Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Theory of Hierarchy of Needs

I've been thinking a lot about hierarchy of needs lately. I gather this is because our American society is in a crisis (for more information see "The Fourth Turning" by Strauss and Howe). This crisis mode we are in began with the 9/11 terrorist attacks and will last for about 21-25 years, according to Strauss and Howe, putting us roughly in the middle of the crisis. I can see these patterns playing out and realized that the "Hierarchy of Needs: A Theory of Human Motivation" developed by Abraham Maslow may be coming forward more now because many of us are feeling the pinch of finding that the basic Physiological needs (food, shelter, clothing, etc.) and Safety are not being met like they were in the past.

In other words, we are not finding ourselves in the higher levels were we reach self-actualization, but rather in the lower levels of basic needs. The economic struggles many are experiencing have lowered their standard of living, making the focus turn to basic needs rather than attaining social and esteem needs, and then eventually, self-actualization, or as I think of it, the Path of Mission.

Self-actualization = Path of Mission

How this Affects Education
In education, we see this as a detriment to the learning environment.

Examples:

• Mom has to do more outside the home to earn money in order to make sure there is shelter, food, and clothing, bringing the focus to the lowest level of need - physiological. 
• Lessons could be canceled due to costs bringing the focus from self-actualization down to social and esteem levels. 
• Children feel worried because dad is looking for a job and they worry about their basic needs being met rather than being free to study uninhibited by these worries. 
• Curriculum purchases became more difficult to manage do to less income. 
• The loss or downsizing of a home brings everyone's focus to the need for shelter.

In the long run, the child and mentoring parent(s) feel the pressure to worry about the lower, basic needs, rather than being able to attain the highest levels of needs necessary for an excellent Leadership Education.

What do we do?
Our family has found our needs attainment to have shifted to the lower levels on many occasions. My husband was laid-off and is still under-employed after 3 years. We had to downsize our home, cut out extras like classes and social events, and become creative with curriculum. I've also had to work part time outside the home. I've definitely seen a shift from focusing on Mission to focusing on Needs.

My concern is how this will effect the outcome of our home education efforts. Will my children receive the education they need if we are distracted by meeting needs? Will I be able to mentor properly while having to help provide for basic needs and a few social needs? Am I doing enough to make sure they are inspired with all that is required of me outside the home?

I've come to be at peace with these nagging questions.

I believe that we are on this earth during this time for a reason.

I believe that the way I feel about giving my children a Leadership Education using the Thomas Jefferson Education (TJED) method was inspirational and that I know it is the right path for our family.

I believe that Heavenly Father will help me provide the environment and the means necessary to provide for our needs as long as I am keeping to our needs and not our wants with focus on "righteous desires".

I believe that in the long run, we will all be better people for the effort given to find and pursue our Mission(s).

July - A Month of Trials

I often write about the ups and downs of homeschooling. Today's post will be of that nature. I feel it is important to share all aspects of home education and family life in order to put things in perspective...

If you read my personal blog, then you know both of my grandparents on my dad's side passed away in June within 10 days of each other. That has been a trial for me even though I have a strong belief in life after death and eternal families. I still miss them. I did not get to go back to their funerals and feel sadness about that. Now, my father has been very sick and in the hospital and my mother's health is failing rapidly. My mother has either severe Alzheimer Disease or dementia. They are not sure which, but in the last 3 months she has lost the ability to speak almost completely, making communication with her non-existent.

With all of these family trials, it has been very hard for me to focus on our education right now. My personal studies have almost completely stopped for the time being. I'm thankful that we had already planned our annual break for the month of July. It seems perfectly timed with all that is going on. I leave that in the hands of providence and recognize that this decision was made without prior knowledge of how our lives would be right now, but I know the Lord's hand is in it all.

We did take a day to enjoy nature in our favorite nature conservation center (see picture). It had rained and cooled off considerably and we seized the opportunity! What a happy day!

I hope to resume some semblance of our regular routine in August as planned. The kids feel my sadness. They are doing well with everything really and everyone is relieved that we have this break.

Ingedient #3 - The Yard

"Trees are better than textbooks. Each limb you climb teaches a new perspective, viewpoint, and worldview with a host of corresponding lessons. Parks can teach part of this, but the allegorical life of the tree itself must be known up close; the metaphysical array of beings it hosts must be studied up close and personal. A relationship with a place, a land, and a country is necessary for true leadership and effective statesmanship." ~ Leadership Education, pages 128-129

Past Yard

How true this is! We lost our yard when we left our last home, moving into a duplex with a shared outdoor environment. This has greatly decreased the happiness of our family and especially our children. With the arrival of Spring, we are itching to plant a garden, take care of new animals, and maintain the landscape. But, we do not have this privilege this year. No garden. No new chicks or rabbits. No trees or bushes to trim.

