like my lunch as I didn't plan on eating it (lie). I took it out and showed her what it was "I have a panini, chips, and a pickle. Do you like pickles?" the student nodded and thanked me. I wrote the student a pass and sent her to her locker, than to her next class. My cooperating teacher and I have addressed the principal about the malnourishment of this particular student and have offered different food-providing options to her and her mother.
This student is just one example of the lack of emphasis on the importance of taking care of yourself/ your loved ones. I agree that teaching, and helping students to meet lower level needs start with communication and love/support in the heart and throat chakras (exemplified above) is super important. I would not being doing my duty as a teacher if I did not love.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteAs a future educator, I am quite fascinated and familiar with the psychology of education. One of the most commonly talked about psychologists in education is Maslow and his hierarchy of needs, which includes six different levels that are typically broken into two separate categories: deficiency needs and growth needs. I find it interesting, Dr. Rich, that you have used his hierarchy as somewhat of a foundation and modified it to include certain aspects of yoga, in order to create a model that is based on the system of chakras. This suggests that learning should be a rather spiritual experience; however, students are not given these much-needed opportunities to grow and thrive in a loving and spiritual environment.
What I also find interesting is that this chakra-based system really helps to highlight the differences between what education should and should not be. It is unfortunate that most of education is focused on the dreaded, bottom three chakra dynamics. Without a doubt, survival, security, and power are rooted in the solid foundation of contemporary education. Assessments are at the core of learning; test scores are school administrators' primary concern; grades are the main focus for students and parents. Teachers want to have control in their classroom and program students to learn information only to later regurgitate it correctly for exams. All these things take away from the learning experience and do not give students the ability to experiment, express, or imagine; in schools, students only get to accept what is being taught to them, with little room for creativity and freedom.
Teachers cannot necessarily take the blame for these problems that have become inherently part of the educational system. It is unfortunate that they do not have much control in the classroom, especially in public schools; this lack of control ultimately leads to teachers relying on the dynamics of survival, security, and power.
As I have worked in classrooms, I have seen that these three dynamics are commonly practiced, which certainly comes as no surprise. However, as a future educator, I am conscious of these dynamics and hope to use this knowledge to make a difference in my own classroom with my students. I will only have so much control over the curriculum and assessments that will guide my teachings, but if anything, I hope to teach in a way that will emphasize love, communication, intuition, and most of all, creativity.
Nada Amer
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the way you incorporate a variety of tools to help us see things in all different ways. I have been practicing yoga for many years now and have never been able to discuss it in school related terms. I agree with you and your way of teaching as it represents the Chakra system, something I follow in my own life. A few years ago, before I decided I didn't want to pursue a career in teaching I used to picture the type of teacher I would be- I always imagined myself to be different than any teacher I ever had. I told myself I would treat my students the way I wish I had been treated in school growing up. As I got older I began noticing so many things I didn't agree with in the public school education system. I don't agree with teaching students to be clones of myself, and I would never want my students to base their work off of my opinions. I definitely believe a classroom should be based off of the top three chakra levels, as opposed to the bottom levels.
As a teacher I would center my classroom around love, curiosity, generosity, communication, intuition, and imagination. I thrive in positive environments, therefore I would want my classroom to be as open, and accepting as possible. I have definitely had my faire share of dictator-like teachers who ran their classrooms in the worst ways possible.
One of the reasons I feel very comfortable in your class is because of your teaching style, it is unlike any class I have ever had. I find that classroom environment is very important to the success of students and implementing Chakra's into the way a classroom is run leads to creativity, imagination, and eager students who are willing to learn for themselves.
-Jessica Jardonoff
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI found this post to be an insightful look into your own teaching philosophy as well as an insightful look into why I feel like I resonate and am inspired to create more in your classes. It's all about how you structure--or don't--your class, yes, but, more than that, it's about what you prioritize--which is us and feelings themselves. Our class are not just positioned in the love stage of the pyramid. Our classes are love stages.
