Self Actualization Actually

“No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you've come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.”?

~Madonna

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While Back to School Night’s primary purpose is a get-to-know-you opportunity, it inevitably turns out to be a celebration of our amazing school and the people who make it so. As always, the division administration and teachers steal the show as they provide a first-hand glimpse of what happens in their areas. In order to maximize time for parents in the divisions on Back to School Night, I have always kept my all-school gathering short and to the point. With help from three wonderful guest speakers:

• Molly Rollins, Board President and parent of three graduates.
• Lisa Lugo, current CIPO President and mother of Christian in 6th grade.
• Pam Jones, mother of Wyatt, a current sophomore.

The night was made even better by their heart-felt and inspirational recounting of their personal journeys.??

When I limit myself to 15 minutes and want to convey my strongest convictions about the school, I have to get to the nut of it. When I do so, I usually land in a similar place. I speak passionately about the importance of students and parents (and staff) being fully invested and engaged in their roles. Although there are not many truisms and blanket statements that one can make about the dynamics of school life. One that I found that has stood the test of time is that students, parents (and staff) who are more fully engaged in the life of the school are happier, and it is also true that those who are happier are more fully engaged. I am not sure what comes first, but it does not really matter.

I also mentioned that although there are any number of skills and competencies we want to instill in our students, e.g., perseverance, diligence, collaboration. The one that I most hope our students take to the next step in their lives is advocacy. Chances are that the next step will not have the support mechanisms that Currey Ingram has, and although I think it is critical we provide those supports to scaffold success, we have an obligation to instill a fully developed set of advocacy skills for our students to use in the next phases of their lives, whether that is the next grade, college, work or life in general.

My ultimate dream is that every student who comes to this school takes significant steps toward self-actualization. Toward becoming the best possible version of themselves. To me, this is the greatest gift and the greatest journey in life.

The formal psychological conception of self-actualization was first introduced by Abraham Maslow in 1943. It has stood the test of time due to its uncanny accuracy in describing the human condition.?

In short, the theory proposes that human beings are innately driven to progress toward self-actualization. Although, in theory, no one ever fully self-actualizes, it is believed, and it seems valid and ? accurate to state that the closer one is to the best version of themselves, the more content one will ? ? ? ? be in life.

Critical to the theory, and why it is presented as a pyramid, is that before people can self-actualize, they have to progress through the more foundational stages. In fact, the stages build from the one below to the one above.?

So, our physiological (i.e., water, food, shelter) needs must be met before we can (and should) be bothered with anything else. If those needs are met, we then must feel that our safety needs are met (i.e., we are safe from mental and physical threats). Moving up the pyramid, if the physiological and safety needs are by-and-large met, people will seek to have their belonging needs met. That is, as social creatures, we crave and thrive on sincere and loving human interactions. If this need is being met, self-esteem? has an opportunity to blossom. Finally, if all of those building blocks of needs are firmly and comprehensively in place, striving for self-actualization is possible.

Maslow’s Hierarchy takes other simpler and mostly wrong explanations of poor school performance, like “does not try hard enough,” “bad attitude,” and “dumb,” and places them in the trash can, where they belong. The vast majority of students who struggle in school do so because their physiological, safety, belonging and/or esteem are not met. Not because of willful misbehavior.

This model is a profound explanation of why a school like Currey Ingram works. And a profound explanation of the human condition.?

I believe with all my heart that every student, given the chance, wants to reach the summit of this pyramid, and self-actualize. It is my Why. This belief is the most fundamental reason I love what I do. Giving students a fair and fighting chance to reach the peak of their abilities.?

Thank you for trusting us to help your children become the best version of themselves.