Simple Solutions for Busy Teachers
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Article: Knowing what you want helps you get it by Laura Szmuch
The above is one of the basic presuppositions of NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming). As one of the pillars of NLP is, precisely, outcome orientation, one of the basic conditions to get what we want is, quite obviously, to know what we want. Many people inhabit the eternal complaint that things are not the way they would like them to be. However, they haven't got the slightest idea of how they would like things to be. In order to have the possibility to achieve something, it is essential that we first are certain of what it is that we want.
Do I always get what I want if I know what I want? No, not always. Anyway, the mere fact that we know it is the first step to start designing the life we want. Many times we drift through life. And sometimes it is positive that it is that way. There are periods in life when we have no clear direction, or when we gather information about possibilities, or we take a rest to assess our present state. And there are other stages in life when we take the reins of our own lives and we make decisions and we take action. We are the protagonists of our own decisions. And we don't blame anyone else that we have arrived nowhere if we had never had a clear destination in mind in the first place.
Take a few seconds to think about this: If you take a taxi and you tell the taxi driver: "Take me"
What do you think can happen? One possibility is that the taxi driver might ask you where it is that you want to go….and that would solve the embarrassing situation- not to take into account the fact that he might understand something else, of course…Mmmm
It is also possible that he will NOT ask you, and he takes you where HE wants to take you…And you might like it…but, what would happen if you didn't?
Exactly the same thing happens in life when we don't make our own decisions: other people make them for us.
As I have said before, we can't possibly get what we want if we don't know what we want. And simply knowing what we want is no guarantee of getting it. Unless….unless we take action.
Once we know what we want, it is essential that we are as specific as possible about our goal. Does that mean that I must be terribly strict and only expect what fits those "specifications"? No, absolutely not. What I mean is that simply saying "I want a big house", for example, is not enough.
What kind of house do you want? How many rooms are there in your "big house"? How many bathrooms? Is there a patio or a garden? A park? Where do you want it to be? Describe the house of your dreams exactly the way you want it. How much money are you ready to pay for it? What do you want the big house for? And so on…
Once you imagine it, what you want starts to take shape in your mind. You are not going to get the house of your dreams unless you have a house in your dreams. You may not find exactly the house you have dreamt about, however, the fact that you have placed it in your mind in great detail is the first step.
Is dreaming about it enough? No, but it is wonderful. Once you dream about it with all your senses, you MUST take action to get it. NLP offers us loads of techniques to help us get what we want. Your homework, dear reader, is to start asking yourself what you want in the different areas of your life, for example: personal, professional, family, health, finance,etc
Start thinking-if you haven't already done it, of course- that you can design your own life, or enjoy more what you absolutely love about it. Until next time! Laura Szmuch©* Subscribe to the newsletter in Spanish: en.contacto.pnl@gmail.com Subscribe to "RTNews" (in English): rtnews@resourcefulteaching.com.ar
* Laura is a graduate of INSP "Dr JV Gonzalez, and master Practitioner and Trainer in NLP.She applies NLP to her English teaching. She is the co-founder of Resourceful Teaching, an educational consultancy, and produces the e-zines called RTNews and En Contacto. She runs NLP courses for teachers and other professionals both in English and in Spanish and coordinates self-development workshops, courses and retreats, among them "A Spa for the Teacher's Soul". She has written " Aprendiendo Inglés, y disfrutando el proceso", and co-authored "Really Thriving" of forthcoming publication.At present she is training as a Transformational Ontological Coach and as a Pychoneuroeducator.
What is NLP? NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming NLP is an eclectic body of thought which is a branch of the Cognitive Sciences and Cognitive Behavioural Psychology. It grew out of General Semantics (Korzybski), Transformational Grammar (Chomsky), Anthropology and Cybernetics (Bateson), Reframing (Watzlawick et al), Family Systems (Virginia Satir), Gestalt Therapy(Perls), Medical Hypnosis (Erickson) and several related studies. Its founders were Richard Bandler (a mathematician) and John Grinder (a linguist) who, in the early 70s, set out to discover the "structure of excellence". What NLP training does for you.... This acronym reminds us of the fact that our mind and body are interconnected and that we are responsible for the models of the world we create.