I don't think I can recall one class where discussion was not informed by student input rather than professor pontificating. In fact, this past week, we dropped one of our course's books because we all preferred the other text and you were more than happy to provide us the opportunity to explore it some more. That doesn't happen in other classrooms and that's a shame. There's no open dialogue between professors and students. More, I don't think students feel like they can say anything back to their professor. In most cases, I imagine, students just don't see how they could "win" one over their professor in the prof's classroom (how many students see classrooms even as "their" spaces, you know?).
I wish more professors cared about these power imbalances and how they play out not just in the classroom but in their students' relationship to them and the subject matter. I'd love it if more profs asked me what I loved to read or, even, just what am I reading right now and why? In Advanced Writing Poetry, we're always reading work from our favorite poets in class. In fact, I'd say our class revolves around sharing what we're reading and writing with each other. It's all about love and community and collaboration. And, it never feels forced or "required". We're working on what we love in an environment that prioritizes love and tries to facilitate love. More classrooms should be like that. More professors should be like you, Dr. Rich.
Best always,
~Kelli
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI really found this post interesting and it was cool to see the point of view you have about this specific topic. I can see that you truly care about your students and being a professor is not just a job or a paycheck to you. If only more professors out there were more like you. I would have to agree with the paragraph where you stated that students are always told what to read and what the right way to view it is. Such as Romeo and Juliet, in high school, teachers told us that it was a romantic play and how Romeo is such a genuine and caring guy. But after reading this play with you in your Shakespeare survey course, I realize now that my high school teachers were just taking the easy way out. Romeo really isn't that genuine and is actually a jerk most of the play.
More teachers should try to have the same outlook as you because you are helping your students open their minds and be themselves. Instead of telling students what they should think about something, you are allowing them to say what they feel and encourage them to do so. Especially in younger grades, students need to be themselves and be comfortable with their views and should not feel embarrassed. You also are really understanding and you yourself are open to hear new ideas and many teachers and professors are the total opposite. They are stuck in their own ideas and if their students try to suggest a new the professor tells the student they are wrong even though they really aren't. I feel like there are many teachers in this world who don't genuinely care about their job, they do it for a pay check or benefits and the profession of teaching, you cannot do that. We need more teachers that care about their job and their students and will put what the students need before themselves. I really appreciate the topics you choose to blog about because these are topics that need to be discussed more often and brought to light.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the fact that you use so many visuals to help us understand the thought process. As a visual learner, I can clearly grasp the concept much more easier rather than just reading a bunch of words on a blog.
I love your second paragraph where you talk about the needs of your students and making them feel comfortable, save, secure and loved. I admire these thoughts because as a teacher myself, I feel the same way for my students. It leaves a huge impact on these students' lives as they grow older, knowing that teachers (and professors) care for them because they might not always get this type of security and love at home.
I think you do an amazing job showing this in your teaching and in your classroom. As my personal situation, you've always made me feel comfortable talking to you and keeping an open communication with you. You make me feel important when you ask personal questions, especially if I'm feeling okay and so on. I personally admire that and hope to grow as the type of teacher you are.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you!
It's rare to find professors - educators in general, really - who understand and embody the heart of teaching. Growing up with my mother, a special ed teacher, I saw how she struggled with her peer's judgments of her teaching philosophy. Even now, she comes home and tells us how a coworker told her she needs to be "meaner" to her students. Students with disabilities, no less.
Your hierarchy here is something I can pinpoint a teacher or professor I've had in each stage. Most commonly the survival stage is where I've found myself - I'm beyond used to deadlines and regurgitation. And coming from a very zen household, that is NOT my thing LOL!
I appreciate that when I walk into your classroom, I walk into a class deeply involved in the Love Stage and beyond. It's a breath of fresh air when I can share my opinions and not feel as if I'm being judged, or my grade is being lowered based on how closely aligned my interpretations are with the professor.
I don't like performative praise, but I really do mean it when I say this post aligned with how I was raised and see education, and with what I want to see more of when I begin working with children myself.
xx
Naomi v.
