Keeping your English Alive for teachers!

5th session!!

6 sessions of language discovery and practice held in small groups and designed to give you lots of opportunities to use and develop your English in a fun way.

Fridays 18.30 – 20.30
Versailles, Capital Federal

Friday 10 October – Absolutely, positively postmodern!


What are the clichés and set phrases that native speakers are using these days? Do we know what they actually mean? How do they help conversation flow?

For more information or enrolment please contact lauraszmuch@gmail.com

Teacher`s Day and what it means to be a teacher

In Argentina it is customary to set aside days to remember and celebrate certain people or professions. We have the universally recognised Mother's Day and Father's Day and there are days for secretaries, newspaper vendors, architects, journalists, students and the different levels of teachers and lecturers. Apart from giving us an excuse to bring a cake to class or to receive presents, and also the possibility of having a holiday, teachers often email each other to wish their colleagues a happy day - all of which is a great display of solidarity. But in a year in which the profile of teachers has been more present than ever in the media due to acts of aggression against them in Argentine schools and strikes for higher wages and better conditions, do we really stop to reflect on what being a teacher means and implies?

Even if the practical steps to help teachers in their work are not always forthcoming, there is little doubt that in the world, teaching is still regarded as a respected profession and there is a recognition of how important a role teachers play in society. We know that this may not translate readily into the sort of support and remuneration that many teachers would like, but the acknowledgement of the job teachers do, at least exists.

While we may not be able to immediately shape the thinking of others as to our role in today’s society, we can clarify our own perception of our work. How many of us as teachers are fully clear as to our importance? Apart from teaching the subject we do, do we remember that we are also teaching by our sheer presence in the classroom, through our behaviour, the model of a person we display in what we say, think and do in front of our ‘audience’?

Teaching is a very public profession. We have many eyes on us constantly. It is a profession which demands responsibility and commitment. We teachers are a significant part of our students’ lives simply by being present and are very often instrumental in their future development.

Therefore, to do our job effectively, it is not only important to know our subject area, to be able to communicate well and to be able to create the conditions for learning in our students, but also to be human beings who act with thoughtfulness, discernment and from the basis of positive moral values.

Then, we can feel that we are working to be the best teacher that we can and celebrate that fact. Then, we have the criteria to show the rest of society that who we are and what we are doing deserves a high degree of recognition. Then we know that we are living up to the faith and trust placed in us.

When we do our job in this way, which any professional should do, we get the rewards and gratitude that we have no doubt been receiving in the last few days. We also provide the foundation upon which the merit of our work can be evaluated and, if necessary, revalued.

Presentaciones eficaces, en febrero 2009

Curso intensivo PNL febrero 2009

Books on NLP- part 1

Books on NLP – part one

In one of our plenaries at the Conference, we listed a number of books written on the application of NLP to educational contexts or books which have had an influence on the classroom. Unfortunately for us in Argentina, many of the books, especially those in English are not available here or ceased to be so after the devaluation at the end of 2001. Of course, these books can be ordered online from suppliers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Another option is to get the books when travelling or ask a friend overseas to purchase them. This can work well, however NLP books are still quite specialist and there is no guarantee that they will be found readily in any bookshop. A good policy is to do some research online first and maybe even e-mail a bookshop where you are going to get them to order the book so they have it when you arrive.

Some books are available from the author directly (Michael Grinder http://www.michaelgrinder.com/ , Jane Revell http://www.janerevell.com/jane/books.shtml ) and may be more difficult to obtain elsewhere. In this case, dealing with them directly is the best option.

And what about translations? So far, mainly books about NLP generally or their use in business contexts have been translated into Spanish and those bookstores that specialise in self-help books are likely to have a good selection or be able to get hold of them.

Now, an increasing number of texts are being written by Spanish speakers as well and are highly recommendable. As yet, not so many tackle education directly but this will surely change over the next few years.

In this series, we will mention some of the more important NLP books….

One author that is readily translated into Spanish and may also be available in some places in English is Joseph O'Connor.

He and John Seymour wrote Introducing NLP, (available in translation) which gives a good overview of the topic. His more recent books An Introduction to NLP with Ian McDermott and NLP Workbook also give a good basis to NLP. Among other books by this prolific author are Training with NLP, Leading with NLP and The Art of Systems Thinking.

Jazmin Sambrano is a Venezuelan author who has books based on NLP like Superaprendizaje and PNL para todos and El placer de Aprender a Aprender. Her books are available in Argentina

Ten Years of NLP and working with teachers

Ten years of NLP and working with teachers

So, what have we been doing for the last ten years in Buenos Aires with NLP?

Those of you who have followed us over the years will know that we have been working with many different aspects of teachers work, helping them to become more efficient, creative and successful both in their personal and professional lives.

Apart from teaching the basics of NLP at Practitioner and Master Practitioner level, we have given many talks on workshops both nationally and internationally on topics such as: managing change, really listening, the map is not the territory, being a successful coordinator, leading with values, the help of a coach, time management, creativity, learning styles, motivation, beliefs, reaching all our students and many, many others, a list of which can be found on our website www.resourcefulteaching.com.ar

We have also run courses on presentation skills, language using techniques of NLP and other wonderful topics related to personal and professional growth, always ensuring that those attending have acquired abilities beyond mere information.

