Introducing our friend...

Introducing our friend: NLP

This article is for those of you who are new to the wonderful three letters.

Let us introduce them to you:

NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming.

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:

1. How we communicate with others
2. How we communicate with ourselves

It also aims at revealing the underlying structure of excellence. It offers answers to the question of "how" to do things effectively, or rather, how successful people in different fields do what they do wonderfully. It analyses subjective experience, taking into account patterns of behaviour, capability, values, beliefs, mission in life and internal representations of reality.

It offers a learnable technology which can help us improve performance and communication, overcome limitations, achieve goals and confidence in different areas of our lives.

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.

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), GestaltTherapy(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".


Who benefits from the practice of NLP?


Any person who wants to improve the way they live their lives and develop an understanding of how to maximize their potential. Any person who wants to explore new tools and models for communication and learning through high quality training and assessment.


Why have we decided to give birth to a course specially
designed for teachers?


NLP has been successfully applied in different fields such as sales, business, medicine, mental health, law, sports and so on. We believe good teachers and good learning are the answer to many issues in the world we want to live in. Highly prepared teachers, skilful in communication techniques, with very clear beliefs and values, and who have very specific goals to make this world a better place to live in are at the most important leverage point in the quest for positive change.

Our dream is to see professional teachers who know that their role in our society is even more important than what we have been led to believe.

© Laura Szmuch and Jamie Duncan, 2001



What is RT?

The vision of Resourceful Teaching is to see teachers growing and developing with wisdom, maximising their skills as communicators and models of excellence in their field through the application of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). These teachers are committed to using their talents and strengths in helping the world recognise the supreme importance of meaningful education as a birthright of all human beings.

The mission of RT is to provide a structure through which teachers have access to the skills and technology of NLP as applied to education. This includes high quality training and support, materials and information, contacts and networking. Our graduates are empowered with the awareness, choices, communication skills and facilitating beliefs and values to make a real difference in their teaching context.

The strategy of RT has been to create a Practitioner's Certificate and Master Practitioner's Certificate course completely orientated towards practising teachers. It is also to run workshops, shorter courses and other training for teachers. We offer consultancy and information to teachers and to educational institutes. We develop materials and literature applying NLP to the teaching and learning processes.

The structure of RT is to offer training and consultancy in Education in
the following ways:

* General Educational workshops
* Tailor-made on-site workshops responding to special needs of schools
or other educational institutions
* Practitioner Certificate in NLP for Education courses
* Master Practitioner Certificate in NLP for Education courses
* Consultancy upon request
* Electronic mail newsletter
* Free introductory talks
* Participation in major ELT events
* Ongoing access to instruction and trainers
* Networking and a forum for contact both within Argentina and
internationally.
© Laura Szmuch and Jamie Duncan, 2001
Who are we?


Resourceful Teaching was founded by Laura Szmuch and Jamie Duncan. We are Master Practitioners and Trainers in NLP, teachers and have done several post graduate degrees. We have both written books about teaching.


At one point in our careers we felt the need to go further in understanding the learning process. In particular, we paid attention to some important aspects in teaching which were not generally covered, like the delicate chemistry produced by the communication between teacher and student. We began to play with this intuitively and change things in our teaching and we started to read a lot about NLP. We wondered what would happen if we took all these marvellous ideas and technology and used them in education. We realised we had a lot to learn and that there was an amazing world to which we had only just gained entry, so we decided to take a course and learn about it properly.

As we were both very enthusiastic about applying what we had been learning to our classes, we began to try things out, take notes, read, and get books from the US, the UK and New Zealand that were not available here. Above all, we shared everything we were discovering. Individually, we started giving some workshops to friends and colleagues, until the day, when as we were about to finish the Master Practitioner, we organised a study group together. From this group, there were requests or almost 'demands' from our colleagues who wanted something deeper and more structured than just a workshop, to be given in English and dedicated to education and language teaching. At this point we were completing the Trainer training and we realised that we had all the material and ideas in our heads. What was needed was to put it in order and form a course. And our first Practitioner Certificate course in Education started.


