Teacher's Hierarchy of Needs (vs Maslow's)
I’ve had the privilege of communicating with thousands of instructors and administrators across all levels of education. Most often, I’m introducing ideas around experiential learning, games, and simulations.
What surprises me is how often my audience reacts with delight, as though they are discovering these methods for the very first time. It makes me wonder — how can something so powerful still feel so new to so many educators?
Aren’t teachers always looking for better ways to teach and engage their students?
I believe the answer lies in something similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Just as people must satisfy their most basic needs before they can focus on growth and fulfillment, teachers are often consumed with the lower levels of their own professional “pyramid.”
[See the pyramid at the top of the page.]
Classroom management, grading, curriculum mandates, administrative tasks, and limited budgets can absorb nearly all of a teacher’s time and mental energy.
With so many demands at the base, there’s little capacity left to explore innovative teaching methodologies. And even when teachers are curious, many are discouraged by the challenge of securing budget approval for new initiatives.
This is why I worked with AI to create a Teacher’s Hierarchy of Needs — a framework that mirrors Maslow’s but reflects the realities of educators.
If we truly want to see meaningful change in education, we need to help teachers move up their own pyramid, relieving them of the burdens at the bottom so they have the freedom to reach the top where innovation and transformation happen.
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I'm Mathew Georghiou and I write about how games are transforming education and learning. I also share my experience as an entrepreneur inventing products and designing educational resources used by millions around the world. More about me at Georghiou.com