Physiological Needs

Day 1, Maslow

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

Willard was the only child in my class who ate everything on his plate. He always went to the cafeteria for breakfast, even when other kids skipped it and came straight to class. All his siblings walked with him to the cafeteria in the mornings and then he escorted them to class. When lunch time came, he polished off his tray of food even when other kids turned their noses up at the food choice. If there was a piece of fruit or a sealed pack of cookies or crackers, he slid them into his pocket. Willard was going home to an empty house—empty in every sense of the word.

              His mom worked the night shift at a gas station and used the money selfishly. There was never food in the house and many times, the only food the kids had came from salvaged fruit or crackers during the school week. When his mom was home, Willard said she yelled at them for not completing chores and then passed out on the couch with a malt liquor bottle in her hand.

              Willard was parentized way too early. He made sure his younger siblings had food too and that all of them made it to school each day. He kissed boo boos and made sure they all did their homework. Knowing the life he led absolutely broke my heart.

              In class, Willard was an average student. By the end of each day, he was tired and I often had to wake him up. He never got into trouble and always completed assignments. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t the top performer in my class. He was smart, caught on quick, and always tried. After being frustrated for several weeks, I finally talked to him about his performance. I wanted to know why he was only giving me half-effort. That’s when he told me.  And that’s when I began to understand. If Willard’s basic physiological needs weren’t being met on a regular basis, how could he focus and perform at a higher level? 

              So what happens when our basic needs of water, food, air, shelter, and sleep aren’t met? First, there are health risks like malnutrition if we are not receiving enough food. Food fuels our bodies and if we don’t have fuel, we won’t be able to perform. Hydration is critical and if we don’t have enough water, our body shuts down. Air is crucial to us living and if our quality of air is inhibited by cigarettes, pollutants, drugs, or any other strong aroma, then we are being impacted deeply. If we don’t have a shelter or are constantly moving from house to car to couch, then anxiety and fear take over. There is no stability. Fear of being too hot or too cold kicks in. We need adequate shelter from the elements for optimal survival. Finally, there is sleep. Our body restores itself during sleep cycles. Our emotions are processed in the REM cycle of dreaming. If we are not getting adequate sleep, brain fog sets in and focus becomes a major issue. Sleep is a must for our physical well-being.

              Our students who have instability at this basic level of need are doing good to function during the day, much less perform at higher levels academically. When our students are worried about their next meal, math doesn’t matter. If they are concerned about being warm enough or whether they will have to spend the night in the car again, reading doesn’t matter. If they aren’t able to sleep because of the chaos happening in their house, catching a nap during science seems like a safer option.

              Understanding our students is essential. Do you know if the needs of your students are being met?

Do the Heart Work

1.      How can you start the discussion with your students about if their physiological needs are being met?

2.      Who are the students in your class that concern you the most? Why?

3.      Consider how drastically your life changes when your food, water, shelter, air, or sleep are regularly impacted negatively. What happens to you?

Digging Deeper

              So often we try to take it upon ourselves to fix situations. We try to gain control, whether in our lives, our students’, or our immediate circle’s lives. Read these verse about trusting in God to meet our needs and ask God to help us trust him with ALL our needs.

1.      Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:8 (ESV)

2.      The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1 (ESV)

3.      Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 (ESV)

4.      He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10 (ESV)

If You Get Spare Time 

              Identify a student that needs some extra attention and help. Begin praying for God to show you what’s going on behind the scenes so that you can reach them where they are.