The wonderful thing about working with teachers is that we see almost instant results. They tend to have a phenomenal drive and come to us interested in acquiring techniques to help their students learn more easily. Little by little, however, they realise that they are also helping themselves immensely. They become more open and more complete as people and discover that they have resources available to resolve conflicts and communicate more effectively. They see that they possess an enormous treasure in the form of their academic knowledge and training but that however rich this intellectual knowledge may be, it is still not quite enough. Therefore, they acquire tools to transmit learning, not just from the mental perspective. It is incredible to see the difference in their classes when they learn to use their bodies, their voices, aspects of non-verbal and unconscious communication and to value their intuition. They improve their communication with their students, parents of students, colleagues, heads and other staff in a remarkable fashion. And this is because their communication reveals a different point of view, one which has been nourished by NLP.


What most excites us is that they approach us as 'professionals', committed to their work and then they discover themselves as 'people'. They realise that they need to devote time and space to themselves and to the organisation and planning of their lives and careers in a wider perspective. Teachers normally live in a whirlwind of classes, preparation, marking, exams and different groups and undoubtedly this is a situation in which it is easy to lose oneself. The changes that we witness in teachers have to do with finding themselves again and reacquainting
themselves with their subject, their pupils and their lives. Apart from dramatic improvements in their classrooms, they tell us of important changes in their families and with their partners, of new jobs or growth in their institutes, of more useful free time which emerges from better organisation and clear objectives. They also tell of better physical
health and we insist a lot on this point as teachers need strong and flexible bodies, loads of energy and to eat well. Teachers need to set an example for students.



Our mission to make NLP accessible to all teachers in the country, in Latin America and other parts of the world who are interested in improving their work situation and their lives with this powerful tool.


When people complain about the crisis in education, we consider that it is a good idea to teach those who teach. When those who are part of the teaching-learning process know where they are going, what their beliefs and values are and how to find their mission, the crisis becomes a path of opportunities. The huge changes that we are experiencing in the world are an excellent challenge and the better prepared we are and the greater our self-knowledge and our personal and spiritual development, the more chances we have for continued learning and growth in all aspects of our life.


© Laura Szmuch and Jamie Duncan, 2001

Lauraszmuchcapacitaciones@gmail.com
jamiearg@gmail.com

Training in NLP – the Resourceful Teaching Way

For over 13 years, we (Laura Szmuch and Jamie Duncan) have been offering training in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to teachers of English.
We have developed varied and interesting courses and workshops including the 130-hour Practitioner in NLP applied to Education. This course presents all the main topic areas of NLP together with the practical application of these to the classroom. Alongside this, we also cover such aspects of education as: motivation, setting and reaching objectives, discipline, the elements of effective learning, communication with students (and parents), conflict resolution, multisensory presentations and much, much more.

During this period, we have seen our students, who are also our friends and colleagues, grow and develop both in their personal and professional lives and pass on this knowledge in turn to their students and colleagues.
It is with great pride and pleasure that we watch how NLP has become a part of many teacher training programmes and how it is now present in sessions at educational conferences, on training courses and in the Methodology and Didactics syllabi of Teachers’ Colleges.

As we continued to grow and become better known, we also began to give training in Spanish to teachers of different subjects and areas; as well as to a variety of professionals in other fields who were interested in learning more about the novel work we were doing. What started as our dedicated, loving and intensive work with small groups of teachers grew and spread throughout Argentina and to other countries. We have long lost count of the number of people we have given training to in Argentina or abroad, be it through full-length courses, workshops, seminars, conference presentations or online training.

We are deeply committed to quality in education with the professional development of the individual in both her mind and her practice. We are convinced that all of us together can bring about changes and improvements in our field. We believe that education at all its levels will not really change and improve by imposing modifications from above, determined by the Ministry of Education or similar authorities. Education will change as a result of the internal reflective processes of teachers combined with their training in their subject areas. This reflection responds to the teacher’s need to find ways to help the students to learn more effectively and efficiently.
Quality of education and quality of life go hand in hand. Therefore, caring for the teacher at a physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual level is essential. A teacher who is centred and well-prepared internally is the basis for all educational change, whether it be at primary, secondary or university level or in training at the workplace. We know that the networks of support and encouragement we have been generating have assisted many people in the inevitable moments of crisis that today’s world presents us with.