NLP training has two areas of application:
2. How we communicate with ourselves With training in NLP we learn how to get rapport with virtually anybody, how to become flexible in our communication, how to use language effectively. We learn how to deal with conflict on a win-win basis, how to tap our resources (such as confidence, competence, inner peace, motivation, health, abundance, etc.), how to discover our strategies (of excellence, creativity, good memory, etc.), how to work with our beliefs and other levels of growth and learning and how our brains code our subjective experience. Resourceful Teaching© www.resourcefulteaching.com.ar
Y en español,
para compartir con amigos y familiares: Nota: Si sé lo que quiero voy a conseguirlo
Esta es una de las presuposiciones básicas de la PNL. Como uno de los pilares de la PNL es, precisamente, la orientación hacia el logro de objetivos, una de las condiciones básicas para poder conseguir lo que queremos, es, obviamente, saber qué es lo que queremos.
Mucha gente vive en la queja constante de que las cosas no son como les gustaría que fueran. Sin embargo, no saben cómo les gustaría que fueran. Para poder tener la posibilidad de lograr algo , primero debemos tener la certeza de qué es lo que queremos.
¿Siempre consigo lo que quiero si sé qué es lo que quiero? No, no siempre. No obstante, el saberlo es el primer paso para poder empezar a diseñar la vida que queremos. Muchas veces vamos por la vida sin rumbo. A veces está bien que así sea. Hay períodos en la vida en los que nos dejamos llevar, o juntamos información acerca de posibilidades, o nos tomamos un descanso para evaluar nuestro estado actual. Y hay otros períodos en la vida en los que nosotros tomamos las riendas y decidimos y actuamos. Somos protagonistas de nuestras decisiones. Y no culpamos a nadie por no haber llegado a ninguna parte si jamás nos habíamos propuesto un determinado destino.
Piensa en este ejemplo: Si subes a un taxi y le dices al taxista: "Lléveme" ¿Qué crees que puede llegar a suceder? Es posible que el taxista te pregunte dónde quieres ir, y ahí estaría solucionado el tema. También es factible que no te pregunte, y te lleve donde él quiere. Y tal vez te guste…pero, ¿y si no te gustara?
Lo mismo sucede en la vida cuando no tomamos nuestras propias decisiones: otros las toman por nosotros.
Como dije anteriormente, no podemos conseguir lo que queremos, si no sabemos lo que queremos. Y sólo saber qué es lo que queremos, no es garantía de conseguirlo, a no ser que nos pongamos en movimiento para hacerlo.
Una vez que sabemos qué es lo que queremos es bueno ser lo más específico posible acerca de nuestro objetivo.
¿Eso quiere decir que me tengo que poner estricto y sólo esperar lo que entra dentro de esas "especificidades"? No, absolutamente no. Lo que quiero decir es que con sólo decir "Quiero una casa grande", por ejemplo, no es suficiente. ¿Qué tipo de casa quieres? ¿Cuántos cuartos tiene tu "casa grande"? ¿Cuántos baños? ¿Tiene patio o jardín? ¿Parque? ¿Dónde quieres que esté? Describe la casa de tus sueños tal y como la quieres. ¿Qué cantidad de dinero estás dispuesto a pagar por ella? ¿Para qué quieres una casa grande? etc
Una vez que la imaginas, lo que quieres empieza a tomar forma en tu mente. No vas a poder conseguir la casa de tus sueños a no ser que tengas una casa en tus sueños. Quizás no encuentres exactamente la que soñaste, sin embargo, el haberla puesto en tu mente con bastante detalle es el primer paso.
