Introduction
Many times when I used to teach mathematics, I would notice
that some student would be staring out the window daydreaming.
I would wonder what was going on in their mind that they would
not be turned on to math. I often wished that I could “open
up their heads and look inside to see what was going on.”
I couldn’t then but I can now--metaphorically. I do
it with Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP).
The fact that I can do this now opens up many magnificent
opportunities for myself and the students I work with. Students
no longer have to be unmotivated in school--they can be motivated
with their own natural motivation strategies. They no longer
have to be dis-interested by certain subjects--they can learn
the structure of interest and apply it to any subject. They
no longer have to not know how to learn--they can learn world
class learning strategies for ALL academic tasks. They no
longer have to be traumatized by bad test scores--they can
learn to accept feedback for improvement purposes rather than
feel like a failure. They no longer have to be labeled as
having a learning disability--we can figure out how their
mind works differently and teach them how to use their mind
in school in a way that really works.
Prior to NLP, these kind of opportunities were hit or miss.
Perhaps some intuitive or psychic teacher would get an idea
and teach it to a student and it would work. But then it might
not work with all students. So, the idea might get lost or
it would lose it’s credibility. And, since the teacher
could not codify the structure of the idea at the process
level, it was hard to teach it to others in a way that would
give it some credibility. NLP gives us the technology to elicit
all of these learning patterns and codify them and teach them
to others. NLP gives us the technology to find out, AT THE
PROCESS LEVEL, how any student is blocking his or her self
and to figure out how to help them. It is an exciting time
for those of us who care about students and who want to be
a positive influence in their lives. It is also an exciting
time for those of us who want to strengthen our educational
processes and systems. NLP offers us the magnificent opportunity
to positively affect childrens’ lives forever by working
with NLP in the school systems.
We are now in the process of setting up a NLP in Education
Network which will attract NLP practitioners who share this
dream. The primary force behind this network is from the United
Kingdom. His name is Jeffrey Lewis and his e-mail address
is: jeff_lewis@noceans.demon.co.uk. His web site is: http://www.new-oceans.co.uk/ednet/.
His phone number is: 44 (0) 1727 856200.
Applying NLP to Education--How it Works
Probably the easiest and most succinct way to explain the
application of NLP in education is through the use the skills
of NLP modeling and the use of Logical Levels of experience.
When I am working with a student who is struggling in school,
I use my NLP modeling skills to elicit the subjective experience
of the student--logical level by logical level. If you will
recall, logical levels of experience are as follows: Spiritual/Greater
System; Identity; Beliefs/Values; Capability; Behavior; and
Environment. Logical levels can be detected by the language
patterns of the student. So, for example, if a student is
complaining about his or her spelling lessons, it would sound
like the following depending upon which level the student
was focusing.
LOGICAL LEVEL STATEMENT
Spiritual/Greater System “The school is dumb for making
us learn spelling words.”
Identity “I am dumb.”
Beliefs/Values “Learning spelling words is dumb.”
Capability “I don’t know how to learn my spelling
words.”
Behavior “Should I write my spelling words 5 or 10 times?”
Environment “The classroom is too noisy.”
So, as the student is describing his or her school struggles,
I am listening through the logical levels template to discern
at which levels the issues are. Once I determine that, then
I use my NLP modeling skills to determine more specifically
what the subjective experience is that needs adjusting. What
I found with many students who struggle is a large void at
the capability level. The void is there because most schools
and teachers presuppose that students know how to learn academic
subjects. The students are left on their own to figure out
HOW TO LEARN. A large number come up with learning strategies
that don’t work or they are inefficient and ineffective.
Since we presuppose that they know how to learn we don’t
offer alternative ways and they keep doing what they have
always done and keep getting the same bad results. Many take
this personally and assume something is wrong with themselves.
They start to devalue learning and school. Or, they move it
to the identity level and start to believe that they are dumb
or a bad student.
Help is available at all logical levels with NLP. It is precise
and powerful. We know how to teach them learning strategies
that really work at the capability level. We know how to positively
affect attitude at the value level. We also know how to change
beliefs at the top three logical levels. The changes are swift
and transforming. It clearly fits the old cliche “Give
a man a fish and you have fed him for a day. Teach him how
to fish and you have fed him for the rest of his life.”
NLP and Learning Disabilities
NLP offers VERY exciting opportunities for students who have
been diagnosed with learning disabilities. The NLP modeling
skills offers the very precise tools that are needed to figure
out the different style of subjective experience of this group
of students. Many times the difference is at the capability
level in the form of thinking or learning strategies. Much
of the time the only thing that is needed is the addition
or deletion of a simple step in their learning strategy. Once
the step is dealt with, learning can occur.
Dyslexia
One example occurs in the learning disability called Dyslexia.
In this learning disability, one of the complaints is that
the student will not be able to discern the difference between
a b and d, or a 6 or 9 or a p or q, as examples. What I found
many of them doing was not connecting the sound of the letter
or number with the image. When somebody would say “Draw
me a b” the sound did not pull up the image for the
student to copy. It is a simple matter to teach the student
to connect the sound to an image now that we know what is
needed.
Another example was with a 9 year old boy who was having
a difficult time learning to read. He also had been diagnosed
with several disabilities including Dyslexia. The parents’
complaint was that they would read with him every night and
when he would hit a word he did not know they would pronounce
it for him. But then 2-3 paragraphs later he would not be
able to recognize the same word. As they demonstrated this
to me, it became very apparent to me what was causing the
problem. For most students, when they are learning to read
new words, they will look AT THE WORD as they pronounce it.