Teachers, like many other professionals today, face constant challenges. Some manage to find strength in the practice of their profession, while others, unfortunately, succumb to a sense of resignation, apathy, frustration or impotence. The tools that NLP offer us together with all the other processes and techniques we have developed in Resourceful Teaching have empowered many people and it is our most sincere wish that this continue to happen.

We are pioneers and leaders in the training of NLP in the field of education and we say this with immense pleasure, satisfaction, humility, and with the conviction that this is part of our vocation. We are happy that all the time, energy and effort we have put into our project has seen it and the students we have taught blossom and thrive in their work and lives.

Practitioner Certificate in NLP for Education

Our next Practitioner Certificate course starts on March 31 and consists of 16 modules to be held on Saturdays on a monthly basis in 2012 and 2013. 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!

To enrol or for further information: 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
Start Date: Saturday March 31
Investment: 380 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.

Practitioner's Certificate - Course Outline

Modules:
1. Becoming aware of ourselves and the way we communicate
What is NLP? The Presuppositions of NLP. The big picture and the resources we have inside. Mind and body. Nutrition and the brain. Hemispherology. Communication – verbal and non verbal. Process and content. Rapport. Calibrating. Pacing. Leading. Logical levels.

2. How to engage the subconscious mind
V.A.K. and representational systems. Preferred learning channels. Eye Patterns. Remembered and Constucted experiences. Variety and difference in classes.

3. Precision Language
Language as the generator of actions and results. Surface structure and Deep structure. Deletion. Distortion. Generalisation. The metamodel of language. Questions to obtain complete and high quality information. Filters. Precision language. Affirmations.

4. Anchors
Anchors. Functional and dysfunctional anchors. Unconscious anchors. Spontaneous anchors. Spatial anchors. Contextualisation in the field of education. Installing anchors. How to call on resources when required. Group bonding. Magic moments. Introduction to submodalities. Programming motivation.

5. Discovering inner resources
Submodalities and how to work with them in relation to feelings, moods and physiology. Visualisations. How to transform undesirable states into resources. Stress relief techniques. The physiology of success. The submodalities of achievement.

6. Being aware of our students’ inner worlds and responding to their mental programmes
Association and dissociation. Sorting styles or metaprogrammes. Filters of choice and communication. People. Information. Place. Time. Things. Activity. Self-Others.

7. Perceptual Positions and Motivation
1º,2º,3º, and 4º position. Goal setting and successful outcomes. Well-formed questionnaire.

8. Conflict resolution
Techniques to detect and resolve symptoms, conflicts and obstacles which appear in people and organisations. Finding the Positive Intention. Internal and external conflict. Win-win model. Theory of constraints. Congruence.

9. Strategies
Forms we use to organise thought and behaviour in order to achieve an objective. Disney strategy. Detecting individual strategies. Applying strategies. Use in learning. R.O.L.E. model

10. Achieving continued growth
Generative technique to go from an unsatisfactory present state to a desirable future state. New Behaviour Generator. Theory of chaos. Theory of attractors. Resistance to change. Sorting Styles – the second layer: General-Specific. Internal-External. Towards Objectives-Away from Problems. Matcher-Mismatcher. Same-Different. Past/Present/Future Time orientation. Procedure-Options

11. Gaining deeper awareness and understanding
The fine points of non-verbal pacing. The Wall. Making new meaning of a symptom, behaviour or conflict. Positive intention as an agent of change.

12. Verbal magic
Reframing of content and context. Metaphors. The ontology of language. Introduction to beliefs

13. State Management
Convincer Patterns. Stacking and Collapsing Anchors. Protection and boundaries. Being congruent and aligned as a teacher.

14. Integrating the changes
Contextualisation of course material. Application to classroom practice. Feedback. The classroom as a system and as part of a system. Peak experiences and flow. Sponsorship. Future pacing.

15. and 16. Evaluation modules
Lesson plan. Conflict resolution. Practical techniques.

