SW IF T S ON YA201 2

NLP Neuro Linguistic Programming

What is NLP?

Bandler and Grinder (co-creators of NLP)

“An attitude, methodology and technology that teaches people how to improve the quality of their lives. It is an educational tool that teaches people how to communicate more effectively with themselves and with others. It is designed to help people have personal freedom in the way they think, feel and behave.”

Bandler (2008:p185)

SKILL: Using NLP to successfully manage students

I chose this as a skill because…

I wanted to explore and develop NLP strategies to become more effective in my role as a teacher. Vizard (2009) suggests that teachers who use NLP techniques can help disaffected students succeed in their learning and overall development. As I work with students who have emotional, behavioural and social difficulties, I wanted to develop a skill that would help me become more effective at meeting their needs.

Literature Review: Bandler and Grinder

Bandler and Grinder developed NLP in the 1970s after studying highly successful people and modelling their behaviour:

Virginia Satir (family therapy)Milton Erickson (hypnosis)Fritz Perls (Gestalt therapy)

Literature Review: Overview of Authors and Research

At one side of the spectrum, NLP is viewed in a negative light; perceived as brain-washing and ineffective “mumbo jumbo” and has no scientific evidence to back the ideas. Whilst at the other end, due to educational research, NLP is becoming increasingly recognised as an effective tool. Some authors state that NLP skills are effective if used correctly, both as a self-help tool and as a tool for working successfully with others.

Ginnis (2002) suggests that the learning styles (VAK) we cater for in the classroom are derived from NLP.

Craft (2001) states that NLP fits social constructivist theory.

“NLP is … the study of

excellence and a model of

how individuals structure

their experience.”

O’Connor and Seymour

(2002:p233)

“NLP relates words, thoughts and

behaviours to purposes and goals. It

focuses on effective communication and

proposes a tool to facilitate the taking of

perspectives on any live set of issues.”

Craft (2001:p126)

“Developing NLP strategies and approaches can be helpful in giving students confidence in communication and helping staff read situations and to develop rapport with learners. NLP is a way of communicating that helps us in our day-to-day lives. In particular it improves our effectiveness in communication…It is ideally suited for managing classroom behaviour.”Vizard (2009:p22)

What others’ say…

“NLP promotes a set of principles, attitudes and techniques

that enable people to change or eliminate behaviour

patterns by focusing on the dynamic relationship between

mind and language.” Ginnis (2002:p11)

Seminars and Training I attended

Dave Vizard Seminars at the TES Resources Show, Manchester, April 2012

1) Using NLP in the Classroom 2) Don’t Stand So Close to Me

Training: NLP Diploma, Manchester, April 2012

The Map is Not the Territory

(Alfred Korzybski, 1931)

NLP Presuppositions

The map is not the territoryThere is no failure, only feedbackYou are in charge of your mind and therefore of your

resultsThe meaning of your communication is the response

that you getBehind every behaviour lies a positive intentionPeople have all the resources they need to make the

changes that they want

Using NLP to successfully manage students

There are many ways that NLP can be applied, and after reviewing literature I decided to focus on:

Representational SystemsRapportCommunication Anchors and Metaphors

Representational Systems

We internalise our experiences through our senses and we all interpret our experiences in different ways. As teachers it is vital to cater for the range of learning styles (Ginnis, 2002) and it’s also necessary to use sensory language when we verbally communicate. The main representational systems are:

Rapport

We need to gain rapport with our learners. Subtly matching, mirroring and cross-matching body language gains rapport at an unconscious level. Once rapport is gained, we can pace and lead in the intended direction.

Communication

Communication works at both a conscious and unconscious level.

Communication is…7% - words38% - tonality, volume and tempo55% - nonverbal signals (Ginnis, 2002:p307)

By matching and mirroring physiology and using sensory language enables the teacher to communicate more effectively with students.

Meta Model of Communication

Questioning technique that allows opportunity for the student to become more specific and clarify meaning in what they say

Designed to identify and change the deletions, distortions and generalisations in what students say

You make me angry!How does what I am doing

cause you to choose to feel angry?

How specifically?

Example ...

