At Each in Mind 1319

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44 - Anchor Point April, 2002

A N C H O R P O I N T

Book Review

Teaching in Mind:How Teacher Thinking Shapes Informationby Judith Lloyd Yero

Reviewed by Laura Szmuch

There are many excellent booksabout teaching available. However,seldom have I read a book that re-flected the state of the present edu-cational situation in the United Statesso clearly. In Teaching in Mind: How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education ,Judith Lloyd Yero analyzes the presentstate of affairs in a very honest andstraightforward way, discussing com-mon myths and beliefs about educa-tional issues such as teaching, learn-ing, curricula, and standards. She shiftsthe emphasis from things to people—from the excessive attention to “the

curriculum, the schedule, the arrange- ment of desks in the classroom, teaching methodologies, motivating students,assessing knowledge , to a real em-powering of the teachers. Yeromoves up the ladder of the Neuro-logical Levels pyramid, and claims thatin order to create meaningful changein the system, educators must movebeyond the environment, behaviouror capabilities and reflect on the be-

liefs and values that motivate certainbehaviours or decisions.

Einstein said we can’t solve a prob-lem on the same level where it origi-nated. In this enlightening book, theauthor encourages teachers to shifttheir focus inward—to appreciate

how influential they are in shaping thelives of their students and take timeto reflect on their purpose as teach-ers. Without that reflection, educa-tional reform is condemned to main-taining a status quo—focusingchanges solely on what peopleshould learn (new curricula) andhowthey should learn it (new teachingmethodologies) rather than on thehuman factors. In other words, theywill continue to create small and su-perficial changes so that nothing ofimportance really changes. Teachersare often ignored in these decisions,

and “the experts” (educational theo-rists and reformers) propose changesthat in many cases are not viable inthe working classroom. They “rushteachers to implement new pro-grams without considering the be-lief/value system upon which theyrest.” However, the real experts, ac-cording to Yero, are the teachersthemselves. The teachers who are incontact with the students and the

teaching material day after day, quiteillogically, have to constantly waitfor external validation of what theydo. They are expected to conformto rules that are often not congru-ent with their own beliefs and val-ues. This occurs because the systemdeals with standards and educational

“packages,” rather than the realpeople who take part in the process.A real and lasting improvement of theeducational system must start at ahigher level, and consequently, thatchange will affect the levels of envi-ronment, behaviour, and capabilitiesin a more mindful way.

One of the most importantpresupposit ions in Judith’s workis that there is only one thing thatpeople have the power to directlychange—their own behaviour . Sheinsists that a change in behaviour can

be facilitated by an examination ofthe underlying beliefs that motivateus. And for teachers, looking inwardsand examining their beliefs and val-ues and the metaphors they attachto education is of utmost importance.It is essential for them to understandhow they may unconsciously under-mine externally imposed theories andpractices that are not consistent withtheir hearts and minds.

InTeaching In Mind , Yero very skill-fully argues the need for introspec-tion, and suggests a close examina-tion of the readers’ beliefs and val-ues and the metaphors that we usethat give origin to our beliefs. She onlysuggests awareness, never judgement.



April, 2002 45 - Anchor Point


She considers that knowing exactlywhere we are is the first step in de-ciding mindfully what changes arepossible to get to our ideal teachingsituation.

From the focus on awareness atthe beginning of the book, she movesthe reader to “doing” something.There is an explicit request from theauthor for the reader to commit todoing the included processes whilereading the book. There are somereally interesting reflection activitiesin the Self–Inventory section at theend of the book, so that rather than“nibbling round the edges,” we can

really “digest” the material.

The chapters where Yero analyzesmetaphors—metaphors aboutteaching, institutional metaphors, and

a teacher’s personal metaphors—aresuperbly woven. She lists the typicalmetaphors used in connection witheducation and cleverly explains howthe same metaphor can have differ-ent meanings and entailments de-pending on the world view of theperson who uses them. She goesbeyond that to suggest ways to ac-quire new metaphors that may ex-pand perception. She discusses, forexample, how a teacher’s perfor-mance may change when instead ofseeing herself as atransmitter of con-tent she becomes an organizer ofcontent so students can learn it ontheir own and in their personal learn-

ing style.

What do individual teachers believeabout the learning process itself?Teachers will behave in completely

different ways if they perceive, forexample, the mind asa container , themind asa container plus processor , orthe mind as a modifiable information processor . What does the word “un-derstand” mean to the teacher?How do teachers expect students toshow they have understood a newtopic?What is “knowledge”? Is itsomething to begiven to students bythe teacher? Is it subjective experi-ence? Is there objective truth outthere? What about the cognitive pro-cesses that create knowledge?

Another important presupposi-tion in the book is that every

teacher makes a difference.Consequently, what teachers believeabout themselves, their students,their subject, the educational system,and the purpose of education affect





and effect what they actually do inclasswith or to their students.

And what does the teacher under-stand byeducation? Iseducation whata teacher does or what a studentlearns? Can teachers cover all thetopics in the curriculum and still teachin depth? Does preparing studentsto pass tests insure that they are re-ally learning?

The author points out that the wayteachers perceive students requires“a foreground/background shift inthinking.” When the language of edu-cation focuses on groups, how can a

teacher perceive individuals? Doesthe teacher acknowledge the abso-lute uniqueness of every individual?Are students “flawed” and in need of“fixing” or should a teacher improve

what is already working well?Areschoolsorganizations ,communities, orsomething else?