Each module lasts 8 hours

Dates for 2012

Module 1 - March 31
Module 2 - April 21
Module 3 - May 26
Module 4 - June 23
Module 5 - July 7
Module 6 - September 1
Module 7 - October 6
Module 8 - November 10

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/

NLP Practitioner Course, starting in April

Learn skills and techniques to help you to …


… Be more effective in the classroom!

…Understand your learners more completely

… Set and achieve goals

… Better manage the constant changes school life brings us

… Communicate with others with elegance and effectiveness

… Discover more talents

… Live the life you want to lead



All this and very much more can be experienced on the



Practitioner Certificate in NLP for Education

Our next Practitioner Certificate course starts on April 16, 2011 and consists of 16 modules to be held on Saturdays on a monthly basis in 2011 and 2012. 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 jamie@resourcefulteaching.com.ar or lauraszmuchcapacitaciones@gmail.com



Venue: Versailles, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Time: One Saturday per month 9.00 – 17.00

Start Date: Saturday April 16




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

RTNews 115

RT® News

A magazine on Neuro Linguistic Programming in Education
No 115 March 10 2011

Hello teachers,

We trust the new academic year is going well with exciting new classes and good prospects for an enjoyable productive term.

As we always say, this is also the time to choose something to study ourselves during the year. As models for our students, one of the best ways of encouraging life-long learning is for us as teachers to be seen to be learning as well. As you no doubt notice from our comments here and online, we are no exception and both of us always take up new courses of study each year to widen our skills and knowledge.

We would like to offer our congratulations to the following students who recently successfully completed their evaluations for the Practitioner and Master Practitioner courses.
New Practitioners are: Mariana Ini, Romina Lipari and Maria Cecilia Carattoli
Master Practitioner: Irene Pataccini
Well done and a big hug to you all!

See you soon,
Laura and Jamie
________________________________________
1. The resources are within you
2. NLP Practitioner course starts April
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
________________________________________
1. The resources are within you

When we set up Resourceful Teaching in 1998, we chose the name to transmit the idea that teachers have a huge pool of resources to call on when teaching.

Some people might respond to this, “But I work in a poor school with few books and no access to technology!” Nonetheless, we would reply that they have an almost infinite supply of resources. Other teachers may make a mental inventory of the teaching tools their school can provide them: libraries, computers, CD and MP3 players, video and DVD players, video cameras, toys, cardboard, paper and art supplies, internet connections, teachers’ books, interactive whiteboards, spaces for special purposes, etc, etc. Just fitting the use of these into the class timetable must be a job in itself!

Our intention, when we set up RT (Resourceful Teaching) was not only to draw attention to the idea that we do have many physical resources at hand, but also and perhaps even more importantly, to focus on the INTERNAL RESOURCES that teachers and students bring into the classroom that can be harnessed for teaching and learning. Which means that whatever the state of our schools, wherever we give classes, obstacles can be overcome with our ability to use our minds to solve the problem and that the actual act of learning and teaching can be enhanced by knowing our brains and how to use them effectively. Some people have said that NLP, which forms the basis of our work at RT, is like incorporating an owner’s manual to the mind, with the proviso that each mind is unique and different. To learn about our mind and how to manage it better is a relatively simple process of observation, openness and the willingness to try new things that can produce enormous rewards in the very short term, both in our teaching and in our daily lives.

It can often happen that we have what seems to be a perfect lesson planned on paper but when we get into the classroom things do not follow that plan and the lesson does not live up to expectations. This is completely understandable because we are none of us robots with automatic responses. Each day, each of us in class are different people and the dynamic interaction of these “different” people means that no two lessons, no two days are going to be the same, despite any general similarity in behaviour patterns. And that is just talking about what we see on the surface. What about what is going on inside us? Each day I am different in terms of my feelings, the activity of my brain, the chemicals that flow through my bloodstream. One day I may be restless and find it hard to concentrate, another day excited and focused and a third day, tired and irritable.

So, as a teacher, what can we do with this? Well, if we know where to look, the information is all there. We can see very quickly, when students need a change of activity, when “the penny is dropping” and learning is taking place, when more help is needed, when it is enough on a given subject for today…. Strangely, we often ignore this and plough on with our plan, even though we have “lost” the class, because keeping to the timetable is more important or because we have not been consciously taught to give more importance to what is going on inside us or inside the students.