Milton Model of Communication

Opposite to the Meta Model

Based on Milton Erickson and “other masters of persuasion”

Vague suggestions that communicate to the unconscious mind

Using metaphorsTag questions

Examples ...Take a moment to think

about something you may have learned in this lesson

You know you can do this, don’t you?

Anchors and Metaphors

Certain smells or sounds etc. may create a state that takes you back to your childhood.

We can create anchors in the classroom in the same way. By standing in specific places in the room, we can anchor the students.

Good metaphors allow the mind to visualise and seek for meaning.

Reflections

I believe that the techniques have helped me to become more effective in my role as a teacher.

Challenging yet rewarding.Some concepts are difficult to grasp although I have

made progress, I shall to continue to embed NLP techniques in my practice.

Help change un-limiting beliefs and challenging behaviour– “I can’t do that”, “I’ve never been any good at Maths” etc. Remember that the map is not the territory.

Conclusion

Does it work? If you believe that it will work then it will work!Using NLP techniques is an effective way to manage students. When working with a group of students NLP skills allow you

to gain rapport, manage behaviour, pace and lead learning.On a one-to-one basis, NLP skills allow you to understand the

students ‘map’ and by communicating using their representational system, helps build rapport. Using specific questioning techniques (Meta) or vague suggestions (Milton) enable the teacher to pace and lead, and can result in desired behaviour.

Recommended Reading

Bandler, R. (1985), Using Your Brain - for a CHANGE, (eds: Andreas, S. and Andreas, C.) Utah: Real People Press

Churches, R. and Terry, R. (200), NLP for Teachers: How to become a Highly Effective Teacher, Wales: Crown House Publishing

Parkin, M. (2010), Tales for Coaching: Using Stories and Metaphors with Individuals and Small Groups, London: Kogan Page Ltd

Vizard, D.(2009), Meeting the Needs: Disaffected Students: Engaging Students with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, London: Continuum International Publishing

Any Questions?

References

Bandler, R. (1985), Using Your Brain - for a CHANGE, (eds: Andreas, S. and Andreas, C.) Utah, USA: Real People Press Bandler, R., (2008), Get the Life You Want, London: Harper Element Butler-Bowden, T.,(2007), 50 Psychology Classics: Who We Are, How We Think, What We Do; Insight and Inspiration from 50 Key

Books, Yarmouth, USA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Churches, R. and Terry, R. (2007), NLP for Teachers: How to Become a Highly Effective Teacher, Carmarthen, Wales: Crown House

Publishing Ltd Churches, T., and Terry, R., (2008), Hypnotise Your Class, TES Magazine, The Times Educational Supplement 4770:T26, London: TSL

Education Ltd, [online] Available from http://search.proquest.com.libaccess.hud.ac.uk/docview/209503593? [accessed 01/04/2012] Craft, A., (2001), Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Learning Theory, Curriculum Journal, 12:1, 125-136, [online] Available from

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585170122455 [accessed 01/04/2012] Elston, T., and Spohrer, K., (2009), Using NLP to Enhance Behaviour and Learning, Continuum International Publishing: London,

[online] Available from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uoh/Doc?id=10427143&ppg=98 [accessed 10/04/2012] Ginnis, P. (2002), The Teacher’s Toolkit, Carmarthen, Wales: Crown House Publishing Ltd Millrood, R., (2004), The Role of NLP in Teachers’ Classroom Discourse, ELT Journal, 58/1, Oxford University Press, [online] Available

from http://library.hud.ac.uk/s/7PPNJ [accessed 10/04/2012] O’Connor, J., and Seymour, J., (1990), Introducing NLP, London: Harper Element Parkin, M. (2010), Tales for Coaching: Using Stories and Metaphors with Individuals and Small Groups, London: Kogan Page Ltd Tosey, P., and Mathison, J., (2010), Neuro-Linguistic Programming as an Innovation in Education and Teaching, Innovations in Education

and Teaching International, 47 (3), 317-326, [online] Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2010.498183 [accessed 01/04/2012]

Vizard, D.,(2009), Meeting the Needs: Disaffected Students: Engaging Students with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, London: Continuum International Publishing

Vizard, D., (2012) TES North Road Show, Seminars: Using NLP in the Classroom; Don’t Stand So Close to Me, Manchester Central, Manchester on /04/2012