Ideas: Compassion – Love – Inclusion – Belonging – Meaningful Relationships
BEING COMPASSIONATE TO MYSELF AND OTHERS
I start my journey of enquiry regarding my own teaching (and learning experience) with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Still considered as a psychological benchmark even today his ideas are a central feature of leadership programmes and academic courses. The hierarchy of needs as first described in 1943 are encapsulated as follows: 1 – Biological and physiological – air, food, drink, sleep. 2 – Safety – protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear. 3 – Love and belonging – friendship, intimacy, affection, and love. 4 – Esteem – achievement, mastery, prestige, self-respect, and respect from others. 5- Self-actualisation – realisation of personal potential, self-fulfilment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
In my role as Senior Lecturer within MA Fashion Artefact and MA Footwear, I am part of a teaching team and personal tutor to a proportion of the cohort. There has been a growing number of over sees students on our course, who are predominantly studying far from home, and the majority without English as a first language. In consideration for creating an inclusive environment within our course, and with the context of displacement from the familiarity of home, family, and friends, it is critical to consider basic human needs for students to begin the process of settling within this new environment. I am intrigued to look more closely at the growing rise in literature around compassionate pedagogy. Most especially at how I might use this to be compassionate when explaining course content or giving feedback during tutorials and group sessions. Compassion can be defined as “a sensitivity to suffering in self and others with a commitment to try to alleviate and prevent it”(Gilbert, 2017). As I experience, teaching brings with it a myriad of challenges, it requires an open heart and mind, and being open to learning, through the process of compassion to myself, and to my students. Having recently been diagnosed with a specific learning difficulty, I am acutely aware of the diverse needs of students, although a specific diagnosis may not be shared or discussed (McLeod et al., 2019; Clouder et al., 2020), it is important it is for me to be open to signs of differing learning styles and needs, moreover be empathetic to individual care with patient attention.
I have always been fascinated with human psychology and have been drawn to the teachings of Maslow and Rogers and pay homage to the now infamous 5 hierarchy by A. Maslow and C. Rogers way back in 1943, then certain ‘needs’ must be fulfilled before this can be achieved. While it is not my sole responsibility as educator, I feel it is important to contribute meaningful on this learning journey and take steps to understand the individual learner. I draw focus to Maslow’s third hierarchical human need, feeling a sense love and belonging. Students will face a variation of challenges including diverse educational experience, cultural difference, and social inequality. UAL wide activity is very assiduous and attempts to be inclusive and build connections. In these primary months of campus life there are repeated contents heavy seminars and many emails delivered in fast succession. It has been observed that the activities provided to build community involve large numbers in loud atmospheres, and these immersive gatherings are prohibitive for some ‘neurodiverse’ individuals to engage and feel safe. I am inspired by the work of John A Powell, (Bioneers 2023) and the thoughts shared among artists, ecologists, academics, and scientist within the Othering & Belonging Institute, to pose and discuss difficult questions within the framework of love, understanding, mutual respect and compassion, and the important work of Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, who advocates that a student’s sense of belonging is not a just a basic need, but a fundamental human right. I aim to build a sense belonging in my practise, through compassionate pedagogy to create equity through shared experience and supporting all students beyond the fear of arrival, this will help to encourage a safe space for new ideas and diverse opinions to flow freely with love and compassion.
References:
Belonging Through Compassion: UAL Resource: (2024). Available at: https://belongingthroughcompassion.myblog.arts.ac.uk/relationships/ (Accessed Jan 2024).
Capper, G, McVitty, D., (2024) , Belonging Inclusions and Mental Health, Available at: Wonkhe https://wonkhe.com/blogs/belonging-inclusion-and-mental-health-are-all-connected/ (Accessed 10th january 2024)
Clouder, L., Karakus, M., Cinotti, A., Ferreyra, M. V., Fierros, G. A., and Rojo, P. (2020). ‘Neurodiversity in higher education: a narrative synthesis’. High. Educ. 80, Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-020-00513-6 (Accessed 10th January 2024)
Ferranda F., ‘We are Already Posthuman: “The Posthuman” Concept’ (NYU) Course 1-6: Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vD0eLkqYV4&list=PLAXeXR1DbC1rvnBtdo2-ol-3V8ePmr7jp&index=11 (Accessed 10th January 2024).
Gilbert P.,(2017). Compassion: Concepts, Research and Applications. London: Routledge.
Gilbert P. (2021) ‘Creating a Compassionate World: Addressing the Conflicts Between Sharing and Caring Versus Controlling and Holding Evolved Strategies’:Available at:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7902494/#:~:text=This%20gives%20rise%20to%20defining,Gilbert% (Accessed 10th January 2024).
McLeod, J. D., Meanwell, E., and Hawbaker, A. (2019). ‘The experiences of college students on the autism spectrum: a comparison to their neurotypical peers.’ J. Autism Dev. Disord. 49. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-019-03910-8 (Accessed 10th January 2024).
Mcleoad S., (2024) ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs: Simply Psychology’: Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html#:~:text=Maslow’s%20hierarchy%20of%20needs%20is,esteem%2C%20and%20self%2Dactualization.(Accessed 10th January 2024).
Powell J.A, (2023) Belonging Without Othering: The Story of Our Future: Bioneers. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQjRab1Kbto (Accessed 10th January 2024).
The Belonging Lab: Available at: https://terrellstrayhorn.com/the-belonging-lab/(Accessed 10th January 2024).
Found Object: Infinity Knot, metal rope, 2016, Georgina Goodman