If student’s basic needs are not being met outside of school, and they are worried about their family’s financial situations, then they more likely to focus on getting a job and helping their families then focusing on their schoolwork. For example in the video “Is anybody listening” Victoria explains her struggle “At the moment I am the only one that can support my family…I am really scared I will have to put off school for another year.” Maritssa talks about how she can see her mom struggling and there is nothing she can do about it. She explains, “I want to help her but she just wants me to focus on school. But I can’t focus on school when I know she is struggling and it is really hard.” According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs if a person’s basic physiological and safety needs are not being met they will not be able to reach the esteem and self-actualization stages. Both Victoria and Maritssa are worried about the financial security of their families. When a student’s basic needs are not being met and they are worried about having a place to live and food to eat they cannot be expected to come to school ready to learn. Eric a 9th grade student from the video “Youth Voices” expressed the same ideas. Eric’s father is an illegal immigrant who cannot find work because he is hurt. Eric explains “All I worry about right now is getting my job so I can help my dad.” As a teacher I must realize what is going on in my student’s lives outside of school. If my students come to school everyday worried about whether or not their family is going to have food to eat or a place to live, I can not expect them to reach their full potential. As a teacher I need to do my best to provide a classroom environment where all my students feel safe and have their basic needs met. I know that as a teacher I cannot always control what happens outside of the classroom, but I can control what happens inside my classroom. With this in mind I need to have an understanding of the different needs of my students and provide them with a safe environment where they feel open to sharing their concerns with me.
If students are use to immediate responses and multitasking due to the use of technology in their daily lives, then learning that incorporates the use of technology and quick responses will keep students engaged in their learning. In the video “Youth, Technology, and Learning: Opportunities for Educators” A group of freshman girls talk about the importance of technology and communication in relation to the school environment. Sarah talks about how most teachers use lecturing as their main form of instruction. She goes on to talk about how “it kind of really sucks cause you’re used to doing ten things at once. Its like slow.” Duncan Andrade idea that students learn when there is an engaging empowering curriculum that is culturally relevant can be applied to the use of technology in the classroom. As a teacher we must realize the current culture of our students in order to relate to them. By using instructional materials that our students are interested in they are more likely to take an active role in their learning. For example Morgan explains how texting is a great educational tool because you can “text Google to look up words (and) you can always read it over and over again cause it’s right here in your hand.” Duncan Andrade encourages educators to become culturally aware of their students. As a teacher I must become familiar with the type of technology my students are using and find ways to incorporate it into my curriculum. This will also give my students a sense of purpose in what they are learning because they will be able to apply it to their own lives. According to Daniel Pink people become intrinsically motivated if they have a sense of purpose in what they are doing. In order to create a meaningful learning experience for my students I need to find ways in which their learning can stem from intrinsic motivation.
If adolescents who do not feel safe or accepted in a specific environment and they find a group of other who share some of the same feelings as them, then they are more likely to have a higher self-esteem. In the video “Who We Be” young women talk about their constant struggle of being discriminated against by men. They describe an environment where they do not fee safe to learn. For example Maria describes how a “guy named Joe unzipped the back of my pants…he really pissed me off.” Another student named Shelia talks about how she felt uncomfortable when a teacher touched her inappropriately. In both of these situations two young women were put into situations where they did not feel safe. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs if a person does not feel safe they cannot reach self-actualization. Therefore, as teacher’s we must realize that if our students do not feel safe we cannot expect them to learn. Raelene explains “that’s why we have this group of young women of color to build skills, leadership, and power.” The girls have formed this group as a safety net in the school environment. With the help of others who feel the same as them they feel safe and are able to reach Maslow’s hierarchy of belonging. In the video “Gay Youth: Helping Youth Feel Safe and Supported” show how gay and lesbian youth struggle to feel supported and safe throughout their daily lives. Camp Firefly allows gay and lesbian youth to come together in a way that makes them feel safe and allows them to see that they can achieve great things. Kaitlyn Hatch talks about the camp having “a sense of community. I have a lot of friends and they are really supportive, but I don’t have a lot of gay ones.” As a teacher it is important to understand how certain students are feeling in my classroom and provide ways for them to feel safe and supported so they can get their needs met and focus on learning.
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