¿Y soñarla es suficiente? No, pero es maravilloso. Y una vez que la sueñas, tienes que ponerte en marcha para conseguirla. La PNL ofrece muchísimas técnicas para crear y lograr objetivos. En próximos números te iré contando acerca de ellas. Mientras tanto, te invito a que empieces a preguntarte qué es lo que quieres en tu vida en sus distintos ámbitos, como por ejemplo: personal, laboral, familiar, etc
Esa es TU TAREA, querido lector, para este mes. Empezar a pensar que puedes diseñar tu vida, o aumentar lo que te gusta de ella. ¡Hasta la próxima!Laura Szmuch© What is Brain Gymâ ? By Gabriela Lombardo Brain Gym is an educational system developed by Dr. Paul Dennison, Ph D with many years of successful application in more than 20 countries in different fields, such as: personal development, education and business. Dr Paul Dennison´s work is based on his understanding of the interdependence of physical movement, language acquisition and academic achievement. His effective and ground-breaking approach to learning grew out of his background in brain research and experimental psychology. In Brain Gym , simple and powerful exercises are used to activate the different dimensions of intelligence , thus stimulating information flow within the brain and the body. Through movement we enhance our inborn ability to learn, release learning blocks, process information and respond to our world in an effective way. This allows us to function at our optimal state.. Who can use Brain gym? EVERYBODY, from children to adults. How can you experience Brain Gym? Through v Balancing sessions on a one to one basis, ,where we work with process oriented goals to achieve them or to untap our potential where we feel limited, among other things. (consultancy). v Learning these wonderful techniques in a workshop delivered by a certified and licensed Brain Gym instructor. Through the use of Brain Gym new neural pathways are created and in this way the person who experiences a session has new response patterns as he learns a feeling of natural ease in relation to ¨the issue¨. The topics that can be dealt with in a session are endless. From dyslexia, hyperactivity, difficulties in reading, communication, stress before exams, to any situation in which you feel ill at ease or know you haven´t acquired a certain skill yet. Some brain gym premises and basic concepts. 1- We learn what we actively experience. 2- Intelligence is inborn. 3- Each one of us is affected by every other. 4- Learning is an inborn activity, it is fun and it lasts our whole lives. 5- Movement is the door to learning and it stimulates brain function. 6- Stress inhibits learning. 7- Learning blocks can be released. 8- Noticing is a personal feedback mechanism . Can we learn without stress? YES, not only can we learn with a lot less stress but this also benefits our brain and body hugely. Learning without stress does not mean being inefficient, on the contrary. By being more relaxed and less stressed , learning through our senses is enhanced and in this way we can express our creativity more easily. We also release emotional stress that can be affecting us in different areas in our lives.. Is using Brain Gym in learning effective? It certainly is . Improvements in listening, learning, memory , concentration, self-expressing and coordination have been observed. As far as school life is concerned, the following can improve: Ø Attitude Ø Discipline, Ø Behavior, Ø Performance in sports, exams and other activities.
Gabriela Lombardo, ¿ Qué es Gimnasia para el Cerebro â (Brain Gymâ) ?
Gimnasia para el cerebro es un sistema educativo desarrollado por Paul Dennison , Ph D que ya posee muchísimos años de exitosa aplicación en más de 20 países en distintos ámbitos: el crecimiento personal, la educación y en lo laboral . Su trabajo está basado en la comprensión de la interdependencia del movimiento físico, la adquisición del lenguaje y el logro académico. Su efectivo y revolucionario enfoque hacia la enseñanza , nació de sus antecedentes en la investigación del cerebro y la psicología experimental.
En Gimnasia para el cerebro se utilizan sencillos y a la vez poderosos ejercicios físicos que activan las distintas dimensiones de la inteligencia estimulando el flujo de información dentro del cerebro y el cuerpo. Mediante el movimiento se realza nuestra habilidad innata para aprender, liberar bloqueos, procesar información y responder a nuestro mundo de una manera efectiva, es decir, nos permite funcionar en nuestro estado óptimo.
¿ Quiénes pueden utilizar
Gimnasia para el cerebro? ¿ Cómo se puede experimentar? A través v De sesiones de equilibrio en forma individual , donde se trabaja con metas para lograr un objetivo que deseemos o desarrollar un potencial en el cual nos sentimos limitados, entre otras cosas. (consultoría) v Del aprendizaje de la técnica dictado por instructores certificados y con licencia para ello. Mediante el uso de Gimnasia para el cerebro se crean nuevos caminos neuronales y de esta manera la persona que lo experimenta tiene nuevos patrones de respuesta a medida que va adquiriendo un sentimiento de facilidad natural en relación al ¨asunto¨. Los temas a tratar son infinitos y depende de cada persona. Desde temas de dislexia, hiperactividad, dificultades en la lectura, escritura, comunicación, estrés frente a los examenes , entre otros, cualquier asunto a resolver desde la vida escolar a la cotidiana. Algunas Premisas de Gimnasia para el cerebroâ y conceptos básicos 1-Aprendemos lo que experimentamos activamente. 2- La inteligencia es innata 3-Cada uno de nosotros es afectado por otros. Deben respetarse las experiencias y opciones individuales de cada ser con respecto a su desarrollo personal. 4- El aprendizaje es una actividad innata, divertida que dura toda nuestra vida.. 5-El movimiento es la puerta al aprendizaje y estimula la función cerebral 6- El estrés inhibe el aprendizaje 7- Los bloqueos de aprendizaje pueden liberarse 8- Observar es un mecanismo personal de retro-alimentación. ¿ Podemos aprender sin estrés? SI, no sólo podemos aprender con mucho menos estrés sino que esto beneficia enormente a nuestro cerebro y cuerpo. El aprender sin estrés no significa ser ineficiente, todo lo contrario. Al estar más relajado y con menos estrés el aprendizaje a través de los sentidos se potencia y así podemos expresar nuestra creatividad más fácilmente . También liberamos estrés emocional que puede estar afectándonos en distintas áreas de nuestra vida. ¿ Es efectivo utilizar Gimnasia para el cerebro en el aprendizaje? Por supuesto que sí. Se observan mejoras en : la escucha, el aprendizaje, la memoria , la concentración, la autoexpresión y la coordinación. En relacion a la vida escolar podemos decir que se mejoran: Ø Actitudes Ø Disciplina, Ø Comportamiento, Ø El rendimiento en el deporte, los examenes y otras actividades. Gabriela