According to the author, apartfrom becoming motivated to changewhat is not functional, teachers couldalso spend time analyzing what theydo really well “to build on that excel-lence.” The goal of the book is toawaken and encourage teachers tofeel free to act on their visions in spiteof the pressure the system creates.

What is needed nowadays is ashared vision about the purpose ofeducation. When teachers start their

careers they go into their classrooms“aglow with promise and idealism.”However, the system and conven-tional wisdom wear them down. Theauthor suggests teachers get in touch

with their original beliefs about edu-cation and move towards their visionof the ideal teaching situation. Yet,there are some factors that workagainst teachers doing what they be-lieve is in the best interest of theirstudents.

• The more a teacher improves, the more apparent it is there is more to be improved.

• The more teachers are recognized for their success, the more criticism those teachers receive.

• The more successful a teacher becomes, the less easily others can emulate that success.

Yero reminds teachers that oneway to be brave enough to take risks,to try to do something new, to com-mit to improve and face obstacles isto have a sufficiently compelling vi-sion. Although not every teacher willbe ready to challenge the establish-ment, the actions of an individualteacher in an individual classroom canbe extremely powerful.

There is an outstanding chapterwhere the author describes com-prehensively the present criteriaused to determine standards anddraft curricula. She says that theNewtonian/mechanistic world viewprevails in the design of explicit cur-ricula. The purpose of many schoolsis still the transmission of disembod-ied knowledge in “small chunks.”Standards are fixed in an arbitrary

way, and every student is expectedto reach the same standards. Whata standardized curriculum doesn’ttake into account is that studentsare much more different mentallythan they are physically. Childrenare more motivated when their



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teachers have high expectations forthem than when they have to memo-rize more and more material for atest. Students, rather than knowl-edge, should be the focus of atten-tion. Authentic assessments shouldreplace tests with “lists of factoidsthat can be machine–graded.”

Yero mentions a study conductedwith millions of students at five gradelevels in more than forty countries.The researchers found that in world– class schools, knowledge is pursuedin “greater depth, so that content hasa chance to be meaningful, organized,and linked to the student’s other

ideas, and to produce insight and in-tuition rather than rote perfor-mance.” (1994-95, The Third Interna-tional Mathematics and ScienceStudy).

She also mentions the impor tanceof the implicit curricula, which refersto what the school teaches becauseof the kind of place it is, and the null curriculum—what designers andteachers choose to leave out.

The OutstandingTeacher

W hat makes an out standingteacher? In several studies, teach-ers ranked as outstanding by stu-dents are “ teachers with high ex-

pectations, who listen to their ideasand their questions, treat them withrespect, and demonstrate honestcaring.” In Chapter 11, the authormentions some studies about

teacher effectiveness and student“success.” There are three factorsthat are significant in describing ateacher as outstanding: teacher effi- cacy (a belief in one’s own capabili-ties), locus of control (internal or ex-ternal), andpupil–control ideology (out-standing teachers typically demon-strate respect, positive attitudes, flex-ibility, active interaction and commu-nication).

Future generationswill reap what

today’s teachers sow

In the last part of the book, Yerosays that the future begins now. Noexternal authority can make the in-ternal decisions and changes in theteachers’ minds. The teachers them-





selves must choose. “The task is pos-sible once educators recognize andbreak free of the conventionalmindset.” She compares that mindsetwith a monster that “has gobbled upthe enthusiasm of too many teach-ers and the love of learning of toomany students.”

It is time we adopted a differentparadigm to re–humanize the edu-cational process. We don’t need tore form, but to trans form. A big changein education will affect the future ofour society. And this book inspiresus to start right now.

About the author

After more than twenty years inteaching, Judith Lloyd Yero began pre-

senting workshops for teachers onthe myriad ways in which studentslearn. During those workshops, sherecognized teachers were eager tolearn more about their own thinkingprocesses. She combines a strongbackground in physical and cognitivesciences with experience in middleschool, high school, and college teach-ing, and extensive training in psychol-ogy and NLP.

Conclusion

This book is a MUST for thoseinvolved in any kind of educational

process. Teachers, professors, NLP,NS(Neurosemantics), and TC (Trans-forming Communication) trainerswill find in this material a treasure todiscover and enjoy. An extensively

documented book, it is richly illus-trated with excellent and relevantexamples of real situations whichmake it both pleasurable reading anddeep reflection stimulation. This isdefinitely a book to be read morethan once to muse on different lay-ers of introspection. Although thereare several NLP techniques “in dis-guise,” all jargon has been droppedas the book is directed mainly to theteaching community.

The author says that what ateacher does influences the studentsin ways we would never imagine.What is left for us to see is how this

great book will impact and changethe life of educators of any field.

Teaching in Mind: How Teacher Thinking Shapes Information Judith Lloyd Yero

©2002, MindFlight Publishing

Also available at the Anchor Point Store

For more information on Teaching In Mind ,contact:

MindFlight Publishing

P.O. Box 1738Hamilton, MT 59840http://www.mind-flight.com orhttp://www.teachersmind.com

E-mail: [email protected]

Laura Szmuch is a graduate of the

“Instituto Superior del Profesorado Dr.

Joaquín V. González” and works as a

teacher of English as a Foreign Language in

her studio in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Laura is a Master Practitioner and Trainer

in NLP. She is the co–founder (together

with Jamie Duncan) of Resourceful

Teaching and has run courses and

workshops for teachers on the application

of NLP to Education since 1998.

[email protected]


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