This connects the image to the sound. What the 9 year old
did was watch his father’s mouth as he pronounced the
word. He wanted to make sure that he pronounced it right so
he would watch his father’s mouth and imitate the mouth
movement. This obviously would not connect the image to the
sound and he would not be able to recognize the word later
on. Again, the solution was very easy to teach to the young
man and his parents.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
About 4 or 5 years ago I took the NLP Health Training developed
by Robert Dilts, Suzie Smith and Tim Hallbom. My project was
to model the subjective experience of Attention Deficit Disorder
or ADD. ADD creates much havoc in our schools--particularly
if hyperactivity is one of the symptoms. I recently heard
a psychologist refer to ADD as “The great dumping ground
for all complaints about students”. I tend to agree
with him.
Attention Deficit Disorder is a condition that some people
experience which manifests itself through numerous symptoms
which may include one or more of the following:
* Hyperactivity - They can't stay still. They are constantly
moving and fidgeting. They are under chairs or tables or climbing
over furniture.
* Impulsiveness - They move or change directions too quickly.
They will be doing one thing and then suddenly start doing
something else. They "act before they think!"
* Distractibility - They can't stay focused on one thought
or task. They will be doing a task and the smallest noise
interrupts them.
* Lack of organization - They cannot do the more complex tasks
which requires them to organize the larger task into a series
of steps. Somebody has to tell or show them each step.
* Forgetfulness - They forget instructions. They forget to
do things or tasks they have been told to do. They will start
to do something and forget what they were supposed to do.
* Procrastination - They have trouble starting and completing
tasks or assignments. They are constantly putting off doing
things. They can't seem to "get started."
Often these behaviors surface in school, frustrating both
the teachers and the other students who are trying to learn.
A child with the ADD symptoms can be extremely disruptive
in a classroom situation. The current widespread, accepted
treatment is medication. Although, for some it may be the
only treatment, there are those parents and professionals
who question the advisability of putting a child on drugs.
Notice that most of the symptoms are at the logical level
of behavior. Most of the treatments are at the environment
or behavior level. Besides drugs, behavior modification and
space and time management are some of the skills taught to
the person diagnosed with ADD.
I was wanting to model the subjective experience through
the logical levels. It was my belief that their subjective
experience was driving the symptoms. What I found was a wonderful,
creative mind, in most cases, THAT WAS OUT OF CONTROL! The
perception on their part was that they either could not control
their mind or their mind controlled them. After awhile, this
became a belief about their capability. Later on they would
start to de-value school and learning. By the teenage years
they would start to develop beliefs about their own identity
about being “weird” or “different”.
I found that work was needed to be done at many of the logical
levels instead of just at the behavior and environment. In
fact, the interventions at those two levels would not hold
in the face of limiting beliefs at the higher levels of capability,
beliefs/values, identity and Spiritual/ greater system. This
explained why it was so difficult to work with ADD in the
traditional ways. They were trying to solve the problem at
a lower level than where the “real issue” was.
Albert Einstein once said “You cannot solve a problem
at the same level it was created. You have to go to a higher
level.”
Knowing that the “real issue” was the feeling
that the mind was out of control and that, therefore, they
would not to be able to succeed in the normal classroom, led
me to develop ways to teach them to control their mind. Once
I could do that, I could then teach them effective learning
strategies. As I work with them, I am also sensitive to ferreting
out any limiting beliefs that they may have fallen prey to
and help them change those beliefs to beliefs that were more
empowering. The results have proven to be absolutely astonishing.
The transformation of these much maligned students is a joy
to see. In my opinion, they are genius or near genius anyway.
They have the kind of mind that we want when we want creativity
or when we are in brainstorming sessions. They just can’t
control their mind and take advantage of their own potential.
So, once they know how to use their mind to their advantage,
they unleash that tremendous potential to become whatever
they want to be.
Summary
In my opinion, we in education spend too much time and effort
in theorizing ABOUT education and get away from the actual
learning process. We pile words upon words, bigger words upon
bigger words and bury what has to happen in the subjective
experience of students in order for successful learning to
occur. These theories sound good, and are needed, but don’t
translate into action at the level where help is needed--at
the subjective experience level. The good news is that NLP
operates at the subjective experience level. THAT IS WHAT
WE PRACTITIONERS OF NLP DO! Therefore, the application of
NLP in education IS a magnificent opportunity for practitioners
of NLP. We have the attitude, the unique and specific set
of skills, and the beliefs and presuppositions that will help
solve the persistent problems in our educational systems.
The need is great. The results with students are transforming.
Once these students graduate, the effect on our cultures and
societies will also be transforming. We will truly be using
NLP to make the world a better place to live.
About the Author
Don A. Blackerby, Ph.D. is a former math teacher and college dean and founded SUCCESS SKILLS in 1981 in order to focus on using NLP in helping struggling students in school. In 1996, he wrote a book “Rediscover the Joy of Learning” in which he describes his NLP based strategies and processes on
how he helps struggling students including those who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Don is not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or medical doctor, he is an educator who is certified in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and practices as a Personal Development and Academic Coach. On a spiritual path he is an ordained minister and registered in the State
of Oklahoma. He may be contacted in various ways. His address and phone numbers are: SUCCESS SKILLS, 1517 Walnut Cove Road, Edmond, OK 73013, USA. His phone number is 1-405-330-0164. His fax is 1-405-330-0167. His E-mail is info@nlpok.com . He also has a web site: www.nlpok.com . |
