I heard this quote, “If we change the structure of our living we can change the shape of our lives.” and it really gave me some items to think about.

Each of us has a certain structure in our lives, a structure that we do, day in and day out. That structure makes us comfortable and we have a tendency to want it to stay the same. Now think about the structure that you have each day and think about one item that you’d like to change. For me, I want to change how often I ask people about their lives. It’s a difficult piece for me, I go about my daily structure and don’t do that enough. I’ve made it a point of my daily structure to ask and it has shaped the way I live.

Changing a piece of our daily structure is what will help to shape our lives.

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How we interact with others makes a difference and that leads to our lives being shaped in different ways. For instance, one small structural change is to greet our students at the door each day. This structure allows for a moment to know each child before they begin their learning journey for the day.

I know that structure is difficult to change, but it’s what is needed if we are hoping for a better future for ourselves and our students. Think about all the structures we have in our daily lives, think about the structures our students have, then imagine what kind of change you could make ( a small change) that will begin to shape students into more empowered thinkers.

Making a structural change is a necessity in our schools. We have students who need to experience opportunities that require them to share their thinking, to share what they are learning, and to showcase what they are excited about. Many structures in our classrooms inhibit that ability. My goal is to make slight changes in those structures so that over time students begin to experience opportunities to share their voice shaping their lives for a different future.

What kind of structure can you create or change that can shape your life in a better way? What kind of structural change might you make that can shape the lives of your students? I’d love to hear your thoughts and what changes you might be making.