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your views on teaching. I can't express enough how much I agree with you on your point of survival. Being a future educator, I feel that it's a teachers duty to do whatever they can for a student, not just worry about them getting a passing grade for their state test. It's sad to see that teachers are afraid of being different and that they are guided by their peers so they fall into the category of survival. The pyramid you showed really laid out the different areas their are to education and the jobs that a teacher must do.
My favorite line from this post is when you say "Let education acknowledge children’s free, intuitive, synesthetic, and unguarded experiences." This is something I hope to be able to achieve as a teacher and also that hopefully throughout time, other teachers will want these same things for their students as well.
Even though I'm in college, I find myself in the security stage whenever I'm writing a paper. I'm always worried what my professor will like and was never given the opportunity to freely think for myself on subject matter. I really appreciate that you opened that door for me. I find writing my papers for your class to be very easy and everything just flows out. I don't have to worry about guidelines.
Dr.Rich,
ReplyDeleteI have alwayjs felt that mechanical or rote learning was ideally not effective and I have thought a lot about flipping that process.As I am from the old school days I had the opportunity to learn from a lot of interaction with the enviromment and a very loving and condusive settings.
So,I am in total agreement that learning has to take place in certain enviroments irrespective of what others may expect from you.
I was once in a class where the Professor kept reminding me
that I need to think within certain lines and if my arguments were not curtailed then I have the ability to sway his class.I believe that was total nonsense as everyone has the ability to decide for themselves.
.I was frustrated about it and felt impeded in every way and at some point I had to explain to him that it did not make sense not to express your opinions.
Just reading this blog feel emboldened to speak up and express myself more.
Maudry
I'll try my best to not sound like I'm being dramatic when I say this, but I think that if you had been my professor all throughout my time here at college, then I may actually have something to brag about after graduation. I don't feel as if I've had the learning experience that I have in your class, in too many of my others, or that my degree will carry much weight beyond the physical sense. I feel as if a lot of my schooling has been teaching to the test, and then it's all gone when the class ends. I know that I can take charge in my own time to truly learn, absorb, and explore - find new interests that I never knew I'd have - but I know that a classroom based on your ideals would make it much easier and more likely for all students to get to that point. I had a professor last week that posed the question, "Am I, as your professor, here to persuade you?" and he argued that he wasn't, because of one small difference between teaching and persuasion: an advocate seeks to push you to action or belief, whereas an educator doesn't care if you take it or leave it. Combining these ideals related to education with those that you have learned from the practice and mastering of yoga exemplifies how centered, focused, and sincere you are in comparison with these other professors/teachers that I've had experiences with. The same source of love and energy that drives you to perform, and write, and practice yoga, is the same source that drives you in the classroom. This alone separates you from the rest.
ReplyDeleteDr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteBeing a future educator, I strongly acknowledge and appreciate this post. We need more teachers and professors like you! I love your views on Maslow's "hierarchy of needs" and how you were able to associate it with the seven chakras of yoga. The heart of teaching goes far beyond teaching students to memorize, summarize, and/or to paraphrase contexts. We want to push our students to become the best they can be in their own creative ways without limitations. Survival stage= left brainers. We see this all the time! It is disappointing to see children needs not being met. We want students to become successful and gain confidence in themselves.
ReplyDeleteMost professors sit in front of a room and teach AT you from a powerpoint and drone on and on. I can understand through this post the importance you place on as you say “ teaching students not poetry.” Though I do not plan on becoming a conventional teacher in the future, I can value this theory as I’ve experienced it in your classroom. Since my freshman year at Kean, I’ve never had a professor actually make it their mission to see to the personal growth and wellbeing of their students as well as make it a priority in their classroom. The environment created by the elimination of electronics and the one on one/ group time we’re able to spend with you and one another feels safe and calm. ( So mission accomplished !)