Lombardo, |
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What is a learning block? (Part one) According to the dictionary , a block occurs when something is prevented from happening or succeeding. To block also means to prevent movement through something. When there is a learning block, our mind body system cannot process the information optimally or even learn. In our previous article I told you about about unintegrated pieces of learning leading to effort, making students try really hard. This is how blocks are built. If we encouraged more whole brain learning in the classroom , we would be optimizing students ´ capacity to learn. Sometimes a lot of teaching is going on but I wonder how much learning is really taking place. Important aspects related to optimal learning are not taken into account because there isn´t enough information. It is important to notice and understand that sometimes a student cannot learn easily because he may have come to the learning environment without the neurological and physiological readiness skills that he needs in order to learn easily, v Do you have kids who find it hard to copy from the board or who press their pens too much? v Do you know kids who say they ¨ hate ¨ reading ? v Is Math a problem? v What about spelling? v Do you sometimes read and cannot explain what you´ve just read?
These are just a few examples of learning blocks and no matter your age, anybody can suffer from them (this is not only concerning school but also our daily lives). As teachers we have a lot of challenges and responsibilities ahead of us. We must also be aware of the fact that we are the ¨authority ¨ in the classroom , so we exercise some kind of ´power¨. Furthermore, with this knowledge we would be supporting the self-confidence of our children and students as well. Our deeds affect our students. Have you ever thought about it? So the next question would be: What causes a learning block? There are many different factors, among which stress is a fundamental one. Although learning blocks come in many shapes and sizes , I believe the most important thing of all is that most of them can be overcome and balancing sessions are an effective way of dealing with them( brain gym's consultancy) .Different kinds of stressors create blocks in our mind body system. They may be : visual, auditory, visual and auditory ones, coordination and so many others.. Are we well equipped to teach this new generation of kids? In our next issue we'll deal with practical examples of learning blocks. Gabriela
Lombardo, What is a learning block? (Part Two) In this second part of the article we will explore stress on the learning process and the various kinds of blocks: mental, emotional and physical. Regardless the type of block the person has, we all know mind and body are interconnected. Consequently, a block in our minds also creates a block in our bodies and vice versa. When we are under stress many things happen at the same time in our bodies as well as in our brains . Stress creates a diminished state of awareness. Stress hormones are released and at the muscular level the tendon guard reflex is triggered . The calf muscles shorten, the back of the knees are locked and we are prepared for fight or flight. Either when a conflict, perceived as a threat by our system , crops up : we react by facing the situation in this stressful state ( fight) or by turning our backs and running away from it ( flight). When I say ¨danger¨, I mean what our mind body system perceives as a threat, there might not be real danger. Unfortunately , our ability to think clearly decreases a great deal. It might happen that a block could have been created at a subconscious level due to an early experience that is not consciously remembered, affecting the person outside his awareness. Regarding mental blocks, a student may have a belief about himself that he is not good enough at a certain ¨subject¨ and this could set the stage for ¨difficult¨ learning. With regards to emotions, they also play a very important role as they can cause blocks in learning. When we feel fear, pain, fear of increasing pain or we experience any negative emotion, this causes an interruption in some brain functions ( ¨short-circuit¨)- It is no surprise that we may have difficulties in seeing, listening, coordinating and even expressing ourselves. At the beginning I also mentioned physical blocks. When I say this I am referring to reflexes that aren’t integrated and can cause different types of disorders. For example, the fact that a baby may not have crawled well or enough can lay the foundation for learning difficulties in the future. The baby’s cross lateral crawling movement activates the development of the corpus callosum . This makes both sides of the corpus callosum work together including arms, legs, binocular vision and binaural hearing. Think about the importance of all this in relation to academic skills: reading, listening, and so on and so forth. At this point , I would introduce the question: What are reflexes? Reflexes are defined as ¨natural body brain programmes which we depend on when our neural systems are immature or overloaded¨. If the reflexes are not integrated, they have priority over the body movements and interrupt the flow of impulses through sensory and motor pathways. This interferes with eye-hand skills and also with hemisphere integration for learning. However, the most wonderful news about all this is that they can be integrated at any age!! Let´s take , for example, the case of a person who suffers from an asymmetrical tonic neck reflex. Nowadays , many adults don’t have this reflex integrated. I will mention some symptoms of this active reflex to you:
1- Balance affected by head movement from side to side. 2- Difficulty in crossing the midline 3- Poor handwriting and poor expression of ideas on paper. 4- Visual-perceptual difficulties, particularly in symmetrical representations of figures. 5- Difficulty in eye tracking.( Our eyes track when we read and write, for example).
