Briefly this theory asserts humans have five basic needs: the need for survival, belonging, power, freedom and fun. Effective teachers recognize and respond to students' needs and a critical part of that response lies in helping students accept and maintain that essential control.
Farris (1990) proposes possible classroom responses designed to meet these needs. To satisfy the need to belong a teacher should create a classroom with an accepting atmosphere, create a sense of ownership, recognize student's attempts to be accepted, praise students' performance, teach using groups, and discipline or reprimand in private whenever possible to avoid humiliating students. The need for freedom can be addressed by involving students in rule making, providing opportunities for free expression, encouraging creativity in assignments, and possibly consider eliminating assigned seating. The need for power can be addressed by sharing leadership responsibilities, publicly displaying student work, using praise at every opportunity, providing students opportunities to talk and teach, encourage success, create a student centered classroom and give students choices at every opportunity. Finally teachers should encourage students to have a goodtime learning by using games and simulations, the use of appropriate humor, displaying a willingness to laugh at themselves and teaching as though learning is to be enjoyed (Farris, 1990).
Instructional Strategies
Gail Caissy (1987c) states because adolescents think mainly in concrete terms and are still somewhat egocentric in how they view the world. They consider much of what they learn in school as irrelevant, unimportant, and boring because they see no practical application. Teachers need to, whenever possible, connect the learning with a practical application.
Teachers must also be aware of learning styles and differentiate their instruction. Auditory learners learn best...
Visual learners learn best through seeing, using their eyes as a primary way to learn. Kinesthetic learners learn best through the sense of touch, using their hands as the primary way to learn.
Conclusion
Wilson and Horch (2002) suggest that recent research on brain development has implications for teaching in the middle school. The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain controlling planning, working memory, organization, and mood modulation. This area of the brain is not mature until about eighteen years of age. Because of this if teens are involved in music, sports, or academics those are the connections that will become hardwired. Conversely, if they are lying on the couch watching MTV or playing video games those are the cell connections that are going to survive. Parents and teachers have an obligation to enrich the adolescent's environment and to strengthen those connections that will be in the teen's best interest later on in life.
References
Caissy, G. (1986, November/December). Early adolescence: The physical transition. FWTAO newsletter.
Caissy, G. (1987a, January). Early adolecscence: A time of stormy emotions. FWTAO newsletter.
Caissy, G. (1987b, February/March). Early adolecscence: The social demension. FWTAO newsletter.
Caissy, G. (1987c, June). Early adolecscence: The intellectual domain. FWTAO newsletter.
Farrie, R.A. (1990, November). Meeting their needs: Motivating middle school learners. Middle school journal.
Wendel, T. (2003, May 18). The teen brain. USA weekend magizine. Retrieved May 31, 2012, from http://159.54.226.237/03_issues/030518/030518teenbrain.html
Wilson, L.M. & Horch, H.W. (2002, September). Implications of brain research for teaching young adolescents. Middle school journal. Vol. 34, No. 1, 57-61.