While most classes can make one anxious, I view our Advanced Poetry Writing class as my own pseudo- therapy session. There I am able to unload my hurt and stress from the week in the form of poetry to my peers and my professor and refine the way I express myself. While the environment is relaxed, it is always productive. I never leave tired or overwhelmed like my other classes. I feel as though I’ve grown tremendously this semester in loving and making more time for myself. The fact that you care about us mentally is shown through our mini meditation sessions. At first I found it peculiar and thought it’d be a waste of time. However, each week I look forward to that three hours of edification and watering.
Thank you for watering me,
Eniola
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDelete"School has been about prescription and proscription: read this, don’t read that". What a line, you are so right! The academic realm has grown to become a set list of rules and regulations that deprive students of their freedom to be creative and to express themselves. I also loved the line where you stated "If we must follow a Survival model that prescribes linear and hierarchical systems, let’s at least start at the Love Stage". Education has enforced such mechanical rhythms for way too long causing school to be a place where students feel as though they just want to "get it over with". I for one have fallen prey to this idea and it has not been effecting me positively whatsoever. Classes diseased by lax professors, nonchalant students and, boring /forced topics are the cause for the educational demise of many. It is by the out-of-box teaching styles of the few professors that I do have that keep me going and make my academic career that much more enjoyable. Those courses are the very classes that mentally, physically and emotionally feed my progression. I will always appreciate the professors who choose not to imprison themselves along with their students to a binding curriculum.
I am not one that follows the order of the pyramids, so lucky for me that there was a break down of it all at the very end. Personally, I do not wish to become a teacher, perhaps a professor in the future, due to the stress of molding someone to an image. Because we are human beings, the person we tend to mold others to ourselves. Which is why students are so fearful of walking into a college course, especially creative writing, and are asked to write what they desire. The cave has been dark for so long, the light is so blinding that it doesn’t seem real. In the eyes of the teachers, I truly do wonder if it is fear of losing their jobs or if there are a few teachers that are so into their own crap that they really think the only way students would learn was if they think and acted like them.
ReplyDeleteDear Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteThis was a beautifully written post with so much heart put into it which I love. I don’t often have teachers who care so much for their students to go to such lengths as you do. This pyramid is such a wonderful and helpful idea, I wish all professors knew and utilized it. I hate having to rely on websites like rate my professor for picking classes. My first year of college I simply chose classes I needed which fit in the right time frame, yet I quickly learned that it was a horrible mistake. Some teacher’s were nice, whereas others were very uncaring and cold. They were at the bottom of the pyramid, only in it for the money and I hated it. When a professor isn’t motivated for the class then how can the students be? I love a class where the professor is open and ready to teach and cares about their students. There are few who use this pyramid, and if all professors were like you, if they cared for their students, then I would pick any class without checking websites for reviews without a care. Overall this blog was very well done and I appreciated it.
Stephen Corrales
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI feel like, in my college career, I live, breath, dream about Maslow's Pyramid. I feel that it can connect to so many different outlets which allows professors to connect the overall function to so many lessons. You've also done a great job in such!
As someone who is currently working full-time in the education field, I really enjoyed your pyramid. Most of the time, I feel that professors tend to forget that they were once in our positions, which tends to cause a 'rift' and a huge divide between student and teacher. I feel that your post has provided steps that enable both sides to close the gap between this relationship. Also, showing how much work you put into this idea shows how much you care for your students, which does not go unnoticed.
Dear Dr.rich,
ReplyDeleteI love the post you have made. I agree with the pyrimid myself. especially with the 5 practices. Key fatocrs such as having a safe enviornment and eating healthy i believe does make a successful student. Also by making it become an uplifting envirnment we are more prown to do better and want to achieve more. Kean on the other hand has to fix its parking because i think we can all agree come 11-12 am that parking lot is the hunger games and no one is safe including there cars from all thos terrible drivers that have never learned how to park in there life. Also each stage i feel can have more on an impact then another student because were all different and all have seperate needs. were on student may dwell in one stage another student may be more focused in another stage.
from daniel kohl
I do agree with this post. The environment that the classroom is placed in is very important. There are many teachers that are more interested in keeping their jobs than they are teaching their children. So they teach exactly what they have to and nothing else. This limits student’s talents and restricts them from being even more exceptional. There are also students that will write anything to please their teacher and to ultimately get the grade they want. I am guilty of doing this but I have come to the realization that it restricts my freedom and maybe I’ll get an even higher grade if my work is original and creative. Unfortunately, it is a risk that isn’t worth taking if I might get a lower grade.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I got to really be creative and write about and how I really wanted to was in college. Unfortunately, it took a lot of time to forget what has been engraved in my mind and write about what I really want to. The only time I got to write without worrying about a grade was also in college. I’m happy it happened now rather than never though.
