Our first job in building the right classroom culture is to create a space that fulfills the basic needs of our students.  They must choose to establish this culture with us, and that can only happen when it feels right to them, when their psychological needs are being met.

In Choice Theory, Dr. William Glasser suggests there are five fundamental conditions that need to be met for people to lead fulfilled lives.  People have to feel that they are safe, that they have some degree of agency and power, that they have freedom, that they have a sense of belonging, and that they have fun.  Glasser argues that when any of these elements are missing, it adversely affects a person’s ability to lead a fulfilling and successful life.

Let’s consider what each of these might look like in a classroom:

Safety

There are a number of components to feeling safe in a classroom, from being unafraid of physical threats to feeling free from humiliation or bullying.  As teachers, we have an ethical obligation to ensure that our students are not in any form of danger, or even perceive themselves to be in danger. Fear, of course, is harmful to the human spirit in any number of ways.  But on a purely functional level, fear is also detrimental to learning.

Power

Like everyone, students need to have a say in what happens in their lives.  When they can express what they need or give feedback to a teacher without fear of encountering defensiveness or ridicule, when they can contribute ideas to the improved functioning of the class—when they have a voice—their attitude in working with people who have authority over them becomes healthier.  At its best, the everyday functioning of a classroom should cultivate the skills of being a responsible, empowered citizen.

Freedom

Students want to have choice in what they do—again, like everyone else.  This may involve deciding what kind of homework would be most useful or how best to use open work time.  Learning the difference between freedom and license—that is, learning the responsibilities that go with freedom and the limitations of freedom—is an important lesson, learned best by experience.

Belonging

Replacing what many students find to be a solitary and competitive experience with a sense of being part of an authentic community is an essential building block in any classroom culture.  The powerful pull of street gangs, no matter how self-destructive and violent, is testimony to the fundamental importance of belonging. How much healthier it is for that urge serve the goals of learning and personal growth.

Fun

Though the idea of having fun is routinely overlooked in conversations about school reform, it remains critically important for students and teachers alike.  Fun is a pivotal ingredient of mental health. It makes the learning process pleasurable, which in turn makes it more personal, more engaging and more effective.

Beyond these five conditions, there are, no doubt, many other fundamental needs we could list.  Here are two more that I believe in deeply:

Authenticity

Many students experience school as fundamentally inauthentic.  This perception warps their motivation and undermines their enthusiasm to learn.  It is hard to define what an authentic classroom experience is, but we (and our students) all know it when we see it.  Maintaining authenticity requires vigilance—both teachers and students can easily revert to well-developed habits of mind and behavior that undermine the authentic experience.

Intrinsic Drive

As described in the last chapter, all human beings have an intrinsic drive to learn and excel.  Experiencing the sheer pleasure of exploring and mastering new ideas and skills is hard-wired into every student.  When they realize that such experiences are possible in an academic setting, it can be a turning point in their lives.

A TEACHER'S STORY: JEAN P.