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New
& Views
- Apr, 1992 Issue |
Structure
By Robin C. Harris, Co-Director
Quest
(707) 895-2613
A common denominator
among ... students is their need for structure, for guidelines
and clearly-set limits, for a sense of order in their lives.
It is an essential ingredient in a program.... So why ...
[does] structure [often] appear to take a back seat to creativity,
self-expression, adventure and the need to explore life?
The answer has to do with [the] definition of structure,
the way in which it is implemented, and whether or not it
is visible to the casual observer. The lack of structure
is as abhorrent to children as it is to us. When we remove
the guidelines, they question our integrity. To take away
structure is to invite disorganization and anarchy. Children
want structure; most fall apart without it....
What is structure?
Is it discipline? Is it rules, regulations and limits? Is
it routine or regimentation? Although there is some relationship
among these terms, none of them is synonymous with structure
.... Structure is an abstract. It is because so many people
confuse it with the regimentation found in a military setting
that we find communication on the subject difficult. While
regimentation is structure, not all structure is regimentation.
Structure implies organization, planning and communication
so that everyone within a group understands the rules, guidelines
and limits necessary for that group, as well as the reasons
behind them, and what happens when they are not followed.
Structure is evident when young people know what is expected
of them, and when adults have established an environment
in which these expectations are reasonable and clear, and
when help is provided for students to operate within the
framework of the group. Structure implies routing in some
areas; but it must not be confused with authoritarian regimentation
and lock-step living. It is not structure which interferes
with the learning process, creativity and the job of living,
as some would have us believe. Those processes are thwarted
by authoritarianism and fear. Creativity, self-expression
and the freedom to explore and discover can all take place
within a structured setting.
The secret lies
in our ability to provide what we call "freedom within a
framework' where children operate within an environment
which is free of tension and fear, but with full knowledge
and appreciation of the limits within which their freedom
is allowed. True structure, properly implemented, should
be virtually invisible.
Copyright © 1992, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced
without prior approval if the copyright notice and proper publication and author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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