Priya Jhaveri
This post means a lot to me because when I was in elementary school the environment of a class plays a huge role in our learning capabilities. In order to learn drastically we need to be in a positive atmosphere. However, their are indeed teachers that are just there for their check and not care if the student is learning. They often give their students packets of paper and call it a day and expect people to learn that way. In turn the students won't learn absolutely nothing at all and they become limited to curtain lessons. I can relate to this because when i was in high school I didn't learn nothing in my math class all because the teacher would not complete the lesson and expect students to learn. On the next day he would go onto the next lesson without looking back and mostly the entire class would complain. However, when i attended college the environment was way better and because of my lack of math i can say I learned a lot. The teacher was very helpful and aided me on everything I had trouble with in the past. I can say I was way more creative when I was in college than I was in high school because I felt as if the people in colleges care more about their students which i happen to value the most.
ReplyDeleteDr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteI have seen this pyramid so many times through my Psychology classes and in life in general. I do agree that a classroom needs to be a safe space for students. Students come to class not only to learn, but to socialize with other students as well. We don’t know what goes on in everyone’s personal life. Some may be feeling great, some may feel lousy, or they were having a good day until something or someone ruined it. So, going into a class where it is lively, and the students are friendly does help. Also, a student having a well-balanced diet and getting enough rest does make a difference in a student’s life. Although, there are some teachers who are just there to give a lesson and go about their business. They don’t really think outside of the box. Maybe they are not passionate about what they are teaching, but that is detrimental not only the students, but to the teacher as well. Why go into teaching if you are not trying to enrich a student’s life with knowledge? I think that there needs to be a positive atmosphere for students and teachers to thrive in. It sparks a creativity in everyone and that makes a classroom better in my opinion.
Throughout my time in college, I have seen this pyramid in psychology classes as well as some of my education classes. One of the classes I am going to be taking is classroom management and I think that ties in well with this blog. Environment is one of the biggest factors in a child everyday life at school on how they will behave. If the environment is dull and boring that will reflect on a students attitude towards school and they wont want to be there or have anything to look forward to. Ever since I was little I always had a big imagination and I was full of energy especially when I was in school and I believe my energy level reflected on the environment that I was in and if i felt comfortable to be myself with my peers. School doesn't have to be a scary place so making a classroom bright and inviting will make the students want to be there and be ready to learn. Having the proper environment is the key to success for the rest of the year. If there is a constant and balanced environment there will always be learning and all students should be gaining knowledge in their own ways.
ReplyDelete-Melanie Azevedo
Dear Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteThe chakras of educations are totally un-aligned, that pyramid has fallen to ruins. When I start teaching I want to be the nurturing type of teacher. I want to build that pyramid and let my students know that I am not only here to instruct them on curriculum agendas, but that they can find a person in me, not just a professional. I see others as I would want others to see me, my students will be mine and as such I want them to be complete individuals. I want to get to know them as much as possible. Yes, instruction and learning the material is important, but so is becoming a well-rounded person. I know many parents that have to work two jobs and are hardly with their children. Their teachers spend more time with their kids and if the teacher is not listening carefully, these children will go on in life not being all they can be. When you flip the pyramid upside down, like in the picture, you are allowing for so much more to happen. Sharing the power is generosity at its best and a way to receive more back. As all your posts so far, each and every one of them touches upon an important fact, you are giving your knowledge to us and allowing us to open up to the possibilities
Professor Rich, I have very much come to appreciate all the photos that you put for all of us to understand what you are trying to explain better. A bunch of words altogether sometimes can just be too overwhelming and can really take your focus away from what you are trying to concentrate on. I can really attest to where you mention in your blog that you really try to make your students feel comfortable, safe, and secure. Because I do not know how many times that you have mentioned in class that we are a family and that no one is to be disrespected here and that we are all in a safe space. I only hope that when I become a teacher that I can do the same for my students. You really do a fantastic job proving that time and time again just how important your students are to you. Whether it's with these blogs, in the classroom, or talking about supporting our fellow classmates when they are doing a production on campus. You never cease to care for your students, you “extended family” as you said. And I really have appreciated that this semester.
