Teacher Needs Check: What Do You Need to Teach at Your Best?

Self-check

Where are you on the pyramid?

How to answer

Think about the last month of school. For each statement, choose how often it has been true for you. There are no right answers. Your answers stay on your device unless you choose to email them to yourself below.

0 of 15 answered

Your results

How your needs are being met

Your score for each level will show here after you answer all 15 statements. Each level is scored from 1 to 5, and the lowest level is where to start.

Simple ways to meet each need

Small steps you can take this month

You don’t need to fix everything at once. Pick one step from the level that scored lowest and try it for two weeks.

Level 1

Physiological

Eat lunch away from your desk at least three days a week.
Set a hard stop time for grading and planning on school nights.
Keep water and a snack in your classroom.
Name one task you can drop or shorten this week.

Level 2

Safety

Post your classroom routines and keep them the same every day.
Write down parent and discipline issues as they happen.
Ask your administrator what support looks like on hard calls, before you need it.
Read your contract or handbook so fewer things feel uncertain.

Level 3

Belonging

Eat lunch with a colleague once a week.
Ask an experienced teacher to be an informal mentor.
Offer help to a newer teacher.
Join one committee, club or team outside your usual hallway.

Level 4

Esteem

Keep a folder of kind notes from students, parents and colleagues.
Share one idea at a team or staff meeting this month.
Ask for feedback on one specific thing you tried.
Say yes to a small leadership role that fits your strengths.

Level 5

Self-actualization

Try one new teaching strategy this month and notice what happens.
Choose a professional learning topic you actually care about.
Write down why you started teaching and reread it on hard days.
Coach a colleague in something you do well.

A note on this check

What this check is, and what it isn’t

This is a reflection tool for starting a conversation with yourself or your team. It is not a clinical or scientific assessment. Research also doesn’t support a strict ladder where each level has to be fully met before the next one matters, so treat your results as a way to notice what’s pulling energy away from your teaching. If you’re feeling burned out or overwhelmed, talk with someone you trust or a mental health professional.

Your results

How your needs are being met

Your score for each level will show here after you answer all 15 statements. Each level is scored from 1 to 5, and the lowest level is where to start.

Simple ways to meet each need

Small steps you can take this month

You don’t need to fix everything at once. Pick one step from the level that scored lowest and try it for two weeks.

Level 1

Physiological

Eat lunch away from your desk at least three days a week.
Set a hard stop time for grading and planning on school nights.
Keep water and a snack in your classroom.
Name one task you can drop or shorten this week.

Level 2

Safety

Post your classroom routines and keep them the same every day.
Write down parent and discipline issues as they happen.
Ask your administrator what support looks like on hard calls, before you need it.
Read your contract or handbook so fewer things feel uncertain.

Level 3

Belonging

Eat lunch with a colleague once a week.
Ask an experienced teacher to be an informal mentor.
Offer help to a newer teacher.
Join one committee, club or team outside your usual hallway.

Level 4

Esteem

Keep a folder of kind notes from students, parents and colleagues.
Share one idea at a team or staff meeting this month.
Ask for feedback on one specific thing you tried.
Say yes to a small leadership role that fits your strengths.

Level 5

Self-actualization

Try one new teaching strategy this month and notice what happens.
Choose a professional learning topic you actually care about.
Write down why you started teaching and reread it on hard days.
Coach a colleague in something you do well.

A note on this check

What do you need to teach at your best?

Maslow’s hierarchy for teachers

Where are you on the pyramid?

Physiological

Safety

Belonging

Esteem

Self-actualization

How your needs are being met

Small steps you can take this month

Physiological

Safety

Belonging

Esteem

Self-actualization

What this check is, and what it isn’t

Want to have this conversation with your whole staff?

What do you need to teach at your best?

Maslow’s hierarchy for teachers

Where are you on the pyramid?

Physiological

Safety

Belonging

Esteem

Self-actualization

How your needs are being met

Small steps you can take this month

Physiological

Safety

Belonging

Esteem

Self-actualization

What this check is, and what it isn’t

Want to have this conversation with your whole staff?