Let me present another case. Somebody who has a symmetrical tonic neck reflex. This definitely affects concentration.
Symptoms:
1- Bad posture 2- Poor hand- eye coordination- a ) messy eater- b) ¨clumsy child¨ syndrome. 3- Tendency to 4- Can affect attention as a result of discomfort sitting in one position 5- Difficulties in readjusting his binocular vision ( up from the board , down to the notebook in front of him. 6- Slow to copy things down.
As teachers, you may wonder: what can I do? The mere fact of observing students ´ body postures all along their different academic activities and check if they have any of these symptoms, can give us a clue of what the child is going through. Let´s leave reflexes aside and focus on practical examples of other learning blocks: inverting letters, figures, being unable to recall something during an exam and avoiding something, to name but a few. You might wonder: avoiding something? The answer is YES. Here is another example. Imagine I call Francisco, a primary school student, to read something in a loud voice. Francisco begins to read and makes mistakes because he doesn’t know the meaning of a word or how to pronounce it. Every time he reads, the class laughs. He feels ashamed and begins to make even more mistakes. Next time I ask him to read aloud, his body remembers the experience . Then he stutters and feels ashamed of reading aloud. Now he doesn’t want to read aloud any more. This, in turn, affects the child’s self-esteem and he creates a poor self image, which does not contribute to fluid learning. When he knows that the following class will be his turn to read, he tells his mother he is not feeling well so as not to attend school. This is an avoidance block. If we can change our feelings regards past ¨traumatic experiences, they won’t have power over us. This can be done easily. It is important to be aware of these possible ¨difficulties¨ so as not to put even more pressure on the student who is suffering from these disorders and this may be one of the reasons why he does not enjoy his ¨ learning¨. It is also convenient to include more integrating physical exercise besides consulting a specialist who can help him solve these problems.
Gabriela
Lombardo,
Hope you
get a smile out of this!
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Anim5 de Flag 5 Betsy Ross and the US FlagBy Harry Pringle Ford On the 14th day of June, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the following resolution: "RESOLVED, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes alternate red and white - that the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." We are told that previous to this, in 1776, a committee was appointed to look after the matter, and together with General Washington they called at the house of Betsy Ross, 239 Arch Street, Philadelphia. Betsy Ross was a young widow of twenty-four heroically supporting herself by continuing the upholstery business of her late husband, young John Ross, a patriot who had died in the service of his country. Betsy was noted for her exquisite needlework, and was engaged in the flag-making business. The committee asked her if she thought she could make a flag from a design, a rough drawing of which General Washington showed her. She replied, with diffidence, that she did not know whether she could or not, but would try. She noticed, however, that the star as drawn had six points, and informed the committee that the correct star had but five. They answered that as a great number of stars would be required, the more regular form with six points could be more easily made than one with five. She responded in a practical way by deftly folding a scrap of paper - then with a single clip of her scissors she displayed a true, symmetrical, five-pointed star. This decided the committee in her favor. A rough design was left for her use, but she was permitted to make a sample flag according to her own ideas of the arrangement of the stars and the proportions of the stripes and the general form of the whole. Sometime after its completion it was presented to Congress, and the committee had the pleasure of informing Betsy Ross that her flag was accepted as the Nation's standard. |
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Memorial DayJuneteenth: June 19thA Day of Thanks and the Celebration of Emancipation
Juneteenth is the celebration of the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation which was issued by US President Abraham Lincoln on January 1st, 1863. The proclamation gave the Southern slaves their freedom and is considered an important benchmark in the African-American struggle for freedom and equality. The word "Juneteenth" comes from the words "June" and "19th", which according to southern folklore is when the slaves of Texas first learned of their freedom. Though technically freed in 1863, the slaves did not learn of their freedom until the arrival of the Union soldiers on June 19th, 1865. This was after the end of the Civil War and 2 1/2 years after the proclamation was first issued. The Emancipation Proclamation is considered the catalyst that ended slavery. But at the time the proclamation was issued it really did not free anyone since the Confederate states did not recognize President Lincoln's authority. It was not until after the Civil War had ended that the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1865, officially outlawed slavery. Juneteenth began as a celebration by
ex-slaves and has continued to be observed by African-Americans in the US
South. Recently there have been efforts to bring a wider audience to the
celebrations.