ReplyDeleteGrace Carranza
As a future educator, I do not want my students to have bad experiences in their academic journey. I chose early childhood education because early education is very important in the development of the child. Fostering inclusive and safe environment is something i would like to adopt for my little students. Basic-needs needs to be fulfilled for the children to develop to the next stage. While it is important for these discussions to happen in the early stage, It rarely happens in the late stage of our education life. I have not encountered a lot of professors, who are willing to understand from the student's point of view and have open and insightful discussion with them. I do understand the instructors are bombarded with requirements they have to meet and thus, they forget about the environment of the classroom. i do appreciate each and every one of my instructors when they create a safe environment and respectable environment for the classroom.
ReplyDeletePriscilla B.
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My favorite thing to learn in the education department is the educational psychologists. The psychologists had such great insights to education, and they truly do help. I am going to be teaching high school english one day and this blog post can really help me out. My favorite stage out of all of them, is the love stage. Being able to watch a student fall in love with the lesson is what is going to help me get through the rough times of teaching. I cannot wait to see a students face when they’re finally understand a difficult concept. It is one of the most rewarding things. I know this from experience, because my oldest sister is autistic, and I’m still teaching her things daily about life, school, etc. I was teaching her how to make her bed one day, and when she finally got how to tuck the blanket under the mattress, her eyes lit up and she earned the biggest smile on her face. She had such a proud moment of herself. She doesn’t even need my help anymore. This is something I want my students to be able to have with the literature that I’m teaching, I want them to enjoy it all.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the pyramid that you have created. I am a substitute teacher and I hear a lot of the complaints from teachers about how teaching is not what it used to be nor how it should be. It is all about test scores that only matter the most when it affects the entire school percentage. Teaching should have some leeway to benefit the students. Students cram to pass and forget everything once they are out the classroom door.
ReplyDeleteThe college experience that I have had is not what I visualized as I watched movies and pictured myself navigating through these courses absorbing as much as I can. Most teachers start at the very bottom to get you to do the work. They don't bother to learn a new method that can actually motivate us to want to do the work. A simple survey at the end of class every semester can help the professor, who manipulates their students, structure their lessons into a way where we can actually down the information and keep it.
I do feel as though the educators who use fear and manipulation to get their students to do as they are told are the ones who lack training in interpersonal skills.
To have a teacher who is above the bottom of the pyramid and makes us reach our crown in their class and reminds us to keep the crown on always because we need it to observe and enjoy life are few and far between.
“Instead of instilling anger and fear—inspire trust, wonder, discovery, and love. Instead of manipulating them to be our clones—inspire them to realize their joy.”
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely beautiful. A teacher should go into teaching wanting to inspire rather than aiming to create mini robots. A teacher becomes a sub-version of a parent whether they realize it or not. Building a foundation to learn based on trust and proper mentoring, becomes an active guide within students' hearts, mind and confidence. Similar to the saying, “teach one teach one.” Students are pushed into a survival mentality of fear, anger, frustration and that’s due to the schools need to accomplish particular tasks and funding.
I don’t know much about chakras. I knew a guy that was totally into it and was a bit unusual. I’ve researched a bit about it and I would like to have someone help me figure out how to open my chakra. I think it’s spiritually cool to learn about auras and chakras. I like stones and mood rings. I know mood rings may not be real but they bring such positive energy and happiness for me. I also bought a rost stone and I love it.
Meagan AWP 5000