Who Can You Control?

Take a look at this diagram below:

The circle in the middle is you.

The circle around the dot is what you can influence.

Everything outside of that circle needs to be taken off your plate.

Because it is not yours.

This is a simple idea with some important details:

What you focus on will grow. You, your influence, or all the things you cannot and do not have any control over.

If you focus on the area outside the circle of influence, then unfortunately, you lose influence and control.

On the contrary, if you focus on the area of influence, then it will begin to grow along with your center of control. And your sense of agency and overall happiness.

In classrooms, we have the illusion of control. The reality is that the only person we control is ourselves. Even in our classrooms. 

However, we can control the learning culture by the choices we make as the professionals. We can increase our INFLUENCE by planning meaningful and authentic lessons. We can also control how we prepare and execute lessons that align with standards and best practices. Having clear routines, processes, and procedures mapped out and explicitly teaching them to students will also increase our influence in our classrooms. As well as the learning.

We have to take responsibility for the things that are ours and also release the things that are not. Teaching students this simple idea can impact their learning and how they interact with the world. Additionally, it impacts how we function during our days at school.

Focusing on the things that are outside of our control and influence can be an exercise in frustration. If we translate this to our classrooms, we can see hotspots and most of them can be answered with the following questions:

• What piece of this do I control?
• Which piece of this can I influence?
• What did I want?
• How far away from that am I currently?
• What can I do differently?

Give yourself permission as you move into this busy season of school to move your focus to the center of the circle. You will be surprised at how the less important things fall away and your own passions begin to shine through without distraction.

If you want to learn more about student and teacher agency, join ERG and Debbie Miller in September!