Lucas I see you and you see me.
I hear you and you hear me. I feel you and
you feel me. We are so different!!!!!!! So when I approach you, I bless the
wonderful discovery that I have a completely different being
in front of me, and with great respect, I start to decipher the code
with which you relate to reality - which, of
course, is different from mine, or from any other human being.
We share a reality. However, we don't share the interpretation of
this reality, or the way we relate to it. Our "job" is to find a loving way
to bridge the gap between you and me, to understand
deeply, with our minds, our spirits, our emotions
and our body, how others connect with the world. Wow!!!! A desperate mother, a kid that had been threatened with terrible punishment (and I didn't know why) and the parent's assumption/prediction that he wouldn't want to work. Lucas was sitting outside the classroom, head down and bent over, and with all his uncombed long hair covering his eyes. His hands and fingers were tense (as if he wanted to strangle someone, though this was only my interpretation). I had the feeling that his mum was playing a ball game and that the ball was too hot so she had decided to throw it to me. Has this ever happened to you, dear teacher??? I had all the other kids waiting impatiently to play and have fun . I also had someone who was not ready to join in. I had to do something, fast! I asked another teacher to stay with the other kids for two minutes. Two minutes??? Yes, two minutes, which was the length of time I thought I was going to need to "connect" with my little Lucas. I looked at him with the corner of my eye, just to know what he was doing, and I sat down in exactly the same position as him. I tensed my hands, let my head fall down and my hair cover my eyes. I must have looked really angry!!!!!! I started to breathe in exactly the same way and rhythm as Lucas. What did I do all that for??? Well, in the first place, I wanted to understand how he was feeling. Adopting someone's body position is an excellent way to start to grasp how someone is feeling at a particular moment. A second reason is that through my body, I was telling him: "I am with you". We communicate more with our bodies than with our words (the word only represents 7% of the total communication, and besides, communication is subconscious as well as conscious. Lucas got my message, and we started to function on the same wavelength. Were we going to stay like that all the afternoon? Of course not; the moment I felt I was really and honestly with him, and he was truly with me, I started to move. He started to move, too. He started to follow me. I stood up, stretched and walked into the classroom. He stood up, stretched, and followed me. All this took exactly two minutes. If I had asked him what was happening to him and waited for an answer he was surely not ready to give, if I had tried to convince him that he should go into the classroom to learn English in his mental state, I would still be speaking to him: and this happened four years ago!!!!!!! The teacher who was looking after the rest of the class could not believe it, even though she had been a witness to all the process. "Laura," she said, "where is your magic wand?????" Lucas's mother came back fifteen minutes before the class finished because she thought that he wouldn't be doing anything and was probably causing trouble. She saw him at work, in the best of moods, and could not believe that the "hot ball" had turned into such a wonderful little boy, having fun and playing with his friends. This was not magic, this was communication. Real, deep communication. At all levels. Using NLP terminology, I will explain what I did: 1. I established rapport with Lucas. I did this non-verbally, with flexibility of body and mind!!!! How?
I paced him: I copied his body position and his breathing.
I communicated with him multisensorily. 3. I reached my objective, which was to make him relax and work. I did this with no words at all, and in avery sweet and subtle way I made him feel understood. He was not alone, after all!!!!! I do appreciate and thank the moment I learnt these powerful NLP techniques that have made me a more sensitive human being, someone who knows the difference between you and I, and capitalizes on that to build bridges oflove and understanding.
After all, we are different beautiful manifestations of the same creative
force. With love
Laura
Laura Szmuch - copyright
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