And knowing about the internal states is not just a question of honing our performance or being better able to detect changes in the students. It is also necessary to better understand the student of today – a person who is usually surrounded by electronic gadgets and stimuli, whose attention span is shorter than in the past, who responds quicker to visual input, whose mind is bombarded with information.

It is ironic that as we advance technologically as a society, and even in terms of knowing the electrical and chemical operations of the brain, we actually end up knowing less about ourselves than we think we do.

What do we really want? What do we think about a particular issue? Why do we sometimes seem to be contradictory? What do we believe in because we have never stopped to think about it and our opinion is in fact it is something someone else has said to us and not our own idea? Why do I feel what I feel and not what my mind tells me I should feel? Why do some things affect me more than others? Why do some things attract me more than others?

These questions are not meant for deep psychological analysis but rather are simple day-to-day questions to help us know ourselves better. There are neither right nor wrong answers. But by knowing myself more closely I can be aware of where I stand and what sort of message I am sending out to the world.

In our courses for the Practitioner certificate applied to Education, we study from a very practical standpoint: the power of non verbal language, the different ways we access and process the outside world, how we store and retrieve memories and learned and acquired information, what our verbal language is really saying, how we fix emotions to experience and to our memories, how to discover what we really want in life, myriad ways of solving conflicts that are both with others and within ourselves, ways to adopt new functional behaviour, and how to read all of this in others (to the extent that we can) and many more rich tools and skills.

If ever there was a “technology” that has the flexibility and applicability for the 21st century, it is NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). With it, we can act in any context and in any situation and be clearer about the behaviour and motivation of the other. NLP is based on the principle of “description” rather than “prescription”. There is no “correct form” to use, no dogma to follow, no theory to apply. We take each instance as unique, we develop our powers to observe, we act, we notice the reactions, we adjust our response and we refine our communication. From NLP we learn “HOW” to do things to get the results we desire. And we learn to value and respect ourselves and the other in each and every communication. We believe that these are the types of capabilities that will stand us in good stead in the classroom of today and tomorrow.

We would love you to join us on one of our trainings this year and discover ways to become even more centred and resourceful teachers.

© Resourceful Teaching 2011
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2. NLP Practitioner course starts April

Practitioner Certificate in NLP for Education

Our next Practitioner Certificate course starts on April 16 and 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
Start Date: Saturday April 16
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. Your place is guaranteed upon payment of the first module.

Laura Szmuch and Jamie Duncan

NB: This course is also being offered in Spanish.

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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.
April 16 2011 Practitioner Certificate in NLP applied to Education starts, Buenos Aires, Argentina
April 30 2011 Curso en PNL, Buenos Aires, Argentina
May 14 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/


RT® Resourceful Teaching is a registered trademark.

RTNews 114

RT® News

A magazine on Neuro Linguistic Programming in Education
No 114 December 29 2010

Hello teachers,

2010 is now all but over and we look forward to the New Year. As we always say, the summer holidays are an important space for us teachers to recharge our batteries, relax and pamper ourselves. This is even more essential in these days of change when we need all our energy and skills to face the challenges of the classroom and enjoy the journeys of learning and discovery that our students and we ourselves are embarked on.

As a resolution for the New Year we want to project postive thoughts and outcomes. By being proactive in the way we view life and situations in our schools, homes and other places we inhabit, we can have a tremendous influence. Instead of buying someone else’s view of things, it is very functional to CHOOSE how we view each situation and to KNOW that this choice also extends to how we react to any given situation.

We will be considering various functional ways of interpreting our work and the way we interact with others during the next few months.

If you would like to JOIN us for our February trainings, be sure to check RT Week 2011 in part two below. We have some great new workshops, which will give you ideas and inspiration for the new academic year.

We would also like to THANK everyone who has given their support to us this year, whether it be by attending our courses, or participating in our online spaces such as our Facebook page, or in our blogs.

Finally we take this opportunity to wish you, our readers,

A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL

NEW YEAR!!!