Some may consider us quite lucky. We tried to look at it that way as well. However, I can see the disappointment in my children as they have nothing to do during this particular season of growth and renewal. I initially thought we could supplant our own garden and yard with working on other places to beautify and by visiting the gardens and natural wonders of our region. But, like the quote above mentions, not having a relationship of personal ownership or care of these places is really not providing a match for what is missing.

So, put the books away and enjoy the beauty of the earth! Enjoy the work your yard provides, it is essential for happiness and learning.

"It Is Not Meet That I Should Command In All Things"

I am working through my Personal Progress along with my Beehives. That is one thing I should have been doing with my daughters all along, but being called to Young Women's has sparked my drive to do so again. I was looking through my Personal Progress book and found a value experience to work on which required I read the following scripture:

Doctrine and Covenants 58: 26-28

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

I had always associated this scripture with service, but this time I saw the correlation to many other things...education...work ethic...etc. The footnotes mention; dedication, diligence, good works, industry, and zeal. I think we are missing the mark if we associate this scripture strictly to service. Industry relates to all that we do; to be industrious with our time in family work, making a living, our duty to God, etc.

Applying the Scriptures to Ourselves
We are admonished to apply the scriptures to ourselves. That is the best way to learn from the scriptures. So, here are my thoughts on applying these scriptures in my home.

I am often asked how I get my kids to study at home. I used to wonder how homeschool moms could possibly do that as well, my kids barely listened to me about anything, much less school work. Over time, I've come to realize that I needed to teach my kids to be industrious in all things...chores, church callings, and their education. Once they understand the principle, it is easier to apply in all areas of their lives. Now they fully understand that getting an education is their job, not mine. I lead them and guide them, but the work is theirs to do.

The second big question I get is how can I homeschool without requiring a set curriculum for them to study. The answer to that is to provide an outline for what constitutes a great education and then provide them the means to obtain it. I model getting an education myself and show them my enthusiasm and zeal for being an educated person.

"Slothful and not a wise Servant"
The biggest difference is that public schools "command" and "compel" in all things. We learn from the scriptures above that this leads to a "slothful and not a wise servant". So, why then are we surprised that so many leave public schools without a good education (not wise) and cannot find sufficient drive (slothful) to be successful in life? The answer is in the type of education, force rather than inspired self-education.

The "reward" for being a self-learner through inspired mentoring is that they will retain much more of their education (be wise) and have learned the power of self-motivation (industry) from the beginning of their education, or at the very least, have changed over to being a self-learner once they left public school.

I, for one, have learned more in the past 5 years since I read "A Thomas Jefferson Education" than I ever did in my public schooling education, including college level classes at a university. My eyes are now opened to the possibilities and excitement of shedding my slothfulness and learning to be industrious in all aspects of my life. I am so thankful to have this knowledge now!

The Compass - How to Set Goals

I've written about the Compass before, but I thought I would share our exact outline for how we use this important ingredient of Leadership Education. Personally, I think it is useful to all families anyway since it is about setting personal goals.

The Compass

The Compass is part of Ingredient #16 – The Binder, of “Core and Love of Learning: A Recipe for Success”. Also found on pages 101-102 of “Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning” by Oliver and Rachel DeMille. There is not a lot of detail about the Compass. Here is what we do in our family. Please adapt for your needs.

This should be done every six months. Keep it in the front of your binder and read it each week. If you have a mentor, going over this Compass and reporting back on the things that you have worked on or added will help you tremendously. Use a notebook, notebook paper or type it up on a computer document. Whatever works best for you.

Part 1 – Strengths

A . Things I Do Well – List all of the things that are your favorite things to do, things you excel at, and things that you feel confident about doing. This can include academics, hobbies, anything!

B. Top 30 Books I’ve Ever Read – This can be adapted for older Love of Learners to be 10, 15, 20…whatever number you feel fits. As people progress in their reading skills, this list can grow to 50! Do not list every book you have ever read. List those that really impacted your life.

Part 2 – Areas I Need to Strengthen

Include everything that you know need work – academics, life skills, self-improvements, etc. Don’t feel like this area is a “put down” of everything you have ever done wrong. It is simply a list of things that need work. We all have things on this list!

Part 3 – Objectives

A. Books I Want to Read – Strongly consider all of the classics, self-help, and especially your central canon, that you want to study over the next six months.

