Maslow's Hierarchy-Keeping them safe

                                                  Today we had a fire drill. 

Students did their best to stay calm, quiet, and walk quickly out the door to the field until we were signaled to come back inside. When we returned to the classroom, I sensed that some students were feeling anxious about what had just occured. Tapping deeper into their feelings, I learned that some students were afraid of fire. For 30 minutes we sat in a circle and discussed fire safety, shared stories, and even dove into the composition of what fire is. 


Was it off task? Yes. Was it needed? Definitely.


My students did not feel safe. They had "burning" questions that needed to be answered and stories that needed to be shared. As a class, we couldn't move on until everyone felt secure.


Today, I saw first hand how Maslow's Hierarchy plays a huge role in the structure of a classroom.