Chapter 21: Ten Applications of NLP 345
NLP recognises that individuals learn in very different ways, and only the
pupil really knows the best way. Good teachers take responsibility for
teaching so that the pupils can profit – they truly connect and inspire. NLP
moves the emphasis from teaching to learning and gets people to begin to
notice how they learn in the best way. Work currently being done with
simple techniques such as the Spelling Strategy, explained in Chapter 12, is
transforming education for children, and ultimately the quality of their lives
for the long term.
The learning process involves many rich dimensions beyond just being
taught facts or given the right answers. For learning to connect and last,
people need to be put into a positive and receptive state. Getting the trainer
and the group into a receptive state is far more important than covering all
the curriculum.
When you’re discovering a new skill, become curious about how to make
that work for you. Think of your best learning experience; a time when you
felt good about learning. For example, Kate knows that she learns best when
having fun, being with people, and feeling okay to experiment and make
mistakes. These items aren’t going to be the same for other people and when
she runs workshops, she pays attention to the needs of her delegates and
adapts her training accordingly.
NLP shows you how to discover people’s preferences for taking in
information – and so as a teacher, you need to recognise that some people
respond to pictures, some to words, and others to touch or feelings. Using
highly general language at the beginning of a session enables you to connect
with the different levels of expertise in a group. So your introduction may go
something like the following:
We cover many aspects of the subject today. Some of you will already have
a lot of knowledge in this area and have your own ideas, opinions, and
experiences to contribute.
For some of you, the concepts will just reinforce what you already know
and give you time to sit back and consider the implications of what you do
already.For others, there will be new perspectives and, during the course of the day,
we will have the opportunity to explore some new ways to add value and
power to what you’re currently using.
You will make up your own minds on how these ideas will be applied.Also keep in mind the various stages of learning. When you take on a new
skill, such as driving a car, you move through different levels of competence.
When you start out you’re blissfully ignorant – unconsciously incompetent.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Then you move to conscious incompetence
and you’ve woken up to what you don’t know. As you build your capability
you become consciously competent until you become unconsciously competent
when, as an expert driver, you forget what being a learner was like. This