THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK PAPER

Theoretical Framework Paper

Katy McKellar

Instructional Strategies and Procedures for Students with Mild Disabilities

Georgia College & State University

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK PAPER

My philosophy of education is centered in prioritizing the establishment of respect and

trust with my students. I believe that a learner should be treated as a person, therefore they

should have a personal relationship with their educator. This personal relationship prevents the

student from becoming simply a number to the educator. Once this dynamic of a student-teacher

relationship has been established, the teacher can begin to understand the personalities and

learning styles of their students. This understanding will allow me as a future educator to create

lessons and learning opportunities for their students as individuals that combine all of their

knowledge about their students into a plan that will best suit their learning experience.

Another key aspect in my teaching philosophy of fostering a healthy relationship with

students is that the students are not just learning from the teacher, but that the teacher is also

learning from the students, as well as students learning from other students. This dynamic of a

learning community should come together naturally in the classroom and promote learning from

all parties when the teacher continues to develop healthy relationships amongst the members of

their classroom. I believe that a common misconception for teachers is that the most important

part of teaching is being competent in the content that is being taught. In order to learn from the

mistakes of ineffective educators I have encountered and provide a wholistic education, I plan to

incorporate the teachings of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory and Doidge’s Brain Plasticity

theory into my future classroom.

The first theorist who aligns with my teaching priorities is Abraham Maslow, because of

his theory of the Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s theory says that a human has 5 levels of basic

needs that need to be met in order for a human to reach their full potential. These needs are

arranged in a hierarchy, which means that in order to progress from the first level to the second,

one must have completed the first level. However, the hierarchy can act as a ladder in specific
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situations, allowing one to fluctuate between two levels with their current state of being if they

possess some skills and abilities from multiple levels at once, but they don’t have all of the skills

of either level. Maslow identifies the 5 basic needs in this order as follows, ranging from the

most important to the least important: 1) Physical, which are one’s basic survival needs of food,

warmth, and rest, 2) Psychological, which is freedom from fear and establishment of certainty,

stability, and organization, 3) Affiliation, which is a sense of belonging and participation in

affection and love, 4) Esteem, which is a sense of self-belief and satisfaction with one’s

reputation, and 5) Self-Fulfillment, which is when one reaches their full potential (Bates, 2019). I

will use this theory in my future classroom by ensuring that I assist in fulfilling as many levels

on each of my students’ hierarchies as possible.

Typically, as teachers grow older and their students remain the same age as they cycle

through each school year, the age gap makes it increasingly more difficult for teachers to bond

with their students due to lack of common interests and life experiences. However, because

teachers have already experienced the phases and changes that their students are currently going

through, they can show empathy to their students to show them that they care about their

wellbeing. There are various ways I can assist my students outside of teaching content that will

help them to perform and learn more effectively when they are taught information. I can meet

my future students’ physical needs by advocating for their access to clean facilities, meals, water

fountains, counselors, and nurses. I can meet their psychological needs with organization and

safety drills. I can meet their affiliation needs by being welcoming and cultivating healthy

relationships with them. I can meet their esteem needs with student awards at the end of the year

or semester. Last but not least, I can help meet students’ self-fulfillment needs by helping them

to achieve their goals and encouraging participation in extra-curriculars.

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The second theorist who aligns with my teaching priorities is Norman Doidge, because I

agree with the principles of Doidge’s Brain Plasticity theory. Doidge’s theory says that plasticity,

also known as neuroplasticity, “describes how experiences reorganize neural pathways in the

brain. Long lasting functional changes in the brain occur when we learn new things or memorize

new information. These changes in neural connections are what we call neuroplasticity” (Bates,

2019). Doidge’s research shows that neuroplasticity is possible throughout one’s entire lifetime,

which means that it will always be a possibility for me and my students to engage in learning

new information together, despite our differences in age.

In order to establish a classroom that promotes neuroplasticity, it is essential to promote a

healthy relationship between all students and the teacher as well as a stimulating environment. I

can promote neuroplasticity in my classroom by primarily teaching my students about plasticity

and that they have the ability to achieve it by teaching cognitive strategies alongside core

material, specifically with older students to encourage them to make the most of their plasticity.

When students understand that they are in control of their own learning, they will become more

motivated to learn, which will then make them more open to studying and practicing the content

covered during class to achieve plasticity.

Both Maslow and Doidge have established theories that I plan to incorporate in my future

classroom in order to meet the needs of my students. I feel that the Hierarchy of Needs theory

aligns with my goal of giving my future students a wholistic education, because students should

be seen as the people they are before anything is expected of them. Students will always be

diverse and complex, so one must understand how their inner workings affect their learning

styles to give them a personalized education that works for them. I feel that the Brain Plasticity

theory aligns with my goal of teaching my students information that they truly understand
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beyond rote memorization, because that way of learning is not retained in the long term in the

brain. Although these theories address different aspects of education, with the application of my

combined knowledge of the scientific and behavioral aspects of learning in mind while teaching I

believe that they will help me to become a very effective future educator.
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References

Bates, B. (2019). Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Learning Theories Simplified: and How to

Apply Them to Teaching (2nd ed., pp. 66-67). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE. Retrieved

September 7, 2020.

Bates, B. (2019). Doidge's Brain Plasticity Theory. Learning Theories Simplified: And How to

Apply Them to Teaching (2nd ed., pp. 88-89). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE. Retrieved

September 7, 2020.