B. Skills and Things I Want to Learn – Life skills, social skills, academic skills…everyone needs skills in this life. Don’t forget to consider fun things that you love to do as well as things you know you need to do.

C. What is my mission? – This is hard to do the first time you write a Compass. But, still try to think about what you are created to do with your life. Over time, this step will get a little bit easier. However, don’t skip it! Write something even if it is a basic outline of what your mission might be. Children should not skip this step! My children have written profound things like “be a good dad” or “to help people”.

New Plan - Check!

With the addition of substitute teaching, I needed to come up with a new plan. I have become more of a list maker now that I am older. My brain just can't seem to store things in it's proper place as it used to. Things on the "priority list" seem to get dumped to the "things I can't remember list". Things I don't need to obsessively think about end up on the "priority list" and clog my thoughts with mundane tenacity. Thus... planners and lists have become my friends.

Planner #1
It first started with foster parenting that I began keeping a simple weekly planner for appointments and such. When we moved and stopped fostering I was happy to place that little planner in a drawer. Five months later I pulled it out when I realized that work, callings, and homeschool commitments were getting missed or I would reschedule because I couldn't remember something else was already planned. The main thing missing from my current planner is a weekly "To Do" list, a must have in next year's planner.

Mike likes to rub it in that he has a Palm (which I bought him two years ago for his birthday). I wish I could afford the fancy cell phone with data service and Blackberry apps. How sweet that would be! But, alas, our budget can't handle that kind of luxury. I guess I'll just have to cowboy up and use pen and paper. *sigh*

Planner #2

The second planner change was to add a check list type of planner for Nayna and Chris so that on the days that I am at work they do not get off track (keeps me on track too). They are both in Scholar Phase, but not all levels of Scholar Phase are the same. You can see this week's plan here. This is a form of Structure Time, not Content. They have certain criteria that needs to be done each day, but there is some choice as to fulfilling that criteria. We have been doing this for four weeks now and it is working really well. We had a few trial and error moments, but make-up work is a consequence...so my kiddos are much better at completing the list. ;-) The 2 child-planner sheet is from donnayoung.org. I filled in the basics that are the same each week and then copied the sheet. The things that change I just write in every week. I prepare this on Sunday during our Mentor Meetings (same as FEC meetings).

We still have our individual binders with student planners that I shared before. This one-page plan also has the appointments that affect them and the days that I work listed at the bottom.

Planner #3

My kids are very proficient at making meals, they have been for some time. We have come up with a system that the kids and I each make meals two nights a week, except Sunday. Mike is not home for dinner or he would take a turn in the rounds also (working 60-70 hours a week I figure makes up for it). You can see our meals listed here and who is cooking that night. The kids typically cook on the days that I work. Chris and Nayna can make a pretty awesome spaghetti from scratch.

Sunday is a day of rest for us. We typically eat left-overs or simple meals. I remember reading about Sister Kimball and that she didn't want to spend all day preparing meals on the Sabbath so she would prepare on Saturday. I felt that this applies to me, I also don't want anyone to slave away on Sunday in the kitchen.

Over time I have learned a great deal from Mike on organizing and planning. I'm thankful that I have a husband who values a "house of order" both temporally and spiritually.

The Binder and The Compass

I wrote previously about My Brain (what I call my binder). I've come to realize that I am not utilizing this Recipe Ingredient for Success (see Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille) properly for my kids. Yes, I need my own binder to organize our homeschool and to complete my Scholar Phase, but my children also need their own Binder. I had binders for them, but they were not truly learning to record their own learning and organize their own education.

Today we each organized our own binders, cleaning and archiving the previous year's work. Each person completed a Compass (see Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille, Ingredient #16 - The Binder) in the following key areas:

1. My Strengths
2. Top 5 Personal Classics (including their Central Classic)
3. Areas I Need to Strengthen
4. Skills I Want to Learn
5. Books I Want to Read
6. What is my "Mission"?

Formerly I called this list "What I Want to Learn or Do", but I realized this was falling very short of what each person needs. It did not list strengths, it did not include the classics, and most of all - it did not lead them to their mission. I was not inspiring them to keep records since I was doing so much of that work for them. Now they will be bringing this Binder with them to FEC (Family Executive Council) meetings each week to "Return and Report" on what they are doing.

We will revisit and rewrite our Compass every 6 months. I previously used the Educational Self-Assessment and MAP, but I feel for my kids we'll start out with the Compass as organized above. This was a lot for them to think about and took about an hour. For now, it is enough. Later maybe they will be ready for the more detailed items I am using.