Wednesday 18 May 2011

RTNews 117- Labels and teachers...



RT® News

A magazine on Neuro Linguistic Programming in Education
No 117 May 15 2011

Hello teachers,



Welcome to our latest issue of RT News. We are just back from a few days in Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, where we were very proud to have been part of the 25th birthday celebrations of the IPI (Instituto Provincial de Idiomas). We gave three workshops in their
programme of teacher training, which was part of a week-long series of events and celebrations. It was a very rewarding experience to see how keen the teachers and teachers college students are in Ushuaia and Rio Grande and to have a chance to work with you all. Congratulations to everyone there for the excellent work and many, many thanks for the

impeccable hospitality. A special hug to Adriana, Nildy, Silvita, Martha, Susana and Ivanna for their attention and warm welcome.


Although we started our 2011 courses last month there is still time to join the groups. We are offering the NLP Practitioner course in English. Module 2 will be held next Saturday, May 21. The NLP course in Spanish will next meet in Saturday June 4. For details of the courses and how to enrol, please contact us at either lauraszmuch@gmail.com or jamiearg@gmail.com We are also starting the Master Practitioner in NLP for Education in June for those who have completed or nearly completed the Practitioner level training and would like to expand their skills and knowledge of NLP. It will be held in Spanish.


Hoping you all have a very enjoyable and enriching month,



Laura and Jamie


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1. Labels, positive reinforcement and teachers

2. NLP Practitioner courses

3. Calendar of activities for 2011

4. Workshops and coaching

5. Subscribing/Unsubscribing to our e-zines in English and Spanish and an invitation to visit

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1. Labels, positive reinforcement and teachers



There is a children’s saying that goes “Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me”. This was taught by parents to children apparently in the hope of giving them a sort of protection against the taunts and cruel comments of bullies and other children. Some youngsters probably did benefit from repeating this phrase but others surely lacked the “teflon coating” or the “elephant hide” and were affected all the same. However much the jibe or criticism was flung in the heat of the moment and probably exaggerated for effect and however little it really applied to the receiver, chances are that that person did suffer something. After all, as we know in NLP, the words themselves are only a small part of the message and the tone and body language with which they are conveyed also contribute massively to the message. And still, there is no denying that words and the interpretation we put on them are also very potent.



Words and the thoughts themselves carry weight. They are not merely innocent combinations of letters and sounds and meaning. With words we not only describe but also create our world. Therefore, when someone is repeatedly told (or tells themselves) how beautiful they are, they will get to believe it. Someone who is labelled as useless will also be affected by this message and his or her behaviour will reflect this sooner or later. If I tell myself I am a loser, I attract “losses” and even if these would not be regarded by others as defeats or negative moments, I will probably find a way to interpret them as such or at least find the part in them that can be considered as “failure”. Obviously, there is a whole psychological history behind the way we choose to view ourselves and our performance in the world, which may benefit from reflection and internal work, if we find that we are not content with our lot in life.



Our role as teachers presents us with many situations in which we can reinforce the positive or negative images that a student has of him or herself. Indeed, it is arguable that as educators, one of our most important functions is to encourage our students to find the tools and beliefs with which they can learn and grow. It is a useful practice to find something positive in all of our students as learners and to promote and encourage this. But do we always do so? How frequently do we retire to the classroom after a challenging class and say things like: “Those slowcoaches in X grade never get a thing I teach!” or “What a knucklehead that Johnny is!” or a lot worse. Obviously, we would never dream of saying it to the students’ faces, but isn’t it true that we are probably thinking these things in our internal dialogue as we patiently work through the lesson with them. Our “hidden” thought is probably not so hidden after all and our intention and judgement will subconsciously find a way through. At a very deep level, the students in question will perceive that they lack our complete support.



Sometimes the message is not so hidden. There are people who use irony or other forms of humour to mask a criticism or a jibe and while everyone may be laughing, part of that person will have received the meaning of the subtext.



This is not to deny that some students have many more challenges to learn than others. Of course we will have groups that delight us with their ability to pick things up quickly and make fast improvement. But to be fair to all our students it is very functional to look for what we can praise in a student and reinforce what they show that helps them to learn. Focusing on the positive will also help us to feel less frustrated when progress seems slow and will allow us to notice the features of the learner that are overlooking.



How much nicer it is to be working with students who may seem like “diamonds in the rough” waiting to acquire their own polish and shine than “lead weights, empty vessels or a bunch of blobs”.



When our intention is to raise, encourage or elevate the other, consciously or unconsciously, the other will respond positively and in that way we all benefit.



© Resourceful Teaching 2011


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2. NLP Practitioner courses


Practitioner Certificate in NLP for Education



The second module of the Practitioner Certificate course will be held on May 21. The course consists of 16 modules to be held on Saturdays on a monthly basis in 2010 and 2011. This first level of training involves between 130 and 150 hours of direct training in the form of practical activities and guided practice. It gives students acquaintance with the methodology and many of the techniques comprising NLP and leads to an internationally recognised certificate as Practitioner of NLP in Education.

The Practitioner certificate with Resourceful Teaching offers you the chance to get an NLP certification and practise your English at the same time!



For a course syllabus and further details see our website: www.resourcefulteaching.com.ar or send a mail to jamiearg@gmail.com or lauraszmuch@gmail.com



Venue: Versailles, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Time: One Saturday per month 9.00 – 17.00

Investment: 310 pesos per module



The course includes written material and a full bibliography and morning and afternoon refreshments. As much as we encourage reading, the real value of NLP is the putting it into practice and our students have constant opportunities to employ what they learn in their daily work and lives.



To enroll, please contact us for an enrolment form.


NB: This course is also being offered in Spanish (Módulo 2 – junio 4).




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3. Calendar of Activities 2011



We are publishing below a list of the main events for Resourceful Teaching for the next few months. As each date gets closer we will give you more information and we will of course be updating the calendar with new dates as they arise.
May 21 2011 Practitioner Certificate in NLP applied to Education Module 2, Buenos Aires, Argentina

June 4 2011 Curso en PNL Módulo 2, Buenos Aires, Argentina

June 2011 Master Practitioner in NLP applied to Education starts, Buenos Aires, Argentina




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4. Workshops and Coaching



If you would like a workshop or training in your city or town, please contact us soon as we have only a few dates available on weekends each year.

We can offer you workshops as listed in the website www.resourcefulteaching.com.ar or design something especially for your needs. In English and in Spanish. Please contact jamie@resourcefulteaching.com.ar or lauraszmuch@gmail.com if you are interested.



Laura is also available for Coaching. If you wish to advance in your career or personal life and wish to design a plan of action to do so, why not have a coaching conversation with her. Contact: lauraszmuch@gmail.com




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5. Subscribing/Unsubscribing to our e-zines in English and Spanish and an invitation to visit

To subscribe simply send a mail to: rtnews@resourcefulteaching.com.ar with your name and city stating 'subscribe' in the subject box. To unsubscribe, follow the same procedure but write the word 'unsubscribe'. We only send this e-magazine to those who have expressed the desire to subscribe by the above means.

To subscribe to the Spanish sister e-zine, send a mail to Laura at en.contacto.pnl@gmail.com
NB En contacto has different articles from those which appear in RT News and they are about NLP and other associated areas.



Visit our blog teaching resourcefully – nlp in the classroom

http://teaching-resourcefully.blogspot.com/