When we celebrated our tenth anniversary, and in fact, this is a whole year of celebration, we had meetings with lots of our students and former students and we evaluated the ways NLP had helped them to improve and develop both their teaching and presenting skills and their skills of coordinating.

NLP offers both information and deep learning, learning in the muscle, and we do that by working not only with recipes for success, but also with the inner landscape of our minds.

What do we do in our minds to be able to take action in this way or in another?

The most important technique and objective in NLP is that of Modelling, which is learning from those who do things well, with a high level of excellence. In many cases our students have directly modelled the skills of another person so as to be able to achieve their dreams and get what had previously seemed unobtainable.

We are always delighted to get your feedback as regards HOW you put these ideas into practice. It is very rewarding and motivating for us to hear that such and such tip or topic we dealt with, we don't know how many years ago, triggered a very positive change in your careers and life… when someone tells us, "Oh, after that session I decided to open my own institute", or "I decided to go back to University", or "I noticed what I had to do to make my institute grow" we feel we have done a good job.

We are not interested in telling people WHAT to do, but in showing a different perspective, another way to see a situation, and in this way helping them find how to do something differently and get the results they want.

NLP works with the deep structure and the surface structure at the same time.

What do we mean by this?

The N of Neuro makes sure the information gets both to the right and to the left hemisphere of your brain, that it is processed multisensorily, therefore we pay a lot of attention to how we use our senses.

The L of linguistic is connected with both verbal and non-verbal language, with conscious and non- conscious messages that we might be sending without realizing.

And the P of Programming refers to the habits, routines, assumptions, and beliefs that drive our behaviour. The software of our minds.

You already know that if we know ourselves better we have more chances to communicate with others more efficiently, achieve our goals and make a contribution to the world.

If you have started learning NLP already, you know what we are talking about. And we say "started", because the wonderful thing about it is that we never stop learning.

If this is your first approach, or one of your first encounters with NLP, one of the things you are going to love about it is that things become easier, clearer, and we get wonderful results pretty fast.

And, as we have said before, it is not a question of just reading or listening to us. It is a question of putting things into practice, "living" the knowledge.

The sooner you start, the easier it becomes. The sooner you see results.

People who have already decided to take the reins of their own growth, both in their personal and their professional lives, are a fantastic example that shows us that everything is possible if we take the appropriate steps to achieve it.

© Resourceful Teaching 2008

Watching the Olympics...

Watching the Olympics as a Spiritual Practice
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
from www.spiritualityandpractice.com

August 8, 2008: The Olympic Games are underway in Beijing, China. Millions from around the world will watch the televised events in 34 sports, cheering for the winners from their living rooms. Rather than focusing on the competition itself, we'll be remembering the values promulgated in 1903 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863 -1937), founder of the modern Games: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."


To honor dimensions of the Olympics beyond the competition itself, we've come up with some spiritual practices based on the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy.

Here are some ways to make watching the Olympics into a spiritual practice.

• Pay attention to all the small details of an event including the efforts of the athletes to get ready or to calm down, the noise of the crowd, the environmental factors, and whatever else that you notice.
• Savor the beauty of exceptional speed, rhythm, balance, or strength. As former basketball star Bill Russell put it: "My own view is that athletics is an art form. As a fan I watch in the same way that I imagine an art connoisseur studies a painting."
• Be present as you watch each event. Realize that you are meant to be watching at this very moment. Don't multitask. Don't allow yourself to be distracted.
• Notice the connections between what is happening at the Games and what has happened or is happening in your own life. Have you ever participated in an athletic competition? Recall how you felt. Have you felt the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat in sports or outside of them? When and where? • Show your enthusiasm for the athletes' quests for excellence. Notice how the crowds in Beijing react to the events and act as if you were there in person.
• Notice all the expressions of gratitude at the games. When you hear an athlete thanking a coach or a team member, do the same for someone who has had an influence upon your life.
• Practice hospitality to all the athletes from the different countries. Try to learn a little about where some of your favorites come from.
• Make a conscious effort to be joyful for all the participants and not just for those from your country.
• Keep a diary or journal close at hand to record moments of meaning, especially honest expressions of surprise or disappointment. Notice which of your own emotions come to the fore as you watch the Games.
• A large part of the pleasure of sports is observing the athletes' enjoyment of play. Let them re-introduce you to this childlike state of being as you watch the Games.
• Regard these well-trained athletes as spiritual teachers who are exemplars of perseverance, discipline, and regular exercise. Make a commitment to care for your body during and after the Games.
• Notice and cherish the unity that is essential to teamwork in certain events. Call or write someone on your "team" and express your appreciation for your special relationship.
• Tune in to those events which most arouse you sense of wonder. What is it about them that brings about this response?
• Remember that for most participants, the Olympic Games are bigger than other sports events. Still, no matter how well each athlete has trained, anything can happen and the smallest detail can make all the difference. Respect the X factor mystery.
• Find a way to honor the yearning that has brought these men and women to the Olympic Games. Try to imagine the dreams which have been part of their everyday activities up to this moment. Dream big yourself.
• The spiritual practice of zeal means to be fully aroused by life. Irenaeus stated: "The glory of God is the human person fully alive." Keep track of those athletes who demonstrate this quality and write about them in your journal or diary. Then reflect upon what makes you feel fully alive and engage in it during the day.