Until next time,

Laura and Jamie


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1. A Focus on Solutions

One of the first things we learn with NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) is that each of us perceives the world in different ways. A different way or different ways? Different ways. Each of us has more than one way to perceive the world. An obvious example is when we view the world as a parent, a teacher or as someone’s child. We can take these three positions at the same time but each one is subtly different and will influence what we notice and give importance to.

In NLP talk, these are called “Frames”. It is as if we change the picture when we put a different frame around the basic painting. These frames mean that certain things get more emphasis, some features are given a special highlight and other things fall outside the frame. You already know that we use our sensory channels to give and receive information in the world. Some people use their visual channel most, other prefer their auditory channel and others their kinaesthetic channel. This is an example of a frame. If I am very visual I tend to give priority to what I see whereas what people say or what I feel may get less attention.

Other examples of the same sort of limit we put on our processing of the world include: our use of mainly positive or negative language (imperatives, affirmatives, positive modals vs don’t, can’t, mustn’t, negative terms), the types of values and beliefs we follow in life (eg, abundance vs. scarcity), the metaphors we use (life is a struggle vs. life is a fairground), the stories we have constructed about the world and the role we play in them.

Becoming aware of the frames that we or others use is just the same as noticing the news about our favourite film star, or in the case of language teachers, always perceiving the grammar mistake. It is something that we have programmed ourselves to become aware of. Before we were teachers or before our star became famous we never thought about these issues but as our interest grew our brain began to act like a sensor and started to “flash or beep” each time it came across something related to them.

Once we start to identify the frames others use we can acknowledge them and thereby start to enter into rapport with that person and to understand what is happening to him or her. We can also identify our own favourite frames, keep those that are useful to us and change those that no longer serve us. And we can help others to notice that there we can always choose different options in the way we view the world.

A useful practice is to notice what sort of frames work for other people in different contexts and if we like them, we can borrow them. In some societies, a focus on solutions takes a higher priority than in others and it is this approach that we would like to comment on today. A focus on solutions means that whenever we are confronted by a problem or something that does not entirely work or fit, we automatically programme ourselves to find a solution so that both we and others can resolve the problem happily and to our mutual satisfaction wherever possible.

A solutions focus means that we are proactive and rather than waiting for someone to come along and find an answer, we start to work out that answer for ourselves.

When we think about applying a solutions frame to our work in education, this has several implications. It means that we orientate ourselves to finding what will serve or work to overcome a problem. It does not mean that we focus on what doesn’t work but rather try to use models of what does work and apply them to our new situation. If our students are restless and need a stretch, why not give them some Brain Gym or a stretching session or a run outside even if it is not traditionally accepted in the school. If it helps them to concentrate and learn, then surely that is what teaching is about? Many people become stuck in a sort of blame game or a finding fault cycle when things go wrong and they heap example of failure upon example of failure, shortcoming upon shortcoming and reason upon reason. This is all very well as perhaps the problem does have causes that do not originate with us. But the point is that while we sit and gripe the problem remains…. unsolved.

Often times we wait for the authorities, for the famous “they” to come to the rescue and solve the mess “they’ve got us in”. And sometimes we end up waiting a long time. It is far more rewarding to say, “This is the way things are, this is what we want …let’s find a way of bridging that gap”. We often see that teachers in poor schools or rural schools are tremendously resourceful in finding ways to give their students the best lessons possible even though they have very few tools and elements at their disposal. They are almost obliged to work with a solutions frame. If there is no power, how can we do an activity that requires light or electricity? If we have no books or paper, what can we use instead? In more established schools that sort of flexibility may not exist as we take for granted so much more. By training ourselves to find solutions, we start to think outside the box and enhance our creativity leading to answers that perhaps nobody considered or imagined. (This topic features in the last of the RT Week workshops “Outside the Box” on Thursday 10 February at 14.00 in which we look at applying this to the classroom). Developing this skill also means we get to become a good model for our students who learn that they too can solve problems effectively.

A solutions focus is more than just having a plan B or being good at improvising.


