The purpose of this lesson is to explore the real human need for love, belonging, and connection. This lesson walks participants through both the benefits of these conditions as well as the consequences of any deficiencies in these areas. This lesson is a great opportunity to explore any connection issues in the educational environment.
“Love, Belonging, and Connection,” found in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, are all grouped into a category called social needs. Without satisfying these needs, it is difficult to achieve the levels of esteem and actualization. In other words, for one to truly thrive, they must feel love, belonging, and connection. Satisfying social interactions can come from friendships, romantic attachments, family, social groups, community groups, and churches and religious organizations, according to Kendra Cherry at Verywell Mind.
Research indicates that feelings of love, belonging, and connection are all human needs that can impact our overall health. Here are a few facts about how these needs relate to our health:
Love, belonging, and connection are all social needs that must involve other people. Some individuals may struggle to make the connections that they desire, so strategies may be required to secure those connections. Michael Lee Stallard, famed author and thought leader, suggests that to increase connectivity with colleagues, individuals must be intentional in building those relationships. (American Management Association)
Definitions:
Activity 1: (5 Minutes) JOURNAL PROMPT
Reflect on the following invitation posed by Mr. Rogers. “Think of the people who have helped you become who you are. Those who have cared about you and wanted what was best for you in life.” (The Emmy Awards, 2008)
Extension: As teachers are finding their seats, watch the acceptance
speechthat Fred Rogers gave in 1997.
On the Journal Reflection handout, have teachers write about one of those people and the impact they have had on them personally. Have volunteers share, if time permits.
Activity 2: (5 Minutes) MR. ROGERS CLIP
Watch the video clipof Mr. Rogers and discuss how you see love, belonging, and connection in his interaction with Jeff Erlanger.
Read this quote about connections we make at work:
“Throughout my journey as a teacher, I continued to seek out those who wanted to learn and whose hearts remained open to their students, and mentors who imparted wisdom and encouraged my convictions. I had students who became like family, whom 20 years after teaching them, I still talk to, addressing them as mijo, “son,” or mija, “daughter.” Forming community goes straight to the heart of what makes our work so rewarding: It is where connection and joy lay.” (Elena Aguilar)
Ask the group if there are any coworkers or colleagues who have helped them to feel love, belonging, and/or connection. Ask for a few people to share.
Activity 3: (10 Minutes) VENN DIAGRAM SYNONYMS
Remind participants of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and determine what level love, belonging, and connection fall under.
Teams or individuals look up definitions and synonyms for the words “love,” “belonging,” and “connection.” Plot the similarities and differences on the Venn diagram.
Activity 4: (15 Minutes) ARTIFACTS AND DISCUSSION
Watch the video, “InBrief: The Science of Neglect,” by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Invite educators think about the following question as they watch:
Read the quote about the health implications of social connection from “The Connection Prescription,” publishing in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine:
“From research about social connectedness and its links to health and wellness, the authors concluded, ‘From the current body of medical research, it is evident that social connection has substantial impacts in many categories of health from weight management, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression. Some psychiatrists go so far as comparing social connection to vitamins… They advocate for adding connection to our list of essentials in addition to food, water, vitamins, and minerals. Thus, like in Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs,” connection distills down to a vital human need.’” (Martino et al.)
Have a group discussion:
Activity 5: (25 Minutes) SNOWBALL ACTIVITY
Read this quote about cultivating resilience in educators:
“In focusing on community building, we have an opportunity to sharpen our definition of a healthy community. This may mean different things for different people. For me, a community that fosters my resilience is one that is inclusive of accomplishments are celebrated, unhealthy conflict is addressed, and there’s transparent decision making. My resilience has been undermined when I’ve been in a professional community that doesn’t include these elements. What kind of community do you need to fuel your resilience?” (Elena Aguilar)
Discuss this question from the quote:
Watch this videofrom Michael Stallard. Michael Stallard identifies six universal needs for employees to feel connected at work. They include: respect, recognition, belonging, autonomy, personal growth, and meaning. Ask educators to do the following activities for each of the six universal needs:
Extension: Have a discussion. How are we creating a culture in this school so that these universal needs are happening in our workplace? What could it look like?
Extension: Using a survey (digital or paper), collect feedback from employees, rating the work environment based on these seven needs.
Activity 6: (15 Minutes) SCENARIO RESPONSE
Read this quote and quickly discuss:
“Teachers don’t leave strong communities, and children thrive in strong communities… You cannot thrive unless you’re in healthy relationships… A wide network helps us feel connected, whereas a lack of social support can engender feelings of social alienation, as well as depression, anxiety, and burnout. Researchers have spent time accumulating these findings, but I’m sure you know them to be true. Ironically, in spite of the fact that teachers spend their days with dozens or hundreds of other people, teaching is one of the most isolating professions. That’s because the kind of company needed to counter isolation is that of peers.” (Elena Aguilar)
Sort participants into groups of 5 or 6 people. Post the scenarios and have the group discuss how they could react to each situation in order to maintain or increase love, belonging, and/or connection for themselves or another person:
Have a discussion:
Activity 7: (20 Minutes) BRAINSTORM GAME
Tap into the wealth of knowledge that this group of social experts provides. Have every participant take 5 minutes to list as many activities as they can that fall under the following categories and that their colleagues might enjoy. Activities can be simple and complex. Feel free to share your favorite go-to spots in town! The winner will have a long list.
When 5 minutes are up, go around the room and have everyone (if possible) read their lists aloud. No duplicates are allowed. If someone has a duplicate answer, everyone with that answer must cross it off their list and no one gets points for it. After reading the lists, participants should tally up their points for every unique answer that they listed. The winner is the one with the most tally marks. Feel free to have 5 winners, one for each category.
Have a discussion.
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