As teachers we all learn about Bloom’s taxonomy and want to push our students to attain upper levels of thinking – analyzing, evaluating and creating. If we apply the SAMR model we want students to also attain the upper levels – modification and redefinition. Yet we also have to take into consideration the needs that our students have to be able to attain those levels. Maslow’s hierarchy has to be overlaid on all the other models because without meeting needs there is no learning.

The same goes for teachers. Sometimes we forget that people, even well established professionals, may fall into the lower end of the hierarchy of needs at certain times in their life. A marriage break up, a death in the family, a job loss (theirs or their spouse’s), an accident, could all have negative effects and hamper a person’s ability to learn.

This is why it is so important to build relationships with your colleagues. They need support and so do you. We all have rough times in our life and the support of understanding individuals to get you through and to help you meet some missing needs is paramount. Recognize your own needs and recognize the needs of others. Simple, kind gestures go a long way to help someone climb back up the hierarchy.