Beyond Behaviorism: Embracing Humanism for a More Positive Classroom

Fact: We all want what’s best for our children. 

Regardless of whether we’re parents or educators, we’re all working towards the same common goal: helping our kids reach their utmost potential.

Now, more than ever, we have access to SO MUCH information to help us in this endeavor. But at times, it can be challenging, as we experience information OVERLOAD or paralysis, and we don’t know what’s best.

Should we give our children space to figure things out on their own? Or should we push them harder to succeed in a very traditional way?

Although these views often seem contrasting, that’s not always the case. Below is an outline of why, as well as a deep dive into the traditionally opposing views of Behaviorism and Humanism. Understanding these differing schools of thought will allow us to help our children flourish in their educational journey.

What are we hoping to achieve from Early Childhood Education?

We want our kids to do well in school.

Yup.

And so creating a positive learning environment in the classroom is foundational to this goal.

That sounds GREAT. But what does it actually mean? In a positive early childhood learning environment, a student will enter their classroom and immediately feel safe. They’ll have a sense of belonging, with a designated place for their physical belongings. They’ll have a morning meeting with other children, establishing a good rapport with both their teacher and classmates. The class will have routines and procedures that the students are aware of and follow. If they experience frustration, they can go to a calming corner to self-regulate their emotions.

Having all of this creates a positive environment that helps our children learn better.

This approach contrasts though with a more traditional approach to learning, one which refers back to a school of thought called behaviorism.

Two Opposing Schools of Thought. Or are they?

Close your eyes and picture the most traditional classroom you can imagine. The students are sitting up straight behind their desks, which are arranged in neatly organized rows. They are all quietly working on the same assigned work and listening to the teacher’s instructions without question. That’s modeling a school of thought referred to as behaviorism.

Behaviorism, rooted in the early 20th century, views learning as a process of conditioning, where behavior is shaped by reinforcement or punishment. In behaviorist classrooms, the focus is on measurable outcomes and the use of rewards or punishment to shape behavior.

In contrast, the positive learning environment imagined previously is a result of a more holistic approach to learning referred to as humanism. We’ll dig deeper into humanism shortly, but fundamentally, it’s a school of thought that emerged in opposition to behaviorism, emphasizing the importance of human experience, self-determination, and personal growth.

Although they’re quite different, they’re not completely opposing philosophies, and it can actually be quite productive to incorporate elements of behaviorism into a humanistic approach to learning. For example, a student being given an assignment and receiving positive reinforcement for doing well is a behaviorist approach. However, a humanistic element can be incorporated by working with the child to understand what they’re struggling with if they’re not doing well in the assignment and finding ways to help them improve.

And with that as a backdrop, let’s dig deeper into what humanism is about.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

You’ve likely heard of Maslow’s hierarchy at some point in your life. If you haven’t, or if you just need a refresher, the concept is quite simple. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a layered pyramid that represents different types of needs in someone’s life. Each layer represents a different level of needs, and without meeting the lower-level needs, one cannot progress to the next level. The layers, from bottom to top, are:

  • Physiological Needs: Food, water, breathing.
  • Safety: Security in personal matters, health, and resources.
  • Love/Belonging: Family, friendship, intimacy.
  • Self-Esteem: Respect, confidence, achievement.
  • Self-Actualization: Creativity, problem-solving, morality.

This hierarchy applies to the classroom setting and our children’s education as well. Abraham Maslow, who came up with this hierarchy, is considered one of the founding fathers of the humanistic school of thought. Humanism aims to look at each student from a holistic perspective to ensure all their needs are met on each level of the hierarchy.

The goal is to have them at the top of the pyramid, where they can focus their energy on the higher-level self-actualization category of needs. This is where they are comfortable and secure enough to use their creative thought process to problem solve and perform at their highest potential.

Our Children as Holistic Individuals

I hope we’re of the same mindset that our children’s academic performance cannot be viewed in isolation from other factors.

There was a time and place for an industrial model established a century ago, of schooling that solely uses reinforcement and punishment as methods of teaching. But that’s not what we should be using today.

There are elements that are not completely outdated, such as rewarding good behavior and using more traditional methods of assessment where needed. However, like anything, old methodologies need to be adapted for modern times. And for now, that means taking a look at our children’s holistic well-being to ensure all their needs are met on the rungs of Maslow’s hierarchy.

By taking these factors into consideration, we can help our children achieve their highest potential when it comes to academic success by providing them with the freedom to focus solely on endeavors that improve their self-actualization goals. The highest level of functioning.