Abraham Maslow realised early on in his career as a humanistic psychologist that

humans had needs that needed to be satisfied before they could satisfy higher needs. He
called these deficiency needs and they were the base behind which he created his now
renowned Hierarchy of human needs. The levels of his hierarchy started with
physiological needs such as hunger and thirst. Next is safety needs or the need to survive.
His next layer brings in the need to belong or acceptance in your peer group. Following
that to complete the deficit needs are esteem needs which introduce the need for
acceptance and recognition from others.

Only after all of these needs have been met can people move onto the next needs
that Marlow recognised. These are Being Needs. He knew that very few people ( as few
as 2%) actually achieve self- actualization. At this level people have a desire to go
beyond serving only themselves and sense of purpose becomes very important.

When it comes to students, their learning ability is directly related to their needs
being met. As soon as a need at one of the lower “deficiency needs” happens there is a
stoppage of all action at higher levels of the hierarchy.

Any setback in the ability to provide basic sustenance for you will instantly bring
about refocusing attention on solving this need before anything else.
“We want our students to start the day with their focus on school work – and not
on empty stomachs,” said Dr. Terry B. Grier, Superintendent of Schools, Houston
Independent School District. “The feedback from students, teachers and parents about
‘First Class Breakfast’ has been very positive, and we have seen significant gains in test
scores at schools where we have been offering breakfast. (1)

“Breakfast helps jump-start a child’s metabolism and mind,” said Dennis Maple,
President of ARAMARK Education.
As soon as students have met the first basic need they are able to concentrate on the next
need which is safety.

Teasing and bullying create an atmosphere that affects student’s ability to learn
and teachers' abilities to teach. As soon as a student feels threatened they will focus more
on what they did wrong and whether anyone will associate with them rather than on their
studies.
“If your student is the victim of a bully, he may suffer physically and emotionally,
and his schoolwork will likely show it. Victims of bullying often have trouble
concentrating” (2)
As long as students are free from fears and worries of survival they will move onto fitting
into the group.

Peer acceptance is a need that more time and energy is focused on than
almost any other. If you are not accepted into your group you want to know why and will
change almost anything to belong.
“Students who have good friends in whom they can confide and with whom they
can share activities are more likely to have confidence in themselves, to be well adjusted
at school” (3).
As soon as a student is able to focus more time on study than on the need to “fit in” their
grades and effort in school work improve. The next step is the need for
acknowledgement.

The need for recognition for one’s work is prevalent in many places other than a
classroom. Anywhere you go people seek approval of their achievements. Be it an award
for Movie of the Year to the award for the Girl Guide that sells the most cookies, people
need to see that they have accomplished something that lets them stand out. After you
have met the need to fit in with the group, you feel the need to stand out. The personal
part of this is self-esteem while the public portrayal is your reputation. "The level of our
self-esteem has profound consequences for every aspect of our existence—how we
operate in the workplace, how we deal with people, how high we are likely to rise, how
much we are likely to achieve." (4)

The basic needs for all students must be met in order for success. The needs for
basic physiological needs and safety are the same as any organism would require. The
complexities of humans brings into play greater needs of belonging and love and the need
to stand out and make a name for our selves. By making sure that every student is able to
solve problems that arise in any of their needs, class participation, study time and
ultimately test scores will improve.

From: 1; Aramark Breakfast Programs study

2; Rachel Simmons: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls
3; The Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study
4; Nathaniel Branden: The Six Pillars of Self-esteem