Quality Schools

The way to achieve this is to implement the three conditions of quality. First, the school and each classroom must create an environment that will meet the needs of the students, and consequently of teachers. All humans are born with five basic human needs. We have the need for survival, connection/love, power, freedom and fun/learning. This is true of students and teachers.

In order to help students meet their need for survival, the school and classroom must be safe. They must feel that they won’t be hurt physically or emotionally. When students feel safe, there is no need to threaten teachers or other students.

In order for students to satisfy their need for connection/love, they must have a relationship with the teacher and the other students. They must believe that the teacher has their best interest at heart. The more you give love and connection away, the more they come back to you.

In order to satisfy a student’s need for power, teachers must listen to and respect their students’ ideas and issues. This does not mean that teachers must agree with their students but they must at least let the students know that they are important. When students feel listened to and respected, they don’t disrespect their teachers and they tend to listen more.

For students to have freedom, they must have choices. They must not be bogged down in rules and regulations. When students have choices, they won’t have the need to create destructive choices of their own.

In school, learning should be fun. Learning is always fun when the learning is useful and the students want to learn what is being taught. Imagine students having fun learning! Isn’t that the dream of teachers everywhere? When your students are having fun, you do too.

I know this sounds like an impossible task but there are many schools doing just that with training in Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory. Creating a need-satisfying environment is what actually eliminates discipline problems. If someone has a legitimate, appropriate way to get his/her needs met, then there is no reason to create discipline problems.