It involves:

a) Knowing where we are at the present

b) Knowing where we want to go or what we want to achieve

c) Ascertaining what tools and resources we have to help us

d) Being open and creative so as to generate a variety of feasible alternatives

e) Letting our creative mind flow uninterrupted

f) Knowing who will be affected by our actions

g) Keeping in mind the greater good

h) Making sure that everyone wins and that nobody loses

i) Being able to work out how to put our dream ideas into practice

j) Doing it

k) Being able to assess how our solution worked

l) Trustiing ourselves, others and the universe!

Most of this is a question of practice and being prepared to have a try and see how things work out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

With the comments on many aspects of education becoming increasingly frustrated and pessimistic these days, surely it is time to apply a solutions focus even more to help make the transition from a conventional means of educating students to one that really serves each and every one of them.

© Resourceful Teaching 2010
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4. 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.
Feb 7-10 2011 RT Week 2011, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Feb 7-12 2011 Curso en PNL, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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5. 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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6. 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, leave your details on www.encontactopnl.ning.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/





RT® Resourceful Teaching is a registered trademark.

Resourceful Teaching Week 2011

RT WEEK 2011
February 07 – 10

Resourceful Teaching workshops for teachers
Pioneers in training with NLP in Education
For those who want much more than new teaching techniques...

Giving you ideas and a space to reflect, develop, grow and thrive in the classroom!

Workshop programme

Workshop details

Monday 8 Feb am Teaching the students of today
The profile of students today, particularly teenagers and children has changed considerably from those of a few years back. What are their common characteristics and how do these affect their learning? What do we teachers need to bear in mind to help facilitate successful study
Monday 8 Feb pm Memory and learning
Learning depends mostly on a well trained memory.
How do you help your students encode, store, and later retrieve what you have taught them?
Drawing from the latest investigations in the fields of Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology, in this workshop we will work with some very effective techniques to enhance your students’ learning processes.

Tuesday 9 Feb am Learning English with GANAS
NLP techniques to help your students come to class with GANAS, learn English, and enjoy the process.
In this workshop we will address some of the biggest challenges teachers face on a daily basis: how to reach all students, respect their learning styles, make learning memorable and set stimulating goals. There will be some theoretical input plus activities and reflection.

Tuesday 9 Feb pm Irony or Coincidence?
In this session we will explore the fascinating world of synonyms, words that look alike or words that are often confused. Discover the subtleties of meaning and usage in these vocabulary items.

Wednesday 10 Feb am A Passionfruit Smoothie
This practical workshop blends a variety of language activities and exercises with students’ own interests and passions to create new ways of learning and practising language. Fun and ideas for students to express their individuality and yet still be part of the group.

Wednesday 10 Feb pm Creative Writing for YOU
Is your own writing limited to the marking of students’ compositions?
Or maybe the projects for your academic training?
When was the last time you really enjoyed writing creatively for yourself, in English?
In this workshop you will have the chance to flow as a writer and you will learn wonderful techniques to help your students in their own creative writing.

Thursday 11 Feb am Is it all about LOVE after all?? Or isn’t it?
Why are you a teacher? What made you choose to pursue this profession? What makes you stay? Where do you derive satisfaction from? What are your rewards?
These questions and many more will be a part of this reflection session, in which we will try to determine how your motivation to teach can be developed, nurtured and, above all, cherished and treasured.
Thursday 11 Feb pm Outside the box!
How can we help stimulate students to reflect and develop their imagination? To stretch their thinking?
In this session, we take different activities, texts and tools to practise cognitive skills and develop the student’s potential for creativity and insight.


Each workshop lasts three hours. AM: 9.00 - 12.00 PM: 14.00 - 17.00.
Venue: Gallardo 719, Versailles, Capital Federal.

Please enrol by by e-mail: rtcourses@resourcefulteaching.com.ar
jamiearg@gmail.com or lauraszmuch@gmail.com
or by phoning (005411) 4641-9068

There are limited vacancies per workshop. Enrolment is only guaranteed by payment of fee.


Special Discounts:
Five people enrolling together are eligible for a discount of 10% on the whole week
Students currently enrolled in Teacher Training College $30 per workshop

Note: Fees are not refundable but can be transferred to another course or to another student where applicable.