focus, connections, depth, teamwork, well-rounded, organized, professional, scaffolding, map, guide, efficiency, systems, routines, the big picture, prevent gaps, reliable, predictable, equitable, target, essential outcome , common,
When I was asked to write about freedom in structure I was excited. I love structure (in theory at least) and I am always trying to fit a little more structure into my own life, let alone my classroom. Structure in my kitchen, my car, my closet, my daughter’s closet, my filing system, my family photographs, my receipts, my Christmas list, my grocery list, my to-do list, my honey-do list…you get the picture. Oh, but this is about freedom in structure in the classroom. I‘m getting to that, but as any educator would agree, our classrooms are really an extension of our ourselves, our homes, our families, a reflection of who we are and how we think and behave. So, some of the structure in place in my classroom is strong, like the structure of my newly organized recipe collection, other areas need a little tweaking.
So, where to begin? I took the liberty, aka freedom, of making a list. A brainstorm. Or, as we like to refer to it in our district, a Type 1. List all the words that come to mind when you think of “Freedom in Structure”. Inevitably, a word or two spawns another word, maybe a string of words, a connection to a past experience or thought, a phrase, or even a unique idea, a breakthrough perhaps. Even as I type this sentence, I just added a word to my list. When I look at this list, a structure forms. I see how I can organize my thoughts around this broad topic. This organization didn’t come to me at first, as it often does not for my students. They too need the freedom to explore and make their own connections. I, like my students, was given a mission, a goal, an assignment. I know my destination, but the journey is up to me. Freedom in structure.
I envision my thoughts fitting into four categories: classroom routines, curriculum development, curriculum instruction, and assessment. So, my next writing will be focused on classroom routines.
The final “freedom” in writing this blog…I can click ignore once on all my faux pas underlined in green! Ahhhh, the grammatical freedom in blogging!
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Beth Cavalier grew up in Exeter, NH with her parents and two younger sisters. She graduated from Boston College in 1995 with a degree in Political Science. Working in a private pre-school in Connecticut after graduating inspired her to pursue her teaching certificate in special education at Westfield State College. After working in the Agawam Public School system as a Title 1 assistant for a year, she and her husband moved back to New Hampshire and she began working in Amesbury, MA as a special education teacher both in a self-contained setting and in a co-teaching model. When the opportunity presented itself, she became a general education teacher and taught a grade 2/3 loop for eight years. She is currently in her second year as a member of the fourth grade team and her thirteenth year of teaching in the Amesbury Public School system. Beth earned a master’s degree from Lesley University in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Literacy and a Certificate in Advanced Graduate Studies from Plymouth State University in School Leadership. She has served on various curriculum committees, the Writing Assessment Team, the Math Assessment Team and the Strategic Planning Team in Amesbury. She lives in the seacoast of New Hampshire with her husband and daughter. 
Beth – It is interesting to see how your ideas started to form just as I read through your post. Looking forward to reading your post on “classroom routines”.