Structure in the Classroom

Within a classroom, structure is important for students’ comfort and security. A class that has a routine and guidelines helps students have expectations for the class. When they know what is expected of them, and they know what to expect, they are set up for greater success in the class. Structure means giving away a little bit of your philosophy through rules and routines. Students have a foundation for what will happen in your class day to day, and they have the psychological comfort knowing this.

With structure also comes the necessity for flexibility. While there should be certain routines in a class, there should also be room to make each class unique. Structure does not mean doing the same thing everyday or handling every situation in the same way. The way we individualize teaching to different students, we must individualize each class period. Certain elements of a class should be unchanging, but certain elements should always be changing. The lessons should be fluid, built off of each other, and should be catered to each class each day. However the philosophy behind the lessons and the common goals of the classroom should be clear and stable.