Perhaps this issue of New Learning is ‘the best ever’ – and wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to say that for every new issue! As always, I’d like to thank the many people who make this Journal possible – the writers who have sent in contributions, the members of our Editorial Board, especially our editor Joseph Sinclair and of course you, our readers.

And here are some personal thoughts and ideas that I hope will provoke further thoughts and ideas for you!

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A couple of weeks ago I read an obituary to Lady Bridget Plowden in the Times Educational Supplement. Some of you may be wondering ’Who is – or was - Lady Plowden?’ Well, for me, during the middle 1960’s (what an era!) she was the Chair of one of the most influential and important Governmental Committees to investigate and report on Primary Education in England and Wales – well it certainly influenced me.

At a time when primary schools were dominated by highly formal teaching and rote learning – with children sitting in rows, facing blackboards, receiving instructions and information to be regurgitated – chalk-and-talk - the Plowden Committee investigated, described and promoted what they determined to be ‘excellent primary practice’. They found many examples of this in village schools where, by the nature of being small, classes had children of a wide-range of ages, let alone abilities and interests, and teachers had to get more interested in individuals and groups, and what they could do that would catch and hold the attention and interest of their charges - by for example, using topics to introduce and develop a wide range of ideas…

So, we had the idea of an integrated day, co-operative and team teaching, the classroom divided up into various interest areas… and a wide range of practices that began with a care and interest in each and every child, and a desire to nurture and grow them …

To this very day, I relate to ‘good primary practice’ and would proudly describe myself as ‘a Plowden Teacher’ – which I think is probably the best compliment that I can pay to her and her Committee Members. Likewise, my interest in and passion for NLP, and especially its applications to learning and teaching, has the very same roots - a care and interest in each and every child/teacher, and a desire to nurture and grow them, in whatever way works for them … and NLP provides some wonderful models and structures for doing precisely this.

Introducing NLP to Teachers – who might have more time for other more demanding and insistent demands! Some of my experiences and approaches

I’ve had a request to describe some of my learnings in introducing NLP to teachers – especially given a context where the Government is taking such a demanding lead in devising the curriculum, developing approaches to teaching it, measuring and assessing progress … – which is not simply demanding on teachers, it’s a complete control system!

What I’ve learnt:

1. Pace, pace, pace – then pace some more – then lead :Make ‘it’ so comfortable and easy that ‘it’ becomes compelling
2. Create Rapport: Make a positive and encouraging move to acknowledge and meet them; endorse their starting points and respond to their interests
3. Pace and Lead: Create an interest and curiosity that ‘He might have something useful to offer’, that will add to what they are already doing
4. Chunk Small: Make the content so simple and easy – and enjoyable! – that you/they can easily focus on the process
5. Activate: do something: provide some practical experiences – that raises further curiosity
6. Create opportunities to 1^st + 2^nd Position: They both ‘do’ themselves and observe someone else ‘doing’
7. Heighten their awareness and sensory acuity: Help them move beyond the behaviour they have observed and raise the question - ‘So, what do/did you notice?’ – in particular non-verbal behaviour (such as eye movements, change in facial expression and skin colour ….)
8. Chunk Up: Provide a Model/Structure: Describe/provide some structure to what you and they have done – ‘Here’s a model and some further ideas as to how this might be working’
9. Evaluate/Feedback: What do you think..? What might this mean …? What have you learnt …?
10. Future Pace: How can – how will – you use/apply/develop this to your own practice, in your own classroom – tomorrow!
11. Anchor the experience: Leave them with lots of warm feelings and the propulsion system that ‘they can’t wait to put this into action and test it out’
12. Be a model of excellence – walk your talk: we know that we express our ideas in everything we do and how we do it – and even a little through what we say !
13. Follow-up and Support: keep in touch wherever possible

You may know that two of the foremost influential people in NLP – Robert Dilts and Judith DeLozier – held an NLP Millennium Project Conference in Santa Cruz this Summer (part of their on-going NLP Community Project). We were thrilled to find out that they placed NLP and Education at the very top of their priorities. As a Member of our Network, or a Subscriber to ‘New Learning’, you will know that we are already expressing and acting on our vision and mission to bring NLP to the community – in particular through education - and we will do everything possible to support Robert and Judith and the many wonderful people they have gathered around them.

Paul Jacobs and I, together with many other members and supporters, have been discussing how EdNet will be moving forward over the coming months and years.

Paul noticed – as he often does – that we are fast approaching 2001 – which, especially through that wonderful film, represents a defining year and provides an excellent metaphor – in NLP terms a ‘meta-for’ - future pacing. And we came up with the following –