5 KEY NEEDS OF STUDENTS

AFFIRMATION:

Question: "Am I going to be okay here?"

Students need to know:

• I am accepted and acceptable here
• I am safe here as I am 
• People listen to me here
• People know how I'm doing, and it matters to them that I do well
• People acknowledge my interests, strengths, and perspectives here and draw on them
• People believe in me here 

We need to build up our students self esteem so that they feel comfortable in our classroom.  We need to teach our class that our classrooms are a place where they can share their thoughts and feelings, and that no matter what each students strengths and weaknesses are we are here to help them achieve their goals, and that EVERYONE will be accepted in our classrooms.

CONTRIBUTION:

"Not only only do people tell me that I am worthwhile, I can actually see that I am."

Question: "Can you do without me here?"

• I can make a difference in this place and in the work in this place
• I bring to this place abilities and strengths that are unique
• Because of these abilities and strengths, I can help others in the class and the class as a whole succeed
• I am connected to others through mutual work on common goals

Each student in the classroom needs to have a role.  Each student needs to know that they matter, and that the class can't function without them.  I think that we can have classroom jobs and so students can take ownership in those jobs.  Classroom jobs is just one simple way that we can make sure our students feel needed in the classroom.  

POWER: 

Question: "Can you show me how this place and it's work give me dominion in my life?"

• What I learn is useful to me now 
• I constantly learn to make choices that contribute to my success
• I understand how this place operates and what is expected of me here and how to achieve it
• There is dependable support for my journey here

A few ideas that could make students feel powerful in the classroom:

• Have a variety of ways students can show what they learned (poster, song, dance, story)
• Let students choose their classroom rules
• As a result of choosing classroom rules, when a rule isn't followed let them come up with their consequence
• Have some choices of activities that they can participate in

PURPOSE:

Question: How come we have to do this?

• I understand what we do here
• What we do here reflects on me and my world
• What we do here helps me make meaning of the subject, my world, and the wider world
• The work here absorbs me 

Connect curriculum, and content areas to things that students are interested in.  Have students participate in worthwhile tasks, have students engage in meaningful activities that are fun, and that require critical thinking skills.

CHALLENGE:

• The work here complements my abilities
• The work stretches me
• I work hard here most of the time
• I am accountable for my own growth and for contributing to the growth of others
• I often accomplish things here and I didn't believe were possible 

Effective differentiation begins with 

the awareness of our students basic needs. 

We need to be aware of our students individual needs, sometimes as teachers we may think we are doing our students a favor by doing certain things such as, partner work, group work, leaders , etc. but if our students don't get the chance to show what they can do in their own way they will be just like the fish in this quote above.  We need to ensure that each of our students have self confidence, and know that they are a genius and that they can do hard things!  It all comes down to really KNOWING our students, and KNOWING what we can do to help them.  Many students have very different cultural backgrounds, and you may think that you are helping a student but in reality you are just hindering their learning, and that is